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Chapter One
Edward
The sun was bright and warm, a welcome change from the gloom and rain that had been London’s norm as of late. Edward Harford smiled up at the clear blue sky with a small smile. The fair weather reflected his mood perfectly. It seemed as though everything in his life was falling into place. Having finished his studies at Oxford, he had returned home and gone about the business of finding himself a wife, an expectation as the son and heir to the Duke of Stoneham that he did not take lightly.
When had first laid eyes on Miss Cressida Hutches, he had known she was the lady he wished to one day be his Duchess. The most beautiful young miss of the season, she had been highly sought after by all the single gentlemen of the Ton, but Edward was the one who had won her in the end. She walked beside him as they made their way through the garden behind her family’s townhome, looking lovely in her pink dress with its white lace trim. Her blonde hair was arranged on the back of her head in an elegant chignon, and she held herself with a grace and poise that never failed to impress him.
Her delicate brow was furrowed, and she looked preoccupied. What was distracting her so and stealing her attention away from him, he wondered?
“Miss Cressida?” he said in a gentle voice. “Is everything all right? You do not seem to be enjoying yourself as much as you usually do on our walks together.”
She glanced up at him and gave him a small smile that did not reach her bright blue eyes. Her gaze was rather cool, in fact, and it caught him off guard. Usually she was nothing but sweet and charming.
“Miss Cressida?” he prompted when she did not answer him for several long moments.
She came to a sudden stop and faced him. Edward stumbled slightly as he turned toward her as well. He glanced back at the maid who had been trailing behind them throughout their walk. She stopped walking as well, maintaining her distance so as not to intrude on their conversation.
Lifting her chin, Miss Cressida said, “My lord, I am afraid I have something rather unpleasant that I must tell you.”
Edward blinked. “Indeed? What might that be? You know you can tell me anything, Miss Cressida. I am your servant, after all.”
Her expression did not warm as she continued to gaze up at him. “I am afraid that I must bring our courtship to an end.”
Edward stared at her, unable to reply, and not even certain he had heard her correctly.
“I…I beg your pardon,” he muttered. “What do you mean by that? I thought we were both in agreement that we wished to be married. We were going to make the engagement official by the end of the Season…”
She nodded and coolly said, “Yes, I know, and I am sorry, my lord. Unfortunately, I cannot continue pursuing a relationship with you as I have feelings for someone else.”
“What?” he exclaimed, taking a step back as though she had struck him. “What are you talking about? Who have you fallen for? You and I have been spending so much time together. Have you been courting someone else without telling me?”
Miss Cressida released a sigh, as though she were irritated with him. What in the world? Edward simply could not fathom what was happening.
“My lord, I will not lie to you,” she said. “I am in love with Lord Gillies.”
Edward felt as though his heart stopped. He stared down at her in utter astonishment.
“Andrew?” he finally managed to choke out. “You are in love with Andrew?”
Andrew, the newly appointed Earl of Gillies, was one of Edward’s friends. Or, at least he thought he was his friend.
“Have you and Andre…Lord Gillies been courting?” he asked. He realized he had raised his voice and took a moment to bring himself under control.
Miss Cressida glanced away from him as she answered, “We are not formally courting. What sort of lady do you take me for? However, we are acquaintances and my feelings for him have simply grown with every encounter we have had.”
Edward furrowed his brow, confused. She kept saying that she was in love with Andrew, but how was that possible if they only spent time together sparingly? A thought entered his mind. A rather depressing, disappointing, and gut-wrenching thought.
“Miss Cressida…you are not choosing Gillies because he has already inherited his title, are you?” He watched her expression carefully, looking for any sign that he had landed on the truth. “I did not think such things really mattered to you…”
He trailed off when she continued to keep her gaze turned away from him. She did not reply, and Edward realized that he had his answer in her silence.
Swallowing, he took a step back from her and murmured, “I see. Well, I suppose there is nothing left for me to do but to take my leave of you. Good day, Miss Cressida.”
“Good day, my lord.”
She still did not look at him, but he felt as though he were seeing her for the first time. He had thought her sweet and charming, but beneath that warm exterior lay a woman as obsessed with title and privilege as any other lady of the Ton. How could he have been so blind?
Turning, he hurried toward the townhouse, not wishing to waste another moment of his time with the lady. He walked past the maid, who had her head bowed. Edward could still see the pink of her cheeks, however, and he gritted his teeth as anger welled within him. Did she know? Had she been aware of what her mistress had been about to do to him this whole time? If she had been, of course he could not blame her for not saying a word of warning to him, but the fact that he appeared to be the last one to know about Miss Cressida’s change of heart grated on his nerves.
