“This be you, miss.”

Jerked into wakefulness, Sophia stared at the man at the door, blinking furiously as she tried to remember what she was doing.

“You are here, miss,” he said again, stepping aside and waiting for her to climb out of the stagecoach.

Her limbs felt like blocks of wood as she climbed out, seeing her bags being set down by the side of the road. Just ahead of her, up a long gravel drive, there was a huge manor house gleaming in the late afternoon sunshine. It was cold, with the February wind chilling her to the very bone.

“Is this the Duke of Harrogate’s house?” she asked, as the last of her four bags were set down by her side.

The man grinned, his eyes dancing. “Yes, indeed. What are you going there for, miss, if you do not mind my asking? There ain’t been anyone new in that place for a long time.”

“I am the governess,” Sophia whispered, already feeling like a fraud by simply letting those words pass her lips. “I mean, I am going to try to be.”

Frowning, the man studied her for a moment. “There ain’t nothing to be afraid of, miss. The Duke of Harrogate is a good man, do you not know? A good master to his tenants, so I am told. You ain’t got nothing to fear from him.”

His words penetrated through Sophia’s anxiety, bringing her a slight tinge of relief.

“Thank you,” she murmured, looking down at her bags and then back up at the faraway manor house, not quite sure how she was to get her things to the house by herself. “That is good to know.”

The man smiled again and patted her shoulder. “Well, all the luck to you.” He doffed his cap, climbed back up into the driver’s seat, and the stagecoach rolled away, leaving her standing alone on the road with her bags all about her.

Sophia did not know what to do. She was already overwhelmed by all that had happened, the days of traveling, her mind going over and over what she might find and what kind of man the Duke of Harrogate might be, only to now find herself deposited half a mile away from the manor house.

Gritting her teeth, Sophia drew in a long breath and lifted her chin.

“I have got to find some strength from somewhere,” she told herself aloud, knowing that she could not simply stand there and wait for someone to come and find her. If she was to start her new life, then she had to somehow find the strength within herself to do the best she could, no matter the circumstances. She would not fail at this. She could not fail at this. Her life was here, and Sophia knew she needed to find some kind of determination within herself, a strength of character that had to build up a resilience that would see her through. There would be no one else to help her, no one else to tell her what to do or to even so much as listen to the sorrows in her heart. From now on, she was going to have to find a way to live her life alone.

Picking up two of her bags, Sophia strode forward on legs that wobbled just a little, depositing them just within the driveway and making sure they remained mostly out of sight. Walking back to where her other two bags were, she picked them up. With determination, she began to make her way toward the house.

By the time she reached the house, sweat trickled down her back, her hair was plastered to her head underneath her bonnet. Every muscle within her was aching with the effort of carrying them. Deep within her, there came a small burning satisfaction that she had, in fact, managed to carry her bags thus far.

Looking up at the front door, Sophia paused for a moment, not certain where she ought to go. The front door was meant for those who came to call on the duke whereas, since she was no longer a lady of quality but rather a governess, she should go to the servants’ entrance.

She was still contemplating what to do when the sound of footsteps caught her ears. Turning around, she saw a tall, well-dressed gentleman coming toward her, having evidently been walking in the gardens. He looked at her with contemplative eyes, his dark hair flopping down over his forehead just a little. There was a youthful air about him. Although, as he drew nearer, Sophia saw the weariness deep within his gaze, as though life had treated him a little cruelly, giving him burdens to carry that he had not anticipated.

Putting her bags down, she bent her head and kept her hands clasped in front of her, not quite sure what she should do. Should she speak first and introduce herself? Or wait until he asked her?

“And you are?”

The words were taut and brittle, his voice a little irritated. Glancing up at him, Sophia saw that his jaw was clenched, his eyes glinting with something like frustration.

“I am your new governess, your grace,” she murmured, dropping her eyes to the gravel at her feet instead of keeping them on his face as she as used to. “Miss Sophia Weston, at your service.”

There was a short pause. Sophia dared not look up at him, suddenly filled with worry that he might choose to turn her away there and then. She could not imagine what her appearance was like, resisting the urge to sweep back her errant blonde curls from her temples and tuck them back into her bonnet.

“I see,” he murmured, after a few moments. “And are these all your things?”

