“I hate being a governess,” she breathed hotly, sitting back down on the ground. “And I hate the nobility.”
The female voice interrupted its giggles long enough to say, “Did you hear something?”
“Shut up, Helene.”
Victoria sighed and clapped her hand to her forehead. The couple was beginning to sound quite amorous, despite the man's somewhat lazy rudeness.
“No, I'm sure I heard something. What if it's my husband?”
“Your husband knows what you are, Helene.”
“Did you just insult me?”
“I don't know. Did I?”
Victoria could just imagine the man crossing his arms and leaning against the hedgerow.
“You're very naughty, did you know that?” Helene said.
“You certainly like to remind me of it.”
“You make me feel naughty, too.”
“I don't think you've ever needed assistance in that endeavor.”
“La, sir, I'm going to have to punish you.”
Oh, please, Victoria thought, sliding her hand to cover her eyes.
Helene let out another trill of high-pitched giggles. “Catch me if you can!”
Victoria heard the rhythm of running feet and sighed, thinking that she would be trapped in the maze with this couple for an extremely awkward amount of time. Then the footsteps came closer and closer. Victoria looked up just in time to see a blond woman come tearing around the corner. She didn't even have time to yell out before Helene tripped over her and landed ungracefully on the ground.
“What the hell?” Helene screeched.
“Now, now, Helene,” came the male voice from around the corner. “Such language is unbecoming to your pretty mouth.”
“Shut up, Macclesfield. There is a girl here. A girl.” Helene turned to Victoria. “Who the devil are you? Did my husband send you?”
But Victoria didn't hear her. Macclesfield? Macclesfield? She shut her eyes in agony. Oh, dear Lord. Not Robert. Please, anyone but Robert.
Heavy, booted footsteps rounded the corner. “Helene, what the hell is going on?”
Victoria slowly looked up, her blue eyes huge and terrified.
Robert.
Her mouth went dry. She couldn't breathe. Oh, God. Robert. He looked older. His body was still rock hard and powerful, but there were lines on his face that hadn't been there seven years ago, and his eyes looked forever grim.
He didn't see her at first, his attention still on the fuming Helene. “She's probably that misplaced governess Hollingwood was talking about.” He turned to look at Victoria. “Been missing since—”
The blood drained from his face. “You.”
Victoria swallowed nervously. She'd never thought to see him again, had never even tried to prepare herself for how she might feel if she did. Her body felt strange, rather queer, and she wanted nothing more than to dig a hole in the ground and bury herself in it.
Well, that was not entirely true. Part of her wanted very much to scream out her fury and rake her nails across his cheeks.
“What the hell are you doing here?” he bit out.
Victoria gathered up her pride and looked back at him defiantly. “I am the misplaced governess.”
Helene kicked Victoria in the hip. “You'd better call him ‘my lord’ if you value your position, girl. He is an earl, and you would do well not to forget it.”
“I am well aware of what he is.”
Helene flicked her head in Robert's direction. “Do you know this girl?”
“I know her.”
It took all of Victoria's will not to cringe at the ice in his voice. She was wiser now than she'd been seven years ago. And stronger, too. She rose to her feet, stood straight, looked him in the eye, and said, “Robert.”
“That's a fine greeting,” he drawled.
“What's the meaning of this?” Helene demanded. “Who is she? What are you—” Her head swung from Victoria to Robert. “Did she call you Robert?”
Robert didn't once take his eyes off Victoria. “You'd better leave, Helene.”
“I most certainly will not.” She crossed her arms.
“Helene,” he repeated, his voice laced with low warning.
Victoria heard the veiled fury in his voice, but apparently Helene did not, because she said, “I can't imagine what you would have to say to this…this governess person.”
Robert turned to Helene and roared, “Leave us!”
She blinked. “I don't know the way out.”
“A right, two lefts, and another right,” he bit out.
Helene opened her mouth as if to say more, then obviously thought better of it. With one last nasty glance in Victoria's direction, she quit the scene. Victoria was more than half inclined to follow her. “A right, two lefts, and another right,” she breathed to herself.
“You're not going anywhere,” Robert barked. His imperious tone was just enough to convince Victoria that there was no use even attempting to make polite conversation with him. “If you'll excuse me,” she said, stalking past him.
His hand landed on her arm like a thunderstorm. “Get back here, Victoria.”
“Don't give me commands,” she burst out, whirling to face him. “And don't speak to me in that tone of voice.”
“Goodness,” he mocked. “Such demands for respect. Most odd coming from a woman whose idea of faith—”
“Stop!” she yelled. She wasn't certain what he was talking about, but she couldn't bear to listen to his scathing tone of voice. “Just stop! Stop!”
Amazingly, he did. He looked rather shocked by her outburst. Victoria wasn't surprised. The girl he'd known seven years ago had never screamed like that. She'd never had cause to. She tugged at her arm and said, “Please leave me alone.”