As he made his way inside and through the townhouse without breaking stride, he thought perhaps he ought to thank Miss Cressida for what she had done. She had taught him a valuable lesson about the fickle nature of women, and it was not a lesson he would soon forget.
***
“Edward, you know I am not one to deny a man his need for drink, but do you not think you are taking things a bit too far?”
Edward glared at his closet friend, Fritz Fletcher, who sat across from him at the small table they occupied in the corner of the pub Edward had dragged his friend too. Usually, they would visit White’s, or one of the other clubs in town, but Edward did not want to risk encountering Andrew anywhere. Not when his pride was still stinging from Miss Cressida’s cold rejection and his heart was broken in two.
“Your opinion was not asked for, nor is it wanted,” Edward replied, his words slurring. “I would like to see how you handle it when some blue-eyed siren breaks your heart and leaves you humiliated and alone.”
Fritz raised his dark brows and regarded Edward with a bemused expression. “Now you just sound ridiculous. Did you really fancy yourself in love with the lady?”
“Of course,” Edward shrugged. “Why would I put so much effort into courting her if I did not love her?”
“That is a rather unromantic perspective, do you not think?” Fritz scoffed.
“I do not know what you mean,” Edward snapped. “I loved her. How is that unromantic?”
“You speak as though love is some transaction or business arrangement,” Fritz explained. “If you truly love someone, you do not court her because you feel obligated, but because you wish to simply be around her.”
Edward rolled his eyes. “You are overly sentimental.”
“Perhaps, but at least I am not drunk and making a fool of myself.”
Snarling under his breath, Edward lifted his tankard of ale and took a long drink, just to spite his friend.
Putting the heavy cup back down, he declared, “Well, whatever the case may be, I am done with the whole aggravating business.”
Fritz furrowed his brow, his confusion clear. “What aggravating business?”
“Women,” Edward spat. “Marriage. All of it. What is the point of any of it?”
“Now, now,” Fritz cautioned. “Do not be hasty, my friend. Miss Cressida is just one of many. A single disappointment should not deter you from…”
“No,” Edward snapped, cutting Fritz off. “I was naïve before, but now I see very well that women cannot be trusted. I will not fall victim to their games and schemes again.”
“Edward, be reasonable…”
“I am being reasonable,” Edward insisted. Meeting Fritz’s gaze, Edward leaned closer to his friend and hissed, “I swear this to you here and now, my friend. I will never let another woman make such a fool of me again. No woman shall ever get close enough to my heart to do so.”
“Enthralled in the Governess’ Gaze” is an Amazon Best-Selling novel, check it out here!
As Victoria Clifford rises from the ashes of tragedy, she is determined to save her noble family from a life of poverty. However, her newfound role as a nanny to the wealthy and handsome Edward Harford threatens to unravel her carefully crafted facade. The blazing passion that ignites between them, forces her to question whether she can truly continue to sacrifice her own happiness for the sake of her family.
Will she succumb to Edward’s smouldering gaze and charming wit?
Edward initially scoffs at his niece’s new nanny, but he is unable to resist the fiery spark in her sharp tongue and bold charm. The more time he spends with her, the deeper he falls for her alluring intellect and captivating presence. Despite his best efforts to keep his distance, he finds himself unable to resist their undeniable chemistry…
Will he finally give in to passionately pursuing her tempting embrace?
With every touch and every kiss, the heat between Victoria and Edward builds growing desire. Yet, what will happen when they find themselves torn between Victoria’s closely guarded secrets and Edwards’ past heartbreaks that are still haunting him? Will their sizzling affair survive the storm of secrets that threatens to tear them apart?
“Enthralled in the Governess’ Gaze” is a historical romance novel of approximately 80,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.
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!
Hello there, my dear readers. I hope you enjoyed this sneak peek! I will be waiting for your comments. Thank you! 🙂
I would like to give a true review but your extended epilogue is not coming up. I tried the link two different ways and get a page not found message.
Thank you so much, dear Sidney, I am happy you enjoyed this and very grateful for your kind comment!
Can you make the extended epilogue available please? It’s not available from your links.
PLease find the link here below dear Sidney!
https://meghansloan.com/enthralled-governess-gaze-extended-epilogue/“>https://meghansloan.com/enthralled-governess-gaze-extended-epilogue/