Amelia gave herself a little shake. “But I didn’t wish to remain there forever. At twenty, I had eaten enough gruel to last a lifetime. Nor did I enjoy sharing a cot with fleas and catching every illness that passed through the school.”
Lord Brenmore snorted. “Understandable.”
“I knew I would make a capable governess,” Amelia continued. “I had gained more than enough experience in instructing children in numbers and letters. The trouble was, my skills were not of the most…refined variety. English families of the upper echelons want their children to learn not only reading and writing, but piano and water coloring and dancing. What is more, it is not enough that their children learn French, but they must learn the correct accent to prove their superior class. I was woefully unprepared for such a position.”
“Let me guess,” Lord Brenmore said, dry mirth tinging his voice. “Ye found that in Scotland, such frippery and displays of class standing aren’t given nearly so much credence as they are in England.”
A huff of laughter rose in her throat. “You are most astute, my lord. After several rejections in my own country, I came across Lord Glenrose’s posting about a position in a far-flung pocket of the Highlands. He made it clear that some of the comforts one might expect in an Earl’s household weren’t to be found at Glenrose. What was more, his daughter was not some shrinking violet to be kept busy with needlepoint and flower arrangement. He wanted her to receive a more practical education, one better suited to life here. I think he knew even then she would be his heir.”
“When was all this?”
“Four years ago. I knew I was up to the task, and fortunately, Lord Glenrose agreed. He was willing to overlook the fact that my training lacked refinement, and that I had no experience outside the charity school. He always said that I’d taken a chance on him, coming all the way up here and committing myself to Glenrose and Livie. But he took a chance on me as well, for which I’ll always be grateful.”
“And in all that time, the harshness of life in the Highlands hasn’t sent ye running southward.”
By the arch of his dark brow, Amelia knew he was gently teasing her again. Even still, she couldn’t help the earnest response that rose to her lips.
“Not at all, my lord. This land had unequivocally and irrevocably captivated me. I have never known such a hardworking people as I have found here, nor a place with more untamed, rugged beauty. Yes, I am still reminded from time to time that I am English—mainly when these dark, cold winter days make me long for a gentler climate, or when I attempt to speak with an elderly crofter and only manage to comprehend every fifth word—but I feel as though I have found the place my heart was always meant to be.”
Despite the chilly air, Amelia felt her cheeks heat at her impromptu, impassioned speech. She darted a glance at Lord Brenmore, only to find him watching her again. It had grown too dark to read his expression, but she could feel the intensity of his gaze nevertheless.
“It is an honor to guide Livie through her education,” she hurried on, warming further. “But I am most grateful for the opportunity to work with the local children on the Glenrose estate. They deserve a chance to lift themselves above the grueling station into which they were born, just as I was. They are so vulnerable, especially in these times of uncertainty and instability. Why, with one shift in the winds or offhanded decision by those above them—”
Belatedly, Amelia realized what she’d just said. She snapped her head up in time to see Lord Brenmore stiffen. His hand must have tightened on his horse’s lead, for the animal tossed its head uneasily.
She silently cursed herself for a fool. Here she was insulting her new employer—and worse, possibly endangering the crofters by pitting their master against them—when he’d already made it clear that he was on the brink of a decision to clear the entire estate.
She should have instead been trying to convince him of the value in letting things continue on as Lord Glenrose would have done—preserving the traditions and beauty of this older way of life here in the Highlands.
“I-I hope to open a schoolhouse someday,” she fumbled onward, “so that the children no longer have to meet in whichever cottage is available.”
“And did the late Lord Glenrose support ye in that endeavor as well?” he asked, his tone careful.
“Yes, though he wasn’t able to provide the funds to build a schoolhouse before his passing. Financial matters were rather…tight. As I’m sure you know,” she hastened to add.
“Indeed.”
He fell silent then. Amelia pressed her lips together, feeling the almost palpable warmth that had begun to build between them leach away into the cold night air. Once again, she was struck with a troubling sense of uncertainty about just what the future—for Glenrose, and for herself—would hold under Lord Brenmore.
Only this time, her unease was made sharp by something new—an undeniable pull toward the Earl that left a disconcerting coil of heat in her belly and a tight knot in her throat.
Chapter Seven
“Come, Livie, no more dallying.”
The girl looked like a disgruntled little general as she stared up at Amelia, her arms crossed over her chest and her golden brows lowered. The future Countess was out of options, yet she wasn’t willing to give in just yet.
“I dinnae want to meet him.”
Amelia suppressed a sigh.