Looking up at him, Sophia saw the frustration slowly leaving his face. Apparently, she was acceptable. “No, your grace,” she replied softly. “I have left two of my other bags at the bottom of the drive.” Her cheeks heated, as she looked away. “I could not quite manage to carry them all.”

“Of course,” he replied at once, calmly. “However, you could have left them all at the bottom of the driveway, Miss Weston. My footmen will go to fetch them for you and set them in your rooms.” He gestured toward the house, as one of the footmen came scurrying toward them, picking up Sophia’s bags as though he had heard the duke speak. The duke murmured something in the footman’s ear, and without a word, he hurried back into the house to do the master’s bidding.

“I do not think you need meet my daughter today,” the duke continued, as Sophia fell into step alongside him. “It is already growing late, and she will be going to bed very soon.” He turned his head to regard her, as they climbed the steps, and Sophia felt herself grow hot under his scrutiny. “I think, mayhap, a time to get to know you a little better would be best, Miss Weston. I do have a few questions for you, you see.”

“Of course, your grace,” Sophia replied automatically. “I will do whatever it is you wish of me.”

A chuckle came from his lips, making her look over at him in surprise. She had not expected any kind of mirth from him. Was it because of what she had said or because of how she looked? Did he find her changed situation to be one of hilarity? Her cheeks burned, as she turned her face away, looking ahead of her into the house.

“Thank you, Miss Weston, that is very good of you,” the duke murmured, as he walked into the house ahead of her. “I am not a hard man, as you will soon come to know, although I do expect my staff to work to the very best of their ability at all times. However, I will not allow you to simply agree with me at all times, Miss Weston. When it comes to my daughter’s education, I will want you to speak to me about what you have been considering for her, what your thoughts are for her future, and what subjects you intend to focus on. Provided the situation works out, of course.”

“Of course,” Sophia echoed, her stomach swirling with a mixture of nerves and a feeling of being entirely unprepared for what was expected of her.

“I will not have you doing what I ask and what I say without allowing me into your own thoughts and opinions, Miss Weston,” the duke continued, as they made their way to the bottom of the staircase that led up through the grand house. “I want you to be very clear on this issue,” he finished, turning to face her. “This is vastly important to me, and I want to ensure that we are clear on this from the start.”

Still feeling entirely overwhelmed, Sophia found herself nodding without being altogether sure of what she was agreeing to. The duke gave her a small smile, his blue eyes still lingering on her and giving Sophia the impression that she was being scrutinized by him. Did she live up to his expectations?

“So, rest and eat, and then I shall send for you,” the duke said, as a maid hurried forward to stand by her side.

Seeing the maid walk ahead of her and realizing that she was expected to follow, Sophia curtsied quickly – although as gracefully as she could – and then began to make her way up the stairs, leaving the duke behind.

Her mind was so full that she barely took in the grandeur of the house. She hardly saw the ornate carpets, the beautiful tapestries, and marble busts that decorated the hallway. The maid hurried her along to the end of one long hallway, turning left and then right until Sophia found herself in a small alcove with one door on either side.

“This here is the nursery,” the maid said quietly. “Lady Sarah will be getting changed for bed, so I will not show you in at the moment.”

Sophia nodded, looking toward the other door. The maid opened it and ushered Sophia in, standing just outside the doorway.

“And this will be your room,” the maid continued softly. “The master is very kind, miss. He thought you should have a bath in your room. Just pull the bell when you are ready and it will be emptied for you.”

Sophia could hardly breathe, such was her shock. The room, whilst smaller than her own bedchamber at home, was beautifully decorated with the bed at one end of the room and a table, chair, and rocking chair by the fire at the other end. There was a screen where she might change, with a large wardrobe next to it, and best of all, there was a large tub filled with water that was already gently steaming, just waiting for her to step inside.

It was a kindness and a consideration she had not expected, especially given her now-lowly situation.

“Thank you,” she whispered, as the maid smiled at her. “This is truly wonderful.”

The maid’s smile broadened. “The duke is a good master, Miss Weston. You will find him not to have a harsh word for anyone, unless they deserve it.” She walked toward the door, her hand on the door handle. “I will bring you up some refreshments in an hour or so.”

“Thank you,” Sophia said again, her numb fingers trying to untie her bonnet ribbons. “This is more than I ever expected, truly.”

The maid said nothing but shut the door gently, leaving Sophia to look around her new room with a slow-building happiness settling in her heart. Perhaps her life here would not be so bad after all.