Longing for a Governess’ Kiss (Preview)

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Chapter One

“The Duke is very excited to meet you, Miss Percival.” 

There had been silence in the carriage since Matilda had settled in with the Duke’s steward, Quintin Mulgrave, possibly twenty minutes earlier. It had given Matilda all too much time to begin to worry, to grow weary of the ache that she already felt in her gut at the thought of leaving her family behind. 

I am sure that he is, Matilda thought, shaking herself from her inner turmoil to answer, “And I am very excited to meet him also, Mr Mulgrave.” 

“Please, just Quintin is fine,” the steward protested. He was a kindly man and although his age showed in his greying hair and his pallid complexion, Matilda found him quite easy to talk to. Having met him several times during his master’s efforts to employ her, she was almost certain that Quintin was a man she could trust, a man she could lean on if need be. And she was sure, after all she had heard of the Duke’s daughter, that she was most definitely going to need it. 

“Then you must call me Matilda,” she responded, smiling warmly at him even though her insides were still in utter chaos and making her feel quite sick. The rocking and shifting of the carriage was not helping. She was certain that upon arriving, she would likely be coined as Percival as was expected due to her rank of governess but for as long as possible, she wished to avoid it. Perhaps the Duke might even agree to call her Matilda if she asked him kindly. She had never much liked the use of her surname. Not because she disliked it, but because she felt it was far too masculine a name for a woman. Besides, the Duke had spent a lot of time trying to convince her to work for him, so she was certain that after all the effort he had gone through to get her, he would not be opposed to calling her by her preferred name. 

“Well, Matilda, you cannot possibly know how pleased I am that you will finally be joining the household,” Quintin exclaimed, his face broadening into a brilliant, beaming smile that warmed Matilda’s heart. It was clear to see how much he truly meant what he was saying. “We have built quite the team over the years, and I do believe that you may well be the last piece of our puzzle.” 

“I can only hope that I shall live up to the standards my previous employer has set for me,” Matilda admitted, knowing very well how she had gotten into this mess. She had only herself to blame. Having been a governess for several years, she had made quite the name for herself as one of the best in England. It was both a blessing and a curse. Making her own money and being free to do whatever she wished within reason, not having to marry as many young women were forced to do, was all very good but there was just one problem, she was so sought after that it made it almost impossible to choose which job to take next. In fact, she never would have taken the Duke’s offer if not for his persistence and generosity. Having tripled her usual pay, offering bed, board, and clothing with two days off a week to do as she pleased, there was very little that she could argue against it. At first, she had insisted the Duke’s residence was too far from her own family. After all, she so loved her family. But two days was enough time for a quick visit especially when the Duke had offered her extra time off during holidays. There was just one last problem. 

“Is Lady Amy well of late?” Matilda asked, struggling not to cringe at the mention of the Duke’s ten-year-old daughter. After all she had heard of the young lady, she was not entirely sure how much time she was going to be under the Duke’s employ. The longest that she had heard of a governess working there was three weeks and from what she had been told of those three weeks, every day had been a struggle. 

“Oh, yes, Lady Amy is quite well,” Quintin insisted. His gaze darkened slightly then, and his brow furrowed. He offered a deep sigh and glanced down at the floor before looking her in the eye once more. “I am sure you have likely heard many a rumour about our Lady Amy, though I assure you she is not nearly so bad as she is made out to be.” 

Matilda could not help but purse her lips, relieved when the carriage rocked enough for her to quickly reach for the edge of the seat and make out that it was merely an expression of concentration. On the contrary, it was the expression of a woman who did not entirely trust the words she was hearing. 

“You said that she has a great many skills when last we spoke,” Matilda said, hoping to possibly glean something that she might be able to use in order to prevent Lady Amy from treating her the same way as she had treated all her previous governesses. 

“Ahh, yes, our Lady Amy has a great many talents,” Quintin said, beaming once more. “She is a wonderful singer and dancer and plays several musical instruments. She reads and writes, draws and paints. She likes to play in the garden and documents all her findings whenever she is not inside learning.” 

Matilda smiled in response to his words, knowing that they were much the same as any servant who spoke of their master’s children. It was not the conventional thing to say that one’s child was wonderful at acting up. Yet, Matilda knew enough to know that she would have to be wary of the girl. She must be on guard for the first sign of trouble in order to nip it in the bud as she had with all her previous children. 

Deciding that it was best not to linger in the negative for too long, Matilda changed the subject. “And the Duke?” 

“The Duke is well also,” Quintin replied. He paused to lean over and twitch back the net curtain that was keeping them protected from the worst of the early summer sun. Then he moved back into a comfortable position on his seat and added, “As I have said, he is most excited to meet you.” 

