Chapter 40
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“I suspect the King’s faction has already made contact with her. A woman that calculated wouldn’t remain idle this long without weaving some sort of scheme.”
“I understand. However… have you seen any evidence of such behavior from Miss Somerset?”
Windsor lapsed into a stony silence.
True, there had been no such signs. Even so, he felt it might be more prudent to dismiss Jacqueline now—to strike before she had the chance to betray him—even if her departure left a void in Benjamin’s studies.
Perhaps then, this nagging sense of unease would finally dissipate.
Leaning back into the plush carriage seat, Windsor closed his eyes. This specific brand of irritation was a novelty to him, something that had only taken root since Jacqueline arrived at Preston Manor.
It stood to reason that once she was gone, the feeling would vanish along with her.
Yet the moment his eyelids closed, Jacqueline’s radiant smile flashed unbidden across his mind. He tried to shove the image away, but the more he fought it, the more vivid her joy became. That prickle of discomfort, which had started as a dull ache at his ankles, now surged upward to constrict his throat.
Without thinking, Windsor reached into his pocket. The meticulously wrapped gift crinkled and deformed under the sudden pressure of his grip.
“I’ve returned, William.”
Jacqueline offered the butler a bright greeting as he stepped forward to meet the carriage. William fell into step beside her as they approached the manor.
“Welcome home, Miss Somerset. The young master has been quite restless waiting for you.”
“Oh? Benjamin was?”
Jacqueline suspected the butler might be indulging in a bit of flattery, yet she couldn’t suppress the warmth spreading through her chest. Being the object of a child’s affection was a far more profound joy than she had ever anticipated.
Sprinting slightly as she moved down the corridor, Jacqueline caught sight of a familiar figure approaching from the far end. She slowed her pace, her eyes softening as she called out to him.
Her tone was thick with genuine warmth.
“Lord Preston.”
Windsor, who had recognized the cadence of her stride long before she appeared, only came to a halt when his name left her lips.
He turned toward her, his expression a mask of indifference. Noting the lingering traces of a smile on her face, he remarked dryly,
“I trust your meeting with your friend went well?”
“It did, thank you.”
A friend.
Windsor found himself wondering why she had felt the need to lie so brazenly just to see Evan Knox.
Did she truly believe he would forbid the meeting if she had been honest? And for what reason?
If that was her fear, she was mistaken. Windsor didn’t care in the slightest who she chose to spend her time with.
“You seem remarkably spirited.”
“Well, I have no reason to be otherwise,” Jacqueline replied, her eyes crinkling with delight.
If Evan’s manuscript was accepted, the dream of renting a room in the capital was within reach. If luck truly favored her, she might even secure a modest house with a small garden.
Then, finally, she could bring her mother to live with her. She couldn’t leave her under her aunt’s roof forever.
The mere thought of that future brought a foolishly happy grin to her face. In sharp contrast, Windsor’s tone turned frigid.
“Benjamin has been waiting for a significant amount of time.”
Jacqueline’s eyes widened. The remark felt like a sharp reprimand for her absence.
After a tense beat of silence, she replied carefully, “I don’t believe I have exceeded the timeframe we agreed upon for my outing.”
“Moving forward, I would prefer it if you curtailed these excursions—provided you truly grasp your obligations as Miss Somerset.”
At that, Jacqueline’s brow furrowed in genuine irritation. She narrowed her eyes at Windsor, stunned by his sudden volatility. How could he be so accommodating one moment and so hostile the next?
“Is today not Sunday, a day with no scheduled lessons? I don’t recall any lapse in my performance that would warrant such a lecture, Lord Preston.”
Windsor pressed his lips into a thin line, having no retort. He was well aware that his demands were irrational.
Yet the words had escaped him before he could catch them, driven by a desperate need to voice his agitation.
It was a foreign sensation. As a man ruled by logic, Windsor rarely succumbed to impulse or emotion. He was known for weighing his words so meticulously that he often exhausted his listeners.
But around Jacqueline, he found himself blurting out things he hadn’t intended. And even now, the suffocating pressure in his chest refused to lift.
Grimacing, Windsor tugged at his necktie to loosen it.
“Regardless, if that is your command, I shall keep it in mind. I am, after all, merely the governess in your employ.”
She delivered the words with a cold edge and brushed past him, her movements stiff with the desire to escape his presence.
Windsor remained motionless, watching her retreat up the stairs. For a fleeting second, he almost wished she was a spy for the King.
Then he would have a reason to cast her out—and perhaps then, this agonizing discomfort would finally leave him in peace.
As Windsor turned toward the drawing room, his features twisted with fleeting resentment.
Left alone in the hallway, William nervously adjusted his glasses, completely baffled by the sudden frost between the two.
