“Her, and no you may not. Charlotte eats little girl’s fingers for breakfast.”
Charlotte clacked her beak as if she were truly eager to eat their fingers. The girls
screamed and shoved their hands behind their backs. It was a cruel trick to be sure, but it was his way of keeping Charlotte safe from children, not the other way around. Charlotte was only reacting to the wordbreakfastin the manner he had taught her.
“Who is your mama?” he asked, almost afraid to hear the answer. He had always used a sheath without fail.
“She’s not our real mother. She be our stepmother, but she said we could call her mum.”
“She sounds like a wonderful lady.” Who would need to assist them with learning proper English.
“The finest. She bought us these.” The girls twirled around the room holding out their skirts and giggled.
“Two beautiful dresses for two beautiful girls. What is your mother’s name?” He asked once more as the girls beamed at him, both missing their two front teeth.
“Lady Griffith,” they responded as a duet.
His heart sank as deep as Davy Jones’s locker. Caillen was here?
As if on cue, Caillen walked into his room hummingFür Eliselike she had never left and he was nearly struck dumb.
Wearing a cream-colored day gown with embroidered flowers the color of champagne decorating the bodice. She wore a matching champagne-colored fichu covering every inch of her skin, from the bodice of her gown halfway up her neck, in the fashion of a servant. A rather wealthy servant, but a servant just the same. Her hair was pulled up in a simple chignon with a few stray curls hanging loosely around her face, and he could do nothing but drink up the sight of her beauty.
“Good morning, Lord Astley. May I introduce my daughters, Lillie and Millie who are about to assist the maids with the of cleaning chamber pots for not listening to their mother.”
“I warned you!” His son’s joyous voice called out. The pronouncement was made all the more charming by his French accent as it echoed through the hallway.
“Nuh-uh!” The girls yelled back. If Simon had to guess, the girls were a couple years younger than Sébastien, but just as mature.
“Did so!”
“Did not!”
He watched Caillen’s lip quirk and couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Genuine humor was lighting up her face. He’d seen it a couple of times before she left him, but this time, her smile had come easily. There was no force or stress to maintain it. It just was.
“I will let you go with a warning this time,” she told the girls.
They beamed up at her.
“Awwww, that’s not fair,” Sébastien pouted.
“Is so!” The girl’s responded.
“I suggest you run along and prepare for your lessons, girls.” Their expressions showed displeasure in the idea of schooling.
“Ha!” Sébastien snorted.
“You too, Sébastien. You will be working with the girls today.”
Lillie and Millie giggled.
Sébastien appeared in the doorway. “That’s not fair. They’re babies!”
The girls’ hands went to their hips as if they had seen Caillen use that very same gesture. He definitely had, and he nearly laughed aloud. Caillen turned toward his wash basin as if she were busy and not biting down on her lip to keep her own laughter under control. The way her white teeth sank down into her plump bottom lip almost made him forget himself. That luscious lip he’d dreamed of kissing and teasing until she opened to him in a surrender would be his undoing.
She cleared her throat and brought him back to the present.
“Sébastien,” he said, his voice full of displeasure he didn’t feel. He could also play the role of a stern parent who would not tolerate misbehavior. It was either that or lose his sanity in thoughts of what he wanted to do to her.