“And his relationship with Lady Amy?” Matilda asked. Though she had asked all the questions before while trying to decide on whether to take the position, she could not help but feel that refreshing her mind on the subject might help to ease her anxiety. The further from her home they travelled, the worse she was being to feel. She had even thought several times of asking Quintin to have the carriage turned back around. The Duke’s home was well more than thirty kilometres away from her home and family, and it was taking a few hours to arrive at the manor. 

“His Grace and Lady Amy are very close,” Quintin assured her. “It is a most happy relationship that they share. The Duke has done much of Lady Amy’s teaching himself though he believes she would benefit from the strong hand of a woman also.”

Matilda nodded. That was quite understandable considering all that she knew of the Duke and how his wife had died giving birth to Lady Amy. It was a fact that saddened her not only for the Duke but also for the daughter, who by the sounds of it, had clearly lost her way in the world. 

I only hope that I can help her, Matilda thought. She was under no illusion that she was the perfect governess, the kind of governess who could make even the worst child be good, but she was damned if she would not at least try to help the both of them. 

“Then they spend much of their time together?” Matilda asked though she had a feeling that she already knew the answer well. 

Quintin’s lips pursed momentarily as though he was thinking hard on how to answer. He took another moment to stroke back his greying hair before finally sighing, “The Duke is a very busy man, and he spends as much time as he is able with Lady Amy though he always regrets it is not enough.” 

Indeed, Matilda thought, deciding it was best not to comment out loud upon the fact. As if he sensed her thought, the steward quickly changed the subject himself, “You will greatly enjoy Thistledown Manor. The place is grand and steeped with history. The grounds are beautiful and it is extremely easy to get lost in the peace of the place.” 

Matilda could only hope that he was right. The governesses she had corresponded with on the position, learning all the information she could about the place and its household, had always been far too concerned with warning her about the child to give her any information on the scenery. 

“When she was smaller, Lady Amy would often hide herself away in the walled garden and pretend to be a fairy,” Quintin continued with obvious affection. “She would worry us all to death and sometimes we would even find her asleep beneath the apple trees.” 

Matilda felt for a moment that Lady Amy might be a girl after her own heart. She had so often taken herself off into nature to hide from the hustle and bustle of her busy family, to avoid the constant chatter of business talk that went on between her parents as they tried to ensure the good fortune of their family-run business. She too would often fall asleep leaning against a tree trunk with a fairytale book in her hand. Yet she could not help but think now of how much trouble a governess would be in if they could not say with certainty where their charge was and she could imagine, after all she had heard about Lady Amy, that the girl would likely have taken great encouragement from the fact. What was it that one governess called her? Matilda asked herself, trying to recall a specific letter she had read, an absolute nightmare. 

“There are all kinds of wildlife and livestock running about the place,” Quintin continued as if he meant for her to fall in love with the estate before she ever even laid eyes upon it. “The Duke has hundreds of acres of land to explore on your days off.”

It was clear from his speaking that Quintin had been paying attention during their meetings to discuss the position itself. He had obviously taken the time to absorb several things about her, learning her love of nature and the simple things. 

“I am sure I shall have a wonderful time,” Matilda insisted. Though her family were wealthy with a larger amount of land than was usually owned by those without title, Matilda had always found that the nobles she worked for had residences beyond compare, each larger and grander than the last. She had little doubt that Thistledown Manor would disappoint. After all, she had worked for many a noble, but never a duke. 

“Mr Burns, the butler, is a fair and kind man,” Quintin continued, “And Mrs Stevenson, the housekeeper, is quite strict but so long as you stick to the rules, she is quite fair also.” 

“That is good to know,” Matilda said with an agreeable nod of her head. 

“There are several maids, footmen and other servants all willing to lend a helping hand should you require,” he added.

Matilda could not help but laugh as she responded, “Quintin, you are well aware that I have already accepted the position, are you not?” 

The old man’s cheeks flushed as if he were slightly embarrassed, and he quickly nodded. “Yes, and we are most glad to have you, Miss Percival. I mean, Matilda.”

Though she was still quite anxious at the thought of leaving her family, never having gone further than ten miles or so to find her work, she found that conversing with Quintin had at least eased her nerves a little. Though she was well aware that she would have her work cut out for her with Lady Amy, she was certain that she would not be the first child to test her patience. After all, what child was overly pleased about being told what to do when they did not necessarily want to do it? 

As if he meant to ignore her comment, Quintin continued, “The Duke has a grand library also. I remembered that you said you like to read. His Grace is quite happy for servants to read from his personal library so long as any book taken is logged in the ledger and returned in a timely fashion.”

