“She told us when we asked her whether or not she was married, and how come she was wearing those clothes,” Sissy said. “She said her papa always let her wear them as long as nobody saw her, and that her brother would be mad if he found out we had seen her. That is why we agreed not to tell as long as she didn’t tell you—” The little girl clamped her mouth shut, and Conner groaned.
“As long as she did not tell me what?” Wolfe braced himself, wondering what else his siblings had done while adventuring with their dog and cat.
Sissy set Galileo on the ground, but rather than bound off, the cat sat in front of her as though guarding her. “As long as she did not tell you where she found us.”
“So she lied to me about where you were?” Wolfe decided then and there that he would be having a stern conversation with Lady Grace rather than her brother. Especially since she had accused him of being too cowardly to deal with her directly. “Where were you? The truth, if you please.”
“On Broadmere land,” Connor said quietly. “It was my fault. I couldn’t stop Hector from chasing after that rabbit.”
“I see.” Damned if Wolfe didn’t owe the woman an apology for accusing her of trespassing when his own siblings had been the ones to ignore proper decorum. “Is there anything else I should know?”
“She said her parents never promised her to anyone when she was a baby because they wanted her to marry someone she loved,” Sissy said. “She said her mama and papa loved each other very much and wanted the same for her. She said they watch over her from heaven.”
“I love her,” Connor said, “and I think she likes me well enough. Maybe she could love me too. I am going to marry her.”
“Yes, Connor. You have made that abundantly clear.” Wolfe stanched a groan and continued their plodding walk.
“I think we should go visit them,” Sissy said. “They are our neighbors.”
“But we can’t talk about today during that visit.” Connor gently nudged his sister as they walked side by side. “Then her brother would know we saw her in those clothes. We would have to act like we just met her and talk about something else.” He looked up at Wolfe. “What could we talk about? People sound foolish when they always talk about the weather. It’s either raining or not. Hot or cold. What difference does it make about the weather? And you are not going to tell her brother you saw her, are you? She helped us, and it would be rude to get her in trouble after she helped us.”
“Yes, brother,” Sissy chimed in, “quite rude and ungrateful.”
Wolfe scrubbed a hand across his face and rubbed his tired eyes. Gads, these two would be the death of him. They had not even been punished for this latest adventure and were already plotting their next one. At least this time they had decided to include him. “I will not mention her manner of dress if and when I ever speak to her brother.”
“If and when?” Connor stared at him in horror. “We have to visit them—or would you rather me and Sissy go alone, since Grace put you in your place?”
“Grace—Lady Grace—did not put me in my place. And you will not go anywhere without the proper supervision of either myself or someone from the household that I have assigned to watch over you. Is that understood?”
The children shared one of the secretive looks, then replied in unison, “Yes, brother.”
Wolfe had no doubt they would plot a visit to the Broadmeres at their first opportunity and preferably engage in that visit without any supervision.
As they descended the last gently rolling hill, he pointed out the flurry of activity around Wolfebourne Lodge, the stables, thedovecote, and the other small buildings. “You see? Everyone is still searching for you.”
“How did you know where to look?” Connor asked.
“I didn’t. I intended to ride across every inch of the estate until I found you.”
“Sorry,” Connor said. This time the child sounded as if he meant it. “But I couldn’t let Hector go off on his own. He would have never found his way back.”
“And Galileo and I had to help,” Sissy said. “He guarded us while we tried to get Hector loose before Grace—I meanLadyGrace—came along.”
“There is Miss Hannah,” Wolfe said, needing a stout drink and his comfortable chair in the quiet of the library before he sorted through this latest uproar any further. “Go to her. I shall decide your punishment and inform you of your fate before you have your dinner.”
“We still get our dinner?” Connor brightened. “Good. ’Cause I bet Miss Hannah will tell us we can’t have our tea.”
“You will have your tea. Tell her if she has any doubt about that to see me.” Wolfe did not believe a child should be denied food or drink for poor behavior. He preferred they work off their punishment by cleaning stalls in the stable, scrubbing floors, or emptying chamber pots. That not only punished them but gave them an awareness of the unpleasantness servants dealt with every day. “Off with you now, and you may also inform her that Mr. George is to see to Hector’s leg.”
Connor tromped through the tangle of meadow grass until he stood in front of Wolfe and looked up at him. “Thank you, brother, and me and Sissy are sorry for running off and making everyone look for us. But you see now it was ’cause we had to help Hector and not ’cause we was just trying to be bad. You see that, right?”
Sissy moved to her twin’s side, staring up at Wolfe with her big, imploring eyes that always twisted his gut and made him feel guilty about not being a better guardian. “We didn’t mean to disobey Miss Hannah. It just sort of happened.”
Before Wolfe could respond, Miss Hannah reached them. “Lord Connor! Lady Susannah! Shame on you both for giving me such a fright. I told you to stay in the garden. Did I not?” She dropped a quick curtsy to Wolfe and kept her gaze lowered. “To their beds without their tea and dinner, Your Grace?”
“No.” Wolfe scrubbed a hand across his face again, at a complete loss when it came to being a proper guardian—especially when his siblings were so convinced that their existence mattered to no one but themselves. Lady Grace’s admiration of the children’s loyalty and courage regarding their animals came to mind as he noticed his little brother and sister holding their pets as if ready to defend them to the death. Such loyalty and courage were indeed admirable qualities. “They are to have their tea and their dinner, and also inform Mr. George to have a look at Hector’s leg. It appears to be injured. Galileo will also be needing a saucer of cream. I am sure he is hungry after his adventure.”
Her ruffled white cap askew, the young maid stared downward while wringing her hands. “Am I to be dismissed, then, Your Grace?”
