Page 88 of Yours Truly, the Duke
Wyatt fastened his gaze on Charles. “Don’t ever do anything like this again. Boys are to take care of girls. They don’t lead them astray.”
Charles’ eyes widened in fear as he nodded.
“I don’t think you have to worry about that again,” Jane said tightly. “I believe we all now know the children aren’t safe in this house.”
Fredericka turned rigidly toward Jane. “What do you mean? They are perfectly safe here. I don’t know where Miss Litchfield is presently, but will find out. The children might occasionally slip away from her and do things they shouldn’t. I don’t know what led to this or how it could have happened but I’ll get to the bottom of it and sort it all out. The only thing I can imagine is that they are going through an adjustment.”
“An adjustment?”
“It wasn’t easy for them making the move to London,” Fredericka defended.
Jane looked at her as if she’d lost her sanity. “Whatpoppycock. They’ve obviously seen this behavior before and had reason to feel it was all right to mimic it. Probably every night given the duke’s reputation. How else would they know how to do this? Children copy the people they live with.” She looked directly at Wyatt. “Cards, drinking, and smoking is not something they’d learn in church.”
Wyatt’s eyes narrowed dangerously as he stared at Jane. “I won’t let you think we’d encourage or allow this kind of behavior, Mrs. Tomkin.”
“We were just having a card party,” Bella said softly. “We didn’t want to make anyone angry.”
Wyatt walked to the door and called, “Burns!” He pointed to each of the three children one at a time. “All of you get over here.”
“Auntie, my stomach doesn’t feel good,” Bella said, hopping off the chair and grabbing Fredericka around her legs and holding tight.
“I want to stay with you, Auntie,” Elise whispered, and clasped her hands around Fredericka’s waist. Fredericka’s heart melted. She wrapped her arms around both girls. They might misbehave from time to time, but they loved her even when she was cross with them and she loved them all the more because of it.
“So this is how you have been caring for Angela’s children. This,” Jane said, sweeping out her hand as if to encompass the room. “And not a governess in sight.”
“No, it isn’t,” Wyatt said, gruffly. “If there is blame it falls on me.”
“I assumed so,” Jane said as calmly as if she’d been talking about the spring day. “However, I believe you both live in this house now. As a proper family. Right? One is as guilty as the other.”
“It’s time for you to go, Mrs. Tomkin. Fredericka needs to see to the children.”
“Yes, by all means. I will. No doubt if Bella is feeling sick, the others will be quite soon.”
“This will never happen again, Jane,” Fredericka felt compelled to say. “I have another governess coming next week.”
“Oh, I believe you. And I’m quite sure it won’t happen again.” She flashed a triumphant smile and with a swoosh of her skirts left the room.
CHAPTER 25
ILLUSTRATION OF THE PLATE
FRINGED PINK—DISDAIN
—L. H.
Thy words are weighed with costly art,
They come not wildly free—
Oh! Never hath my spirit part
With one I deem like thee.
After seeing the children were washed, changed, and given tea and scones to settle their stomachs, Fredericka had a difficult conversation with Miss Litchfield about her lack of supervision for the children. Miss Litchfield took the scolding and the news of a new and younger governess coming next week well. There was little else she could do and seemed appreciative she was going to be allowed to stay on in a diminished capacity for a year. That would give her plenty of time to decide if she wanted to find another post with a different family or settle into an easier life. It would also be easier on the children.
Weary from it all, Fredericka then went to her chambers and was surprised to see Wyatt standing at the window waiting for her.
“How are the children?” he asked upon her entering.
