Page 91 of Yours Truly, the Duke
The children must have known what she wanted talk about. They were sitting very still. Maybe Wyatt was right and they did look a little like wooden soldiers at attention. There was no twitching, wriggling, or even a stray fidget. They were being perfect like she’d taught them. Now she wanted to see them moving about as if they had ants in their unmentionables.
Fredericka smiled. “You don’t have to be so stiff. This isn’t a punishment. I only want to talk about what happened today.”
“I know already,” Bella said. “What we did was bad.”
Charles’ eyes widened and Elise gave Bella a stern stare as if she shouldn’t have admitted they had done something wrong.
“Yes, it was. It doesn’t matter who had the idea first. But I thought it might help if we talked about the reasons you used something that belonged to someone else without permission and when you know brandy and tobacco are not acceptable for children.”
“I don’t know why,” Bella said, holding her hands out in front of her to make her point.
Fredericka looked from Charles, who had started twisting his hands together in his lap, to Elise, who took her time but finally spoke. “I wanted to feel the way the men were acting.”
“Feel?” That word surprised Fredericka. “What do you mean by that?”
“Happy,” she answered innocently. “They were talking, laughing, and enjoying themselves just by being together.”
A spasm tightened Fredericka’s chest. “But aren’t we happy when we’re together?”
“At the p-park,” Charles said quickly.
“And when Uncle throws the ball to us,” Bella injected right behind him.
Elise lowered her head, picked up the ends of her blue ribbon sash and held them tightly in her hands. “The men were having a jovial good time, and I wanted to feel as happy as they were. I’m the one who told Charles we should find the cards and tobacco and see if we could have as much fun as the men had.”
“B-but we didn’t,” Charles added.
“We tried laughing loud like they did,” Bella admitted. “It didn’t work either.”
“I’m sorry, Auntie,” Elise said sincerely, looking at Fredericka again. “I was wrong and I won’t ever do anything like that again.”
Bella and Charles followed with their softly spoken apologies.
Fredericka’s heart squeezed and softened at their honesty and what their words revealed. They needed more happiness, teasing, and laughing. She hadn’t allowed them to have enough free time in their lives to be happy. Charles was generous when he said they had fun in the park. Wyatt had tried to make her see that. Fredericka couldn’tsee it for wanting them to play perfectly for Angela, but her sister probably only wanted them to be joyful.
“I think I understand now,” Fredericka whispered. “We could all use more amusement in our lives. I’m glad you now realize that some things that are normal for adults are not for children to copy or participate in.”
“Like ghost stories,” Bella said.
Fredericka smiled. “That’s a good example.”
“I hope Uncle’s not so angry he’s going to make us leave,” Bella said softly. “I like it here at his house.”
“S-so do I, and I want to b-be strong like him one day.”
Fredericka thought back to her conversation with the duke. A throb started at her temples. She didn’t think she and Wyatt could reconcile. He had said as much before leaving. He was busy with that part of his life that didn’t include her. When they first arrived he was eager for her to return to Paddleton. Though the thought made her eyes glisten with tears, she was certain he’d be happy if she was gone by the time he returned.
“I like it here now too, Auntie,” Elise said. “I enjoyed going in all the shops with you when we bought the embroidery thread, and I was glad Uncle trusted me to hold the money when we went for sweet cakes in the park.”
“That was good of him,” Fredericka managed to say with a smile. “He wants you to have responsibilities so you can learn to be a strong and capable young lady and not fearful.” Fredericka had to learn some things too. Including how to give them more time and freedom to be children. She was to start right now.
“Come here,” she said with a laugh, pulling all three of them into her embrace, but stopped and looked around when she heard the back door of the house open behind her.
“I’m sorry to disturb you, Your Grace,” Burns said, walking down the back steps toward her.
Jane, and a man and woman Fredericka didn’t recognize, walked out the door behind the butler. The children squealed, jumped up, and ran to Jane, hugging her with laughter.
Fredericka rose from the blanket. “It’s all right, Burns. Thank you for bringing them out here.”