Matilda’s stomach flipped with excitement at this. She had been in a great many grand houses, seen so many beautifully large libraries, and yet rarely was able to flip through the musky pages unless it was during a lesson with one of her charges. That left little room for her to actually read the books which interested her rather than the ones which had been chosen as suitable for the learning needs of the children. 

Matilda merely smiled at Quintin, allowing him to continue in his description of the house, its fine artwork and extensive buildings, and all those who lived upon the estate. She was quite content to listen to him, learning about the place that would practically become her home if all went well. If Lady Amy does not take a disliking to me as she has so many others, she realised, slightly concerned. She had yet to meet a child that she could not win around to her side and yet she was certain that the Duke’s daughter was going to be one mighty big challenge for her. How am I supposed to get on with a child who has been an uncontrollable terror toward her many previous governesses? 

***

Before she knew it, she realised that they had arrived. Fluttering her eyes open, feeling as if she were just coming up from deep water, she realised that she must have nodded off at some point during their journey. She could only hope that Quintin had not been mid-sentence, or even mid-question, when she did. 

“Ahh, you are awake,” Quintin smiled, adjusting himself in his seat as if he had been peeking out from behind the net curtain once more. 

Stifling a yawn, Matilda stretched her back and apologised, “I am dreadfully sorry, Quintin. I must have been more exhausted than I realised.” 

Stroking her hair to ensure that it had not fallen from the pins and ribbon that were holding it back, she could only hope that she would be presentable for the Duke and his daughter as the terrain beneath the carriage appeared to change from hard packed earth to crunching shingle. 

“Not to worry, Matilda. I am well aware what the rocking of a carriage can do to one who is unused to long journeys,” Quintin assured her. “Besides, you did well to get some rest while you could. You will have a busy few days ahead of you while you try to settle in.” 

Though he spoke the words kindly and clearly meant no malice toward her, Matilda could not help but feel apprehensive once more. 

It was not until Quintin leaned over and pulled back the drapes of the window that Matilda’s apprehension was overwhelmed by sheer astonishment. “Take a look at your new home.” 

Nothing that Quintin could have told her would have ever prepared Matilda for the sheer grandeur and beauty of Thistledown Manor with its vast manicured lawns surrounded by fields and several copses of trees. The manor house itself appeared to span the entire horizon, almost blocking out the rolling hills beyond it. The driveway was lined with huge trees, pruned to perfection, and offering plenty of shade from the summer sunshine which, even though it was well past its highest point, was still blazing down on them. The air in the carriage was feeling thick and heavy even with the window open and the drapes protecting them, and Matilda suddenly wished she were instead walking beneath the thick green canopy, tilting her head up toward the dappled light and enjoying the sound of bugs and birds as they went about their lives among the leaves above her head. 

The light changed once more as the carriage drew to the end of the driveway and came around a large water fountain in the centre of the circular forecourt. The statue at the fountain’s centre was of a beautiful Roman woman pouring water from an ornately carved vase. Every fine little detail suggested to Matilda exactly what she would find inside the manor. The place was even grander than Quintin had led her to believe. How is it possible that I have come to live in a place like this? she thought in utter astonishment. 

It was not until the carriage came around to the bottom of the manor steps that Matilda realised there were people coming out from the huge double doors at the top of the marble porch that was really more of a grand double staircase leading up to the wooden doors that likely stood at more than seven feet in height. Matilda wondered how it was even possible for one person to open such huge doors. They were clearly made from mahogany and likely weighed more than a tonne. 

Quintin stood, blocking Matilda’s view for several moments and by the time the carriage door was opened, and the steward clambered out, what appeared to be the entire household had already exited the manor and travelled down the steps to form a greeting line before the carriage. 

“Come, Lady Amy,” Matilda heard the hushed hiss carried to her on the breeze even as she stuck her head out of the carriage to climb down with Quintin’s help. 

Here we go, she thought, able to tell from the woman’s voice that Lady Amy was likely already causing trouble for the day. Do not let all you have learned spoil your first impressions, she scolded herself, knowing that it would not be fair to herself nor the child if she allowed other peoples’ views to influence her before they had even been acquainted. Out of the corner of her eye, Matilda saw a woman dressed all in black with a large key ring tied to her belt, urging a young girl into line toward the centre of the household. That must be Mrs Stevenson, the housekeeper, Matilda guessed from the large set of keys. She saw several footmen, two of which stepped forward and bowed before quickly moving to the back of the carriage to remove her luggage from where it had been secured on the back. A single trunk was not much but it would definitely take the two of them, if not a third, to carry it into the house, especially with all those steps. 

