“The pleasure is all mine, Your Grace,” she said demurely. When he indicated a seat across a low table from his own, she took it.
“Tell me, Miss Knightley,” he began, leaning back in the chair, one long leg crossed over the other. “What is your experience as a governess?”
This was a question she could answer in her sleep. “Thank you for asking. I have worked in several prominent households…”
She recited her bona fides absentmindedly, studying the man in front of her. He sat casually, but she suspected there was moreto him than met the eye. His gaze was too sharp for him to be as relaxed as he wanted her to think.
Well, that didn’t matter. She wouldnotbe taking this job, not if he offered her a king’s ransom in wages.
“Wait,” the duke interrupted her as she recounted her previous employment. “You worked for the Lightholders?”
“I did,” she answered smoothly. This had happened at the other interviews, too. Everyone in England wanted a piece of the Lightholders. “I have a letter of reference from the Duchess of Godwin…”
The man snatched the paper from her hand, quickly reading down the lines.
“Bloody Xander…” he muttered to himself.
Letty paused. This hadnothappened at her other interviews.
“Are you… acquainted with His Grace?” she asked carefully. She regretted it immediately, as the Duke of Rutley’s too-sharp eyes flicked to her, a wry expression twisting his mouth.
“You could say that,” he said dryly. “Given that Xander Lightholder is my first cousin.”
“Oh,” she said. Then, “Oh.”
She recognized the name now—Ezra Swifton. He had been the Marquess of… something until recently, but she recalled hearing some discussion of his inheritance in recent months, although she had been too busy with the children to pay the news much attention. After all, what did she care about when a wealthy, influential man became richer and more powerful? If she wasn’t working for him, it was very much not her concern.
But… The Lightholders were very close. Why had the Duchess of Godwin not recommended that Letitia come here first?
“Her Grace didn’t mention you were looking for a governess,” she said, hoping this sounded neutral instead of accusatory. His lips twitched again, suggesting these hopes were in vain.
“Her Grace does not know,” he said, leaning forward, resting his knees on his elbows.
Letitia did not like this. Not one bit.
“Should I ask?” She was weary of this. “Or would you just prefer to tell me?”
It was an unbelievably rude way to speak to a duke, but there was no point in making a show of how respectful and proper she could be, not when she had another, far less complicated, job offer waiting for her. So what if the Bassett children were likely as bland as porridge, given their mother? That was fine. She didn’t need excitement.
Excitement was just another word for trouble.
Instead of throwing her out on her rear, as he might have done, the duke seemed delighted by this show of spine.
“I see why Helen likes you,” he said, running his fingers through that dark hair of his. Letitia logged this as another thing she distrusted about him.Thatmove was the move of a man who knew he was handsome. Those were the most dangerous kind.
“I was very fortunate to work for Her Grace,” Letitia replied primly.
The duke pointed a finger at her. “That will not work,” he said. “Not now that you’ve shown that you’re capable of more than that.”
Well, fine. If he was going to be like that, so was she.
She let her perfect posture slip just a little. It had been ages since she’d relaxed away from her professional demeanor, and she could not resist doing so now. What was the point when this interview was going so poorly?
“Very well,” she said. “If you must know, before I worked for Their Graces, I worked for Lady Clio. I was her governess when she was first in Belgium, then her companion when she returned.”
He raised a brow. “You’re from Belgium,” he observed.
That was the last thing she wanted to talk about. “I was raised there,” she said. “I returned here with Cli—with Lady Clio, now Her Grace.” She’d almost slipped there, but just because she and Clio were friends didn’t mean she could act like the kind of person who referred to aristocrats by their given names. “She referred me to Their Graces.”
