The Mysterious Governess (Daughters of Sin Book 3) by Beverley Oakley Page A

moment and anything else is quite out of the question. This morning I’d thought to rob a coach—not a thought I entertained for long,” he quickly reassured her, “for that would be as counter to achieving the respectable, happy and long-lasting union I desire as succumbing to what I really feel here.” He touched his hand to his heart and Lissa blushed at the allusion.
    “You see, when I saw Jem, I came up with a plan to safeguard certain individuals from harm. In fact, it was more the beginning of a plan, depending on how other events transpired.” He sighed. “Now I realize I must exercise my mental faculties more than I ever have and perhaps tinker with events. For so long I’ve been a lowly secretary, so there’s not been much of a requirement to use this.” He tapped his head. “But my unbiased mama tells me I’m the cleverest man she knows, and I’d like you to think it someday, too.”
    Placing his hands on her shoulders, he leaned close and kissed her chastely on the lips, stepping back and shaking his head when Lissa moved forward.
    “Not yet, Miss Partington, but I promise you, our time will come.”
    ***
    A raminta felt her time had come.
    The evening she had planned at Vauxhall Gardens was going to cement what she had worked toward for so long: the perfect marriage.
    She’d told herself she could have any man she wanted and, during her first season, that had probably been true.
    Then there’d been the disastrous incident with that stupid young man blowing his brains out. She’d only agreed to marry him after too many champagnes had led to a quick fumble in a carriage; but she’d not been found out, as she’d feared at the time, and there’d been no witnesses—and no consequences—so she wasn’t going to marry any gentleman she didn’t want to, unless she really had to.
    Of course, she’d been very sorry that her disappointed suitor had been so addle-pated as to have used a loaded pistol. She fully agreed with everyone who wanted to talk about it with her that it was a tragedy and so thoughtless of him to have made such a mess for his poor mama to find, but that wasn’t Araminta’s fault. The trouble was, more and more she was gaining the impression that others in society felt it was. At least to the extent that the more glittering prizes tended to shy away from her when it came to forging a more long-lasting union.
    Then she’d met Lord Debenham, who was clearly mad for her; and she did find him intriguing, with that edge of danger that did something to her insides. Yes, the letter Jem had shown her was troubling. Lord Debenham had been painted a villain by his very own cousin, Sir Aubrey’s wife, while Sir Aubrey was, apparently, the wrongly maligned society gentleman.
    However, Lord Debenham was only in danger if that letter were discovered. Araminta’s meeting with His Lordship immediately after she’d left the tavern had made it clear how far he was willing to go to ensure that the letter was never made public. Araminta might even have agreed to be his wife that very moment if he’d asked her.
    But then, when Hetty had dragged her into the drawing room just after she’d returned from her secret meeting with Lord Debenham in the hackney, there was Sir Aubrey pacing up and down. And after he’d kissed her knuckles and said such sweet things to her after telling her how important it was to give him the letter, Araminta’s heart had fluttered all over the place.
    So, really, Araminta had her choice of two suitors—Lord Debenham and Sir Aubrey.
    Now Araminta had chosen. Sir Aubrey might be a mere baronet but only a sickly, childless cousin stood in the way of an earldom and, equally important, Sir Aubrey would make a far more manageable husband than Lord Debenham.
    Although Hetty would be disappointed, and might even blame Araminta for acting improperly, she must know that a union between herself and Sir Aubrey was impossible.
    Sir Aubrey’s smeared reputation had apparently