“I suppose I always wanted an older sibling. Especially a fashionable and beautiful older sister,” his daughter said, her voice thoughtful. She narrowed her eyes. “But can’t her parents care for her themselves?”
Roger made the mistake of glancing at Miss Adler, who was staring at her lap, her shoulders shaking. It took him a moment to realize she was silently laughing.
“She won’t be your sister,” he said, keeping his tone calm.
“What shall she be, then?” Fannie asked, her small face scrunched in confusion.
“Your stepmother,” he explained.
“Stepmother?” Fannie repeated, her voice rising an octave. “You’re going to replace Mama?”
Roger grimaced at the accusation. He glanced at Miss Adler for help, but the woman with so many opinions only cocked her head at him with curious interest.
Not that he couldn’t handle this situation. He was a diplomat, after all, and had dealt with the moods of far more dangerous people since he was a child, whether anyone credited him with it or not.
“She won’t be just like your mama, but she shall take care of you the same way,” he explained.
“How?” Michael scooted forward in his seat. Roger resisted a wince as his son placed his elbows on the table, wrinkling the cloth and smearing butter on his sleeve.
It was a good question, though. “Well,” he said, drawing out theword as he thought. “She’ll do the same things your mama did around the house and with you.”
There was a pause as his children stared at him for a moment, their eyes large.
“She’ll let me sit on her lap?” Michael asked, his voice so hopeful that Roger’s heart squeezed.
“I’m sure she will,” Roger affirmed. “And I’m sure she’ll do many of the tasks that we’ve been missing.” He glanced at Fannie.
Instead of appearing reassured, his daughter shook her head, as if she was going to argue the point with him. “But Mama was like you.” She chewed on her lip. “You said this person was younger than Sofia, and Sofia is your niece, so she’s more like us…”
Now Miss Adler was pressing a fist to her lips, her eyes sparking with amusement.
Blast it all.
It wasn’t amusing.
Not one bit.
Traitor, he mouthed at her. She merely shrugged. He turned back to his children.
“Miss Teres is only slightly younger than Sofia,” he explained to his daughter. “And Uncle David is older than I am.” Six full years. Plus, his niece had been born a year after his brother’s wedding, while Fannie hadn’t been born for three years after his. Not to mention, he’d been three and twenty at the time of his first marriage, not nineteen as David had been.
But that was neither here nor there. Fortifying himself with another sip of his drink, he returned to the conversation.
“Nothing is for certain. Miss Teres still needs to meet us, but I believe she could be exactly what this household needs,” he told them. “I expect you both to be properly welcoming to her.”
“Yes, Papa,” Fannie said with a quick nod.
“Yes, Papa,” Michael intoned, the words slightly muffled. “I think I shall like having a stepmother.” He smiled to reveal bits of jelly stuffed in his teeth.
Fannie appeared disgusted.
Table decorum was now a priority, Roger thought, but at least the discussion had not gone poorly, and neither had the meal so far.
Only he’d spoken too soon.
Or attracted the evil eye with the overconfidence of his musings.
“Excellent,” he’d told them. “Now, until a new governess can be hired, the maids shall assist in your care, while I continue the search,” he continued. “For that, I’d like a touch of insight from each of you. For example, could you tell me one of the favorite subjects you’ve studied as of late? Or perhaps you each tell Miss Adler and me what you intend to study today,” he suggested. He turned to his daughter. “Fannie?”
