“Yes. We eat them withsauerkraut,” Hector said. “My favourite.”
“Or stuff them into blood sausages,” Mona suggested.
“Or eat the stuffed stomach—with bread and herbs. It’s delicious.” Lena realised their conversation was missing the point when she caught the Duke’sdisapproving glare. She cleared her throat. “My point being, there is nothing whatsoever wrong with us taking part in the fair.”
“Karl helps us sell while we perform,” Les threw in, as if that somehow alleviated the matter. “And when we take a break, we sell them ourselves. We usually have a competition to see who sells the most.”
The Duke shook his head. “That’s out of the question.”
Lena blinked at the Duke. “The competition? But why?”
“The whole thing.” He gestured with a hand. “Performing in a market fair. Selling biscuits as if you were a simple farmer’s wife.” He flared his nostrils in indignation. “I am vehemently against it.”
Theo grinned as he leaned back in his chair. “This is what we do. Father’s grandparents were indeed peasants, did you know? We sell goods in the streets, haggle, and perform for the ordinary village folk. We will do anything for a coin thrown our way. It’s in our blood.”
“I do not approve,” the Duke growled, “of having the entire world gape at you as you expose yourselves to all and sundry in the middle of a street fair.”
“It’s not as though it would be the first time,” Mona set down her coffee cup so hard, the liquid sloshed on the table.
“How often have you done this?”
She shrugged. “Seven, eight times?”
“Good heavens. No thought at all regarding decorum and reputation?”
“Told you he’s a disagreeable, crabby old stick,”Hector whispered to Les, who nodded emphatically. “No sense of humour at all.”
The twitching of the muscle in his jaw indicated that he’d heard that.
“Oh hush, Hector,” Lena placed her hand on Hector’s shoulders. She turned to the Duke with narrowed eyes. “What do you mean, ‘decorum and reputation’? Perhaps we should discuss this in private, Your Grace.” She felt a sudden belligerent spark ignite within her, followed by an irresistible desire to quarrel with him.
His eyes were wintry. There was a distance between them as vast and cold as a frozen wasteland. “There is no need for that,” he retorted. “This concerns your entire family, so let us continue the discussion here.”
She put her hands on her hips and glared at him. “Well, if you insist. But we won’t let you take this from us. This fair is important. We have to earn our money somehow.”
“If funds are an issue, rest assured I have plenty.”
“No, that won’t work,” both Lena and Theo said at the same time.
“We don’t want to be dependent on you,” Theo added.
“Dependent. What nonsense is that?” A muscle jumped in his cheek. “Did we not agree that I am to join this family as a provisional member, which means that you, all of you without exception, are now my family. Is that correct?”
“Well, yes,” Lena said. “I thought that was the general idea.”
“As the head of this family, I can provide for all of you. No more appearances at fairs or anywhere else.”
“Wait. Did we ever agree that you are the head of the family?” Theo stood up, planted his legs wide and placed his hands on his hips.
The Duke quelled him with a flinty stare. “I am the eldest. Therefore, I am the head.”
“But—” Theo wanted to argue, but Lena interrupted.
“Let us not fight over this now.” She turned to the Duke. “Your Grace, I thought we agreed that the idea of you living with us is that you get used to our way of life. That means you must allow us to let us earn our own living. It also means no financial support from you. In other words, we don’t want your money.”
“I will repeat, for the last time, that I do not countenance having my family on public display,” the Duke said coolly. “I will not change my position on this.”
Lena threw up her arms.
