“I will sleep so much better knowing you are under the same roof. I will write to Baron Keating personally and thank him.”
“I’m sure there’s no need for that, my lady.”
“In any case, I do have a pile of correspondence to attend to,” she said. “I heard something about a reading lesson, so I will leave you to it.” She ruffled her son’s hair.
Wait a moment.Lucy felt her body go rigid as she realized Lady John was exiting and not taking her son. “You’re leaving?” she asked, though this was obvious.
“I don’t want to interrupt your lesson.”
Lucy wanted to scream,what lesson? I have no idea what I am about!Instead, she said, “We can hold it later if you want to spend some time with Master Johnny.”
“No, no. You two should get to know each other. I will come by later this afternoon.” She bent and kissed Johnny’s head. “Now be good and listen to Miss Lucy.”
“Yes, Mama.”
“And you can show me your tops later. I know just the place for you to spin them.”
“Where?”
“I’ll show you this evening.” With another kiss, she was gone. Lucy could not help but note that the lady had first said she would come back in the afternoon and then she’d said evening. Good Lord, Lucy had a whole day of entertaining this child ahead of her. She didn’t know what missions, if any, awaited her in the future, but she did know with every certainty, this would be the hardest one.
***
DUNCAN HAD FINISHEDhis examination of the doors and windows on the ground floor and the first floor and had then been given several tasks by McAlpin. After that, there was little to do. Clearly, the household did not need a butler and three footmen as during most of the afternoon, all four of them sat in the servant’s hall playing cards.
Duncan might have rather made a more thorough survey of the house, but Lucy said she would take the doors and windows on the second floor, and he couldn’t very well go upstairs without a reason.
As the afternoon waned, Duncan did begin to wonder when they might go walk about the grounds. That was how they’d agreed to meet and discuss their findings and concerns. Perhaps Lucy had lost track of time.
“If you don’t need me right now, McAlpin,” Duncan said, rising. “I would like to check on my sister.”
McAlpin, studying his cards, waved to Duncan. “Be back before dinner.”
“Of course.” Duncan rose and made his way to the day nursery. The door was slightly ajar, and he heard what sounded like singing inside. He pushed the door open and spotted Lucy at the table, her head on her arms, and a little boy jumping up and down and singing “Bah, Bah, a Black Sheep” at the top of his lungs. As soon as he spotted Duncan, he ceased and stared. Lucy’s head came up and it was Duncan’s turn to stare. Her face was pale and her hair completely disheveled. He had seen her look better after crawling through mud with men firing over her head at five in the morning.
“Oh, thank God,” she said when she saw him.
“Lucy?” he asked, not quite sure he believed his eyes.
“Who are you?” the little boy asked. Duncan dragged his gaze from Lucy and took in the little boy. This must be the child they were protecting. From the looks of it, he and Lucy had enjoyed an eventful day thus far. It appeared every toy was scattered about, every book off the bookshelf, and there was paint from a set of watercolors on the floor and all over Johnny’s coat.
“I am Duncan, your new footman. And you must be Master John.” Duncan held out his hand. “Pleased to meet you, sir.”
Johnny looked at Duncan, then looked at the hand, then stepped forward and shook it, his little hand soft and warm in Duncan’s. “The pleasure is all mine,” the boy said.
Duncan nodded. “I see you have excellent manners. Miss Lucy has taught you well.”
“Miss Lucy didn’t teach me that. She just sits at the table and complains about the ache in her head. I was singing to her to help it go away.”
“How thoughtful.” Duncan glanced at Lucy again, who was staring at the room as though viewing the wreckage after a hurricane.
“Are you Miss Lucy’s brother?”
“I am,” Duncan said.
“Why do you cry so much?” he asked.
“Pardon?”