There were also several maids in black and white and an elderly looking woman in a striped dress with a white apron whom Matilda guessed was the cook. A man standing opposite Mrs Stevenson, Matilda surmised was the butler, Mr Burns, due to his stern expression and his rigid stance. 

But the man standing at the very front of the group, apart from everyone else, was the man who caught Matilda most off guard. There was no misunderstanding him for a servant, no misidentifying him for anything less than a true nobleman. With glossy, black hair combed back from his face and an afternoon shadow up his chin, with warm chocolate brown eyes and a chiseled jaw, with sharp and noble features and a kind smile, there was no mistaking the Duke of Worthington. Everything about him, from the way he stood and smiled to the fine clothes he was wearing, suggested he was a nobleman of the highest order, even before Quintin stepped before him with a bow and said, “Your Grace, Lord Watson Berkley, Duke of Worthington, please allow me to introduce you to Miss Matilda Percival.”

The steward gestured her forth even as he stepped out of the way, leaving no barrier between herself and the Duke, or the rest of the eyes that were watching her from behind him. Distantly, she heard Mrs Stevenson hushing Lady Amy once more. Clearly, the young girl was not pleased to have been dragged away from whatever fun she had been having. Matilda could not exactly blame her. From what she had heard, they had greeted a new governess almost every week. 

“Miss Percival, it is an honour to finally meet you,” the Duke of Worthington announced, stepping forward to greet her. For what felt like the first time in her life, Matilda was unsure of what to say. Though she had heard of the handsomeness of the Duke, she had been entirely unprepared for witnessing it, even believing that some had lied to her in order to trick her into taking the position. Maybe even Quintin had told her of his handsomeness, though she could not be sure. 

Quickly remembering herself, and realising she was practically gawping at the man, Matilda dropped down into a low curtsy. 

“Please, Miss Percival,” the Duke said, leaning down to offer her his hand and help her up. “We are so pleased that you finally accepted my offer. Are we not, daughter?” 

Though the Duke released her hand almost as soon as she stood, Matilda could still feel the warmth of his touch lingering through the lace of her glove. She tried her best to hold her composure even as Lady Amy was brought forth to meet her. The daughter looked much like the father, quite pretty with large and innocent brown eyes and hair that was only a shade off being black. She was pale skinned save for a few telling freckles that suggested she liked to break the rules of covering up in the sunshine even though currently she wore a pale blue bonnet which matched her day dress perfectly. A navy-blue ribbon was tied around her waist, and another held on her bonnet while her hair cascaded from a ponytail down over one shoulder. 

“Lady Amy, what do we say to Miss Percival?” the Duke said sternly though there was also affection in his tone as he placed a hand upon his daughter’s shoulder and urged her forward a little more as the girl stepped up beside him with her head bowed. From what Matilda could see of her expression beneath the rim of her bonnet, it was clear she was not pleased to be there. Yet when she lifted her head and smirked at Matilda, the governess saw the innocence melt away for a moment, a spark of mischief in her large brown eyes. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Percival.”

“Longing for a Governess’ Kiss” is an Amazon Best-Selling novel, check it out here!

The fiery Matilda Percival has always loved children and dreamt of being the best governess. Therefore when she is hired by a tempting Lord, she uses her fun and imaginative way of teaching to win over his challenging daughter. Her seductive employer is definitely not as easy to crack, though… Before she knows it, sizzling passion starts growing faster than she could have ever imagined. With temptation living under the same roof, will she manage to restrain herself?

No governess should engage in trysts with their employer or worse, passionately fall in love…

As the single father of a troubled ten-year-old, Watson Berkley, the Duke of Worthington has his hands full. He has hired and lost several governesses over the last years but is pretty sure the spellbinding Miss Percival is here to stay. Little Amy grows to adore her, indeed, but what he never expected was the soul-awakening connection between them, that is beyond his wildest imaginings.

Yet, could a Duke such as he ever long for a governess?

Finding it hard to deny their burning desire for each other, Matilda and Watson surrender to their undeniable attraction. However, what will the woman he is courting think of their affectionate interactions? With society and Lady Florentia against them, will the Duke and the governess manage to guard their newfound family? Or will the fear of rejection tear them apart?

“Longing for a Governess’ Kiss” is a historical romance novel of approximately 80,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

Get your copy from Amazon!

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OFFER: A BRAND NEW SERIES AND 2 FREEBIES FOR YOU!

Grab my new series, "Lust and Longing of the Ton", and get 2 FREE novels as a gift! Have a look here!

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