Page 38 of The Not So Perfect Duke

Bothersome little beings.

But when he heard shaky sniffles, his heart melted.

He remembered Oliver Wollstonecraft conveying to the club how decades ago, his grandfather, the now Earl of Carnstone, went undercover in a cotton mill to investigate shoddy labor practices. Aidan Wollstonecraft came out of that experience by taking in a couple of orphans and adopting them. At the time of the telling, Damon could hardly keep from rolling his eyes, for he could not stand rank sentiment of any kind.

“Chloe, come away and leave the duke alone,” Mrs. Seddon said as she was assisted to stand by MacClery.

“No,” Damon whispered. “She’s fine.”

He scooped up the small girl into his arms. She weighed nothing at all. Their gazes met, and his heart hitched. Tears trickled down her pale cheeks. The eyes staring back at him were the exact shade of his own. This small child was young enough to be his. Instead, she could be his half-sister. What a sobering thought.

“Chloe, all is well,” he crooned tenderly. “The bad man is gone.”

A ragged sob escaped the girl, and she wound her thin arms around his neck, hanging on for dear life.

Blast it, and blast adorable moppets for pulling on my heartstrings!

“Come, let us go inside. How long ago was Browning here?” Damon asked, still holding Chloe, gently patting her back.

“Must be close to thirty minutes, Your Grace. He came for the safe,” Mrs. Seddon replied as MacClery assisted her to a chair. “But he did not get it. When Mr. Penn and his assistants delivered all the crates of food, I asked him to take the safe to his store and that you would consider it a favor.”

“You are indeed clever, Mrs. Seddon. Well done,” Damon replied. “Again, I ask, are you injured?”

“No, Your Grace, nothing is broken, but there will be bruising. I’m certain of that.”

The table in the dining area could accommodate more than thirty people, so there was more than enough room for everyone.

Mrs. Seddon moved to stand, but MacClery laid a hand on her shoulder. “Mrs. Seddon. Please stay seated. You’ve had an ordeal. Allow me—and Thomas and Patrick—to unpack the food and bring something to eat for the wee ones.”

“Thank you, Mr.—?”

“MacClery, ma’am. Gilroy MacClery at your service.” MacClery gave the woman a sweeping bow, and she rewarded the butler with a warm smile.

“Nate, Byron, Adina, and Molly, please assist the gentlemen in the kitchen. The rest of you, watch the younger ones,” Mrs. Seddon asked.

Mercifully, the children had fallen silent and even more so when Helena, the oldest of the group, brought out the sugar biscuits and gave two each to the children. A small smile curved about Chloe’s lips as she took the biscuits and immediately shoved as much as she could into her mouth.

“Steady on, poppet,” Damon murmured. “Eat slowly.”

The little girl nodded and took tinier nibbles.

“Helena is 15 years old,” Mrs. Seddon said as they watched the older girl return to the kitchen. “She should have been sent into service two years ago, but I needed the help as I no longer had employees to assist me. I also enlisted the 13-year-old children, Merrill and Molly, as assistants. Perhaps selfish on my part, but these past months—horrible.”

“I am sorry for the hardships. I had no idea this place existed. Tell me what occurred when Browning came,” Damon asked.

“Well, Your Grace, Mr. Penn arrived with a wagon full of food, and you can imagine the excitement. It occurred to me after you departed, what if there was money in the safe or important papers beyond the ledgers? What if Browning caught wind of you hiring an investigative agency?”

Damon smiled. “I believe Miss Galway could use you on her payroll.”

“Mr. Penn was only too happy to assist the Duke of Chellenham, his exact words. My, he no sooner left when Browning arrived. They may have passed each other on the road. A good thing Mr. Penn covered the safe with a tarp and surrounded it with crates.”

Mrs. Seddon sighed. “Your Grace, never have I been so frightened when I saw that bully jump down from his horse. He immediately grabbed some of the younger boys, shaking them, demanding to know who had been there. But they never said a word. When Browning found the safe gone, he broke furniture, growling and yelling. Thankfully, he never went into the kitchen and saw the food. Anyway, he then came toward me. He slapped me twice, shook me, threw me to the ground, then kicked me for good measure.”

“The miserable bas—I mean, man. I will try and have Browning located. Which direction did he ride off?” Damon asked. It was challenging to keep his anger hidden. How dare his father’s hired bully ride in and terrorize everyone?

“The opposite from which he came, Your Grace, away from London. But that could mean nothing because he could circle about and head back to the city.”

“Yes, he could.” Damon felt a pull on his sleeve, and he glanced down.