“Miss Somerset.”
Jacqueline, having just changed her clothes, blinked in surprise at the small figure waiting outside her door.
“Betty mentioned you were back. Did you have a nice time out?”
The boy looked up at her with a flicker of anxiety, clearly worried he might be an intrusion. Jacqueline softened her expression and knelt slightly.
“Didn’t I tell you that you’re always welcome to knock?”
“I know… but I didn’t want to be a bother.”
Only after admitting his fear did Benjamin peek up to see how she would react.
“You could never be a bother!”
Jacqueline shook her head emphatically. She began to walk with him down the hallway, her voice a gentle lilt.
“I saw so many people enjoying the park on my way home. Before the summer heat becomes too much… perhaps we could go for a stroll there next Sunday? That is, if Lord Preston gives us his permission.”
Benjamin’s eyes lit up. A trip to the park was a luxury he had never even dreamed of requesting.
“Yes, Miss Somerset!”
The answer came instantly, as if he feared the invitation might vanish if he didn’t grab it.
“Splendid. I’ll speak with Lord Preston later…”
Jacqueline’s smile faltered. The memory of Windsor’s icy stare from moments ago flashed through her mind.
“I truly cannot fathom what goes on in that man’s head.”
“Pardon?”
“…Oh, it’s nothing. I’ll handle the request with Lord Preston myself.”
“Yes, Miss Somerset.”
Looking into the boy’s bright, trusting eyes, Jacqueline couldn’t help but smile back. The bond she was building with him brought her immense satisfaction—
especially when she thought back to how distant he had been during their first encounter.
If it meant making Benjamin happy, facing the unpredictable Lord Preston was a small price to pay.
“It’s time for tea. I’ll go find Betty and have her prepare a tray.”
“Um… would it be alright if I joined you? Only if you’d like the company.”
Benjamin was still so hesitant. It broke her heart how often the sweet boy questioned whether he was truly wanted.
Jacqueline suspected it stemmed from the loss of his parents. At an age when he should have been showered with affection, he had endured profound grief—a trauma that clearly still lingered.
She considered it a vital part of her role to show him he was loved. She looked down at him with an expression of pure tenderness.
“Of course, Benjamin. You are never a burden. In fact, I look forward to our chats more than you know.”
“Really?”
His eyes went wide with wonder. Jacqueline nodded firmly.
“Absolutely. And we shall have cocoa for you. Didn’t your stomach bother you yesterday after all those cold drinks?”
“Okay, Teacher.”
The two descended the grand staircase side by side. Their footsteps, which had been so out of sync on her first day, now fell in a perfect, rhythmic harmony.
Just as they settled in for tea, William entered the room with a silver tray, presenting a letter to Jacqueline.
“A message for you, Miss Somerset.”
“For me? I wonder… Oh, it’s from my aunt. I hope everything is alright.”
Jacqueline used the letter opener to slice through the seal and unfolded the parchment with casual curiosity.
Her face went slack as she read. She stopped breathing for a heartbeat, then bolted upright from her chair.
“Miss Somerset?”
Benjamin looked at her, terrified; the color had fled from Jacqueline’s face, leaving her looking as though she might faint.
Her eyes were wide and trembling as she stared at nothing, her hand crushing the letter into a ball. The sound of the paper crinkling drew the boy’s attention.
“Is it something bad?”
“Oh, Benjamin…!”
She snapped back to reality, trying to force a reassuring smile that failed to reach her eyes.
“I am so sorry. I must speak with Lord Preston immediately. Can you finish your tea without me?”
“Yes, Miss Somerset. Please, go. Don’t worry about me at all.”
Benjamin gave her a solemn nod.
“Thank you.”
Jacqueline hurried from the room. She reached Windsor’s study in a blur and knocked on the door before she could even catch her breath.
“It is I, Lord Preston.”
“Enter.”
Windsor, who had been staring at the ruined gift, shoved it into a desk drawer and looked up. His brow furrowed at the sight of her.
“What is the meaning of this?”
Jacqueline didn’t answer immediately, taking a jagged breath. A vein pulsed visibly in her neck.
She looked like a woman standing on the precipice of a breakdown, her composure held together by the thinnest of threads.
Unable to remain seated, Windsor stood up slowly, his gaze locked onto her.
“Tell me what has happened.”
His voice was uncharacteristically urgent. Jacqueline’s lips trembled, and when she finally spoke, her voice was thin and brittle.
“I… I have to go home.”
“Home?”
Windsor’s frown deepened. Jacqueline nodded frantically.
“My mother is gravely ill. I have to leave—right now. I know I am abandoning my duties, but I have no choice…”
