Something Scandalous. Christie Kelley
will return in a moment,” she said.
As she left, her slim hips swayed under the muslin of her amber gown. Listening to her give orders to the footmen, he smiled. She was obviously used to assigning tasks for the servants.
God, he hated the idea of being back in this country. If he had only surrendered his citizenship and moved to America before his father’s death. Then he would not be here. He wouldn’t be eligible for the title. Instead, he would be in Virginia with Abigail, enjoying the warmth of a late May evening.
Being an American, his stepmother had ingrained in him the ideals of freedom from tyrannical forces. How no man had the right to call himself king. The people had the right to choose their leaders, and titles should mean nothing.
While she preached to him about the importance of freedom, his father continued to speak of the duchy and their responsibility to it. Or more importantly, the opportunity it would give them financially. Once the title fell to either of them, they could give their family wealth and respect. In order for that to happen, Will had to keep his British citizenship. He’d only done it to make his father happy. What Will wanted remained in Virginia.
For the past five years, he and Abigail had faithfully written to each other monthly. Every six months, he would propose to her again, telling her that he would give up everything for her. Each time, she had another reason he shouldn’t give up his citizenship for her. During the war, their correspondence had been sporadic, but she had told him of her love for him. When the war ended, Will had begged her to come to Canada, but she told him she could not disregard her father’s feelings. After losing his only son in the war with the British, he could not lose his only daughter to an Englishman.
Not that any of that mattered. Now that he was the duke, he could do what he wanted. He was here for only one thing. Once finished, he and his siblings would be on the first ship out of England forever.
After telling the footman to awaken the servants, Elizabeth quickly walked up the stairs to organize the children. In the first room, she found the two oldest women, and a young girl who couldn’t have been more than five. The little girl gave her a shy smile.
“Good evening, ladies.”
The two older women folded their arms over their chests in unison. “Good evening,” the woman with blond hair said.
“I am your cousin, Elizabeth.”
“I’m Sarah,” the littlest girl said excitedly.
Elizabeth walked over to the girl on the bed and said, “It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Sarah.”
Sarah giggled. “I’m not a lady yet.”
“Oh, but you are, at least I think you are. Will is your half brother, right?”
Sarah shrugged, but the other two nodded.
“Well, since your brother is now the duke, that makes you a lady,” Elizabeth replied with a smile.
The little girl giggled again and looked over at her sister. “See, Lucy. I am a lady.”
“You won’t be a lady for a very long time, Sarah,” Lucy retorted.
Elizabeth turned toward the young woman named Lucy. “And it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lady Lucy.”
“Thank you, Elizabeth.”
“I think she must also be a lady, Lucy,” the woman with blond hair stated.
“Are you Ellie?” Elizabeth asked.
“Yes, Lady Elizabeth.”
“Well, it is a pleasure to meet you all. I have to admit, I’m a little confused about who is related to whom.”
Ellie smiled. “It is a little difficult. Will, Alicia, Lucy, and I are from the same parents. James, Michael, Ethan, and Robert are my stepbrothers. Sarah is the youngest, and she is my half sister.”
“That clears it up a little. The servants are on their way to make up the beds for you. Tomorrow we shall see about setting up a nursery for the younger children, which will free this room for you both to share.”
“You mean we don’t have to make up the beds?” Lucy whispered.
Elizabeth smiled at the sound of awe in her voice. “No, Lucy. We have servants here to attend to our needs.”
All three girls gave each other amazed looks.
“We don’t have to help cook?” Ellie asked.
“We don’t have to wash the clothes?” Lucy said at the same time.
“No. We have several servants to do all those chores.” It finally dawned on Elizabeth that they were used to doing these chores themselves. She had assumed her cousin Edward must have had money, but perhaps he hadn’t.
“Good night, ladies. I shall see you tomorrow morning.” Elizabeth walked slowly toward the door.
“What time is breakfast?” Ellie asked.
“Whenever you want it,” Elizabeth replied. “Just let the maid know if you will eat in the breakfast room, or if you want a tray in your room.”
“We can eat in our bedroom?” Sarah exclaimed.
“Yes, I do most mornings,” Elizabeth commented.
“Good night, Lady Elizabeth,” Lucy said.
Elizabeth walked out of the girls’ room and toward another room. Hearing loud voices, she knew before she opened the door that the boys were inside. She walked into the bedroom and found two of the younger boys investigating a bug in the corner of the room. They both turned as she entered the room.
“What are you two about at this hour?” she asked.
“There’s a spider,” the younger of the two answered. His hair was sandy brown and he had large blue eyes.
“And you are?”
“Robert, ma’am.”
Glancing toward the older boy with blond hair, she asked, “And you?”
“Ethan, ma’am.”
“I see. Have you two decided which bed will be yours tonight?” She walked over to where they still stood in the corner. Spying the spider, she lifted her skirts and stomped on it.
“I can’t believe you did that!” Ethan said. “It was a poor little spider. He wasn’t going to hurt anyone!”
Elizabeth inhaled deeply. She had no idea how to deal with children, especially boys. “That spider might have bitten you. And that is no way to speak to an elder.”
“Yes, ma’am,” they muttered together.
“Now, tomorrow we shall settle everyone into their permanent rooms, but for tonight, you will have to make do with the beds that are in here.”
“It doesn’t matter about the beds,” a sullen voice from the doorway said.
Elizabeth turned and looked at the older boy. “Why is that? And who are you?”
“I’m Michael. And it doesn’t matter about the spider or you or the beds or anything else.” Michael moved toward one of the beds and flopped on it, facedown.
Elizabeth stood there, unsure of what to do. Should she call for William? She had never been around young boys before now.
“Michael, we’re not going anywhere,” said an older adolescent from the corner.
Had he been in the room the entire time? She was in completely over her head. “What do you mean, Michael?”
He turned his head slightly from the pillow. “As soon as Will sells off everything, we’re moving back to America.”
“What did you say?” The boy had to be wrong. William could not