Page 33 of Yours Truly, the Duke
But this time he had to try. He wasn’t going to be guilty of hearing a child cry again and not do something about it. Even if he had no idea how to comfort Bella.
Swallowing the knot of emotion trembling in his throat, Wyatt bent down on one knee. “Bella,” he spoke softly, and forced a smile through his turbulent feelings of ineptness and the magnitude of what he was attempting. “Everything is fine and will stay that way. I promise. I’m glad to see you. All of you.” He made a point to look up at Charles and Elise before giving his attention back to Bella. “It’s been a while, and I’ve been wondering how you are doing.”
Bella slowly lifted her head, removed her hands from her mouth, and whispered, “I dropped Sarah.”
“Sarah?” he questioned her.
“Her doll,” Fredericka whispered from above him. “Bella dropped her on the floor.”
That he could handle. He searched around his feet and found the cotton puppet with a painted face. He glanced from the doll to Bella’s damp cheeks and trembly lips.
“Look at her,” he soothed. “Sarah is smiling. Sheknows everything is going to be all right and you don’t have a reason to cry or be frightened.” He put the doll’s face to his ear and pretended to listen. “She’s telling me she wasn’t hurt when dropped and wants to go back to you.”
He handed Bella the doll and she hugged it to her chest as she rocked back and forth.
To keep his actions from being misconstrued again, he cautiously reached out and wiped each of Bella’s wet cheeks gently with his thumb before reaching over to lightly ruffle Charles’ hair. “I need you to help me calm your sisters.”
Charles hesitated and looked up at Fredericka before asking Wyatt, “W-what d-do you w-want me to do?”
Wyatt wasn’t sure what would work, but he had to try something. “Maybe you can say something that will make them laugh. Or make a funny face like this.” Wyatt then put his thumbs on his temples and wiggled his fingers while widening his eyes. “Can you do that for me?”
Charles smiled and then stretched out the corners of his mouth with his forefingers and stuck out his tongue. Bella giggled. Elise watched from underneath Fredericka’s arm but didn’t crack a smile.
“That’s a good one, Charles. Thank you for helping me.”
Wyatt rose and looked at Fredericka. Her eyes were riveted on him.
“I thought we’d stay here,” she said on a broken breath. “I see now that’s impossible. We’ll go to an inn instead.”
“No,” he said firmly, giving all his attention to Fredericka. Her eyes were anxious, but so was he. “You are my duchess. No matter the current circumstances. You and the children are staying here.”
“You have a party going on,” she reminded him, her voice punctuated with urgency. “I have no intentions of troubling you further.”
Oh, she troubled him plenty, but not in the way she was thinking.
“Don’t be stubborn about this, Fredericka. There are ample rooms in this house. This is your home, and you will stay here.” And for the first time, he realized itwasher home.
“Burns, see to rooms immediately. Have fires lit and trays of food sent up. Make sure there are plenty of sweets on all of them.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Wyatt looked at the governess. “Go with Burns and get the children settled. The duchess will be up shortly.”
“I don’t want to go with her.” Elise sniffled and hugged her aunt tighter. “I want to stay with you, Auntie.”
“Elise,” Fredericka said softly, as she removed the little girl’s arms from around her waist and then held tightly to her hands. “Everything is all right. Stop weeping or you’ll upset Bella again. The duke meant it when he said there is no reason for you to be frightened. I’m not going to leave you alone here. Now go with Miss Litchfield.”
“You are safe in this house,” Wyatt told Elise in the same soft tone he used with Bella. “Your aunt will be up shortly.”
“But I—”
“Elise,” Fredericka interrupted, giving her a confident smile. “I know this has been a difficult evening for you, but I will be right behind you and we will have a chat about it all.”
“You promise?”
Her aunt smiled and touched her cheek affectionately. “I do.”
“Come with me, missy,” the governess said in a comforting voice as she took hold of the girl’s hand and started leading her to the stairs with Bella and Charles. “We can’t stand here in the corridor all night. Besides, with a party going on in this house, I know the desserts will be scrumptious. We’ve already heard His Grace tell the butler to make sure we get a good share of them. I’ll let you eat all you want.”
