He cleared his throat and relaxed his fists. He should not be so affected by a woman he had only met merely a few days ago. Especially not when she seemed to be interested in teaching his sister such childish behavior.
“Apologies, Your Grace. I did not mean to bump into you or sully your clothes,” Selina apologized, breaking the silence that had fallen over them after his question.
“A little too late for that, would you not say?” he asked her as he shook his hands, sending the mud flying from the sleeves of his shirt. Still, his sleeves hung wetly, pressing into certain parts of his arm and there was mud on his face and shoulder.
His outfit was no longer salvageable if he wanted to look presentable and the ladies were worse for wear than he was.
“I am sorry, brother, it is not her fault,” Barbara said suddenly as she left her hiding spot, even though he had already seen her.
“She only fell into the mud because of me.” She cast her face down in guilt as she waited for him to speak but Morgan was too angry with the woman in front of him to listen to what his sister had to say.
She had absolved Miss Knight of any complaints he might have had but that did not stop him from maintaining his anger.
A part of him tried to tell him that he was only angry with her because she had remained on his mind for so long but he discarded that notion. No, this was simply because of the way he had found her and his sister.
“What were you doing that would have had you in a position to get mud on the both of you?” he asked, the anger still very much evident in his voice.
“Climbing a tree?” Barbara muttered quietly. Her face was scrunched up in guilt as she waited for him to go off in anger. He had never let her climb trees and now she had gone and disobeyed him with the lady she had met only two days ago.
“Climbing a tree?!” he exclaimed in anger. “Why would you be climbing a tree? I have told you many times that that is unladylike behavior and not something you should be so happy to do.”
He watched her face crumple but he could not stop at that moment. “Is this how you wish to prove to me that you are capable of learning the ways of a lady on your own and you do not need a governess?”
“If you had a governess right now, you would not have been allowed to go up a tree or any other dangerous behaviors you might be tempted to exhibit.”
Morgan knew that he should stop. He had said enough but he could not stop himself and continued to scold her.
“Look at your clothes. I have told you many times to not ruin your clothes and yet that is exactly what you have just done. Your hair is caked with mud as are your clothes and shoes.”
She tried to hide her legs without success from him and that only made him angrier as he took in Selina as well.
“You even managed to make Miss Knight dirty in your endeavors as well.”
Morgan said. He was only glad that Miss Knight had been there to save her. That would explain why his grandmother’s companion was so dirty as well. He wished that he had not been so angry with Selina in the first place.
“You will apologize to the lady for ruining her clothes and then you will go up to your room and get changed. I hope I do not have to tell you that I am disappointed in you?” he asked.
“That is enough,” Selina jumped in. “Do not take that tone with the child, you will only make her upset.”
Morgan turned to her in shock. “I beg your pardon?”
“It is not Barbara’s fault and you should not blame her. Barbara is young. She is a child and she is supposed to be able to have fun. You should not blame her for trying to do exactly that.”
Morgan was still staring at her in shock. She was a stranger and did not know them. What right did she have to tell him what he could and could not do?
“What you should not do is to shackle her to what is ladylike and what is not at such a young age. Do you not think it important for her to have a childhood? To experience the things that other children get to experience? Have fun and be happy?”
Selina moved closer to the younger girl as though he was the enemy in all of this. He was only looking out for her and for her good.
“You should allow her to at least have a childhood. She is not a lady yet but just a child,” she spoke strongly towards him.
Morgan was baffled to silence. Why did she get to have a say on how he raised his sister? Who did she think she was?
She cocked her head to the side, her sharp jawline angled perfectly in a way that drew his attention to her lips. Morgan shook his head to dispel the thoughts but it was all he could think about. Those perfect, rosy lips that continued to utter words that made him mad.
He struggled to center himself. Now was not the time to think of her in this manner. No matter how much she weighed on his mind, he would not have her come into their lives and act like she knew better than they did.
“Merely two days ago, you were a stranger to us and even now, you are still a stranger with absolutely no connection to my sister or me. The only person you should concern yourself with is my grandmother and I will remind you to do just that,” Morgan said, his tone biting.
