Wrenching her hands from his, she fled the room, closing the door with asnapbehind her.
* * *
Matt stared down at his empty hands and then at the closed door. He found a chair and sat. Numbness washed over him.Howmany children were there? He should have counted, but it never occurred to him that she . . . He put his elbows on his knees and dropped his head into his hands.
Guardian? She’s their guardian? How can that be?
He’d lost track of how long he sat there trying to think when the door opened.
The youngest girl walked in, a mulish cast was about her mouth, and her determined chin trembled a bit. “You made Grace cry.”
That was fair. He felt like crying as well. “I didn’t mean to. I meant to make her happy.”
The child creased her brow and nodded wisely. “Made a mull of it, did you?”
Despite himself and Grace, and this damnable problem, Matt found his lips twitching. “Yes, I suppose you could say that. What is your name?”
Eyeing him, she moved closer. “Mary. What’s yours?”
“Worthington, but I would consider it an honor if you would call me Matt.”
She sidled next to him. Her blond hair was in two braids, some of it escaping their confinement and curling around her face and neck. Her deep blue eyes, just like her sister’s, stared up at him. “Now what’re you going to do? Grace told our cousin Jane that she can’t marry anyone. Not until Charlie is older.”
Trying not to frown, Matt rubbed his chin. “Charlie, I take it, is your eldest brother?”
Mary nodded emphatically, causing her braids to bounce.
Matt held out his hand. Mary took it and climbed into his lap. “How old are you?”
“I’m five.” She smiled, showing a missing tooth. “But I’ll be six this summer.”
“Five is a good age.” He needed to know, so he may as well ask now. “How many of you are there?”
Counting on her fingers, she said, “All of us are seven. Charlotte is eighteen. She is the reason we are in London. Charlie is sixteen, he’s at Eton; Walter is fourteen; Alice and Eleanor are twelve, they’re twins; and Philip is eight.”
Matt felt a little light-headed. “Other than Grace, who cares for you?”
“Nurse, Mrs. Tallerton, Mr. Winters, and Cousin Jane, but we have to listen to Mrs. Penny and Royston and anyone else Grace tells us to mind.”
Something wasn’t right. “Do you not have an uncle that is also responsible?”
Mary shook her head. “No, I heard my aunt say once it is a very good thing her brother, that’s our uncle, is not here because he’s a ne’er-do-well and a bounder.”
Matt laughed. “In that case, I agree with her, but I’ll bet my boots you’re not to be repeating what she said.”
Mary looked up at him with eyes that reminded him of a puppy’s, albeit blue, not brown. “Are you going to tell on me?”
Matt gave her his most serious look. “No, never. I am true blue and will never stain.”
He was rewarded by a trusting smile. “I like you.”
“I like you, too.”
The door opened and a pair of twins with the same gold hair and blue eyes entered.
“Alice in yellow and Eleanor in green,” Mary whispered.
“Thank you.”
