The Secret Desires of a Governess by Tiffany Clare Page A

he went higher.
    “How high can you go on the table, Jacob?”
    He shrugged and continued writing out the numbers.
    He was done in less than two minutes.
    She frowned down at the completed chart, wondering how much more advanced a boy child might be with numbers than the girl she thought she was to teach. No use fretting over such a thing. She hadn’t been prepared for his strong show in math on his first day, and with the absence of a steady teacher, so she would have to present him with something more advanced on the morrow.
    “Tomorrow we’ll move on to something more challenging for your young mind. I’ll prepare the lessons to-night. Perhaps some geometry would interest you?”
    He gave a noncommittal shrug.
    Abby slid a chair closer to Jacob and sat next to him.
    His hair was mussed up and tangled; she wasn’t sure if it had been brushed today, let alone all week. She wanted to brush her fingers through it to smooth it out, rid it of some of the knots.
    Some strange maternal notion had her wanting to wipe the smudge of dirt from his cheek, too. She refrained from doing so. She’d ask the kitchen staff to make sure the boy came to her bathed and dressed as befitting his station tomorrow.
    Jacob stared down at his paper, looking over his numbers. She couldn’t be sure, but she thought he was avoiding her scrutiny.
    “I found a wonderful book of fairy tales in the library.”
    Reaching across the wide desk, her fingers grasped the edge of the leather- bound book to pull it closer. “I read it yesterday. I’ve never read it before, so I guess it’s based on a local legend.”
    Jacob kept his head downcast. His fingers fidgeted and tangled together in his lap. Abby screwed her lips tightly together and wondered how best she’d garner his interest. She opened the first page of the book. There was a picture of a young man— a prince— sitting next to his father’s throne. She’d been positive that all little boys would be intrigued by a story featuring a dragon hero.
    “It’s about a prince who’s turned into a fire breathing dragon. I thought perhaps we could read it
    together.”
    Jacob’s eyes wandered away from his lap to the room around them. His feet kicked backward and forward between the legs of the chair.
    “If you’ll take the time to read part of the story with me, I’ll let you go till after lunch. How does that sound?”
    He turned and faced her. His forehead scrunched up as he frowned. Even his little lips pursed together in anger.
    Or was it distrust? Did he not believe her?
    “I promise.” For some reason, Abby felt the need to add that last comment.
    What else could she do to assure him that she wasn’t some evil crone? She’d thoroughly enjoyed learning everything her father had taught her. Had sat on his lap as a child and absorbed every story, every bit of knowledge he had wanted to share with her impressionable young mind.
    Maybe Jacob hated fairy tales. Maybe he hated this story in particular. But the boy had to start somewhere with her. She didn’t know what kind of education he’d had before her arrival at the castle. Though it was obvious his math skills hadn’t lacked.
    Pushing the book closer to him, she pointed to the first word. Jacob took a deep breath and pushed it out, and then slumped in his chair. Was he shy?
    “I can read along with you, if you like. Repeat after me: In the Kingdom of Brahmors, there was a young prince . . . ”
    Abby looked at her charge. He had crossed his arms over his chest, and his feet kicked between the legs of the chair with more vigor than he’d previously shown. How had she angered him? And in less than half an hour.
    “Why don’t you read the next line?” she offered.
    “No.”
    “Let me ask you something, Jacob.” Abby leaned back in her chair and waited for a response from him.
    “What?”
    “Is it simply the story you dislike?”
    His feet stopped kicking, and he finally turned his head toward her, his blue eyes