Page 48 of The Duke’s Impossible Match

“I am always honored when a trustee comes to visit,” Clara said, and welcomed him in. She led him to the room she had just exited and went to fetch the account books. When she returned, she found Lord Ashcombe trying to make conversation with Sophia.

“Quiet thing, isn’t she?” he whispered.

“She’s been through a lot,” Clara replied. Lord Ashcombe gave her a knowing look. He licked the tips of his fingers and then flicked open the books. He placed one finger at the top of one column and then moved it down, tracking it with his eyes. How he could absorb so much information so quickly, Clara did not know.

While he was occupied, Clara went outside and clapped her hands, gathering everyone’s attention.

Teddy had thrown the ball quite high, and all of them but Duke turned their gaze away from it. It fell back to earth, right in the direction of Gerald. Thankfully, the ball was soft and would not do any lasting damage as it bounced off his crown, causing him to utter a surprised gasp and raise his hands protectively, as if the sky was going to follow.

Duke tracked the ball, leaped up, and grabbed it in his mouth. He landed adroitly and wagged his tail, dropping the ball at his feet.

“Well done, Duke,” Teddy said. The three children gathered around Duke and praised him by petting him. Duke’s tail wagged even more fiercely.

“Is it time to eat already?” Gerald asked.

“No, we have a most distinguished guest. Lord Ashcombe, one of the trustees, has stopped by. We must greet him, children,” Clara said.

The children sighed and hung their heads. The last thing they wanted to do was stop playing and speak to a stranger instead. However, a combination of Clara’s expectant look and Gerald’s insistence that they race back to the house caused them to surge back. While Duke didn’t understand the exact nature of the race, he was just excited that everyone was running and wanted to join in.

Lord Ashcombe was quite startled when the bundle of children and canine came bursting through the door. They all rolled into one heap. Teddy and Emily leaped up immediately and began claiming victory, while Duke yapped loudly, seemingly wanting to inject his opinion as well.

Clara wore a strained look on her face, fearing that Lord Ashcombe might think she had lost complete control of the children. He stared up from the accounts and raised bushy eyebrows, while he tugged at one of his absurdly wide ears.

“My goodness, for a moment there I thought we had four dozen children in residence, not merely four. And we seem to have a dog as well.”

“A gift from His Grace,” Clara said, deferring to Gerald.

Gerald strode towards Lord Ashcombe with an outstretched hand. They greeted each other like old friends, although as far as Clara knew they did not know each other. They spoke for a little while about the children, and then Lord Ashcombe suggested that they retire to a quieter room where they would be able to talk in peace. He said this with a smile, and glanced towards the children

Clara turned to them. “Are you going to behave yourselves for a little while?” she asked.

“Yes!” they cried out in unison. Clara raised a finger in the air.

“I will pop my head in, and I will keep my ears open. If I hear anything I am not supposed to hear, then there will be no story before bed tonight,” she said. This brought about a groan from the children, which she hoped would translate into an eagerness to behave.

“What delightful creatures,” Lord Ashcombe chuckled as the three of them settled into another room.

“They are special indeed. I’ve enjoyed spending time with them since I became aware of St. Margaret’s plight,” Gerald replied.

“Indeed, and I’m sure they benefit greatly from your presence,” Lord Ashcombe said.

“Did you find anything alarming in the accounts?” Clara asked, a little worried that the orphanage’s future would be in doubt even with the benefit and the extended lease.

Lord Ashcombe raised his eyebrows and tugged his ear again. “It’s nothing other than what I expected, which some might argue is alarming enough,” he chuckled, before adopting a more serious tone again. “But we are grateful that the lease has been extended and that repairs have been made. We’ve been having to make difficult choices for far too long. With the upcoming benefit, I’m sure that we will be able to celebrate people’s generosity and usher in a new era for St. Margaret’s. I must say, none of this could have happened without you, Miss Sterling. You have been the backbone of St. Margaret’s for many years now. I hope I am not overstepping the mark, Your Grace, but I’m sure our dear founder would have been ever so proud of you.”

Clara blushed at the high praise, while Gerald smiled.

“I know for certain that Grandmother would have seen a lot of herself in Clara.”

Clara’s blush deepened.

“I appreciate all your kind words. I’ve only been trying to help.”

“You’ve done more than that! You’ve injected life into this place, and heart, oh yes, plenty of heart. Those children are enjoying life with everything they have, and that’s something we want to see from St. Margaret’s. Long may it continue, and hopefully when your successor inherits the role they will bring just as much joy.”

Clara chuckled. “I’m sure we won’t need to be thinking about that for many years.”

“Perhaps not as many as you think. I can’t imagine it will be too long before you’re married. Although we will wish you the best, St. Margaret’s will suffer when you leave.”