“May we come back?” Sophie asked.
“Absolutely,” he assured them with a nod from Georgie and Miss O’Toole both.
Georgie formally introduced her husband to her old nanny and then took hold of Amelia’s hand as Sophie accepted Grey’s. The general farewells were cacophonous and repeated when they returned downstairs to be met by the kings and Georgie’s mother. Georgie was ruthless, however, in getting them back out of the house. She had very limited time left with her husband, and part of it had to be taken up with explaining to the girls why their brand-new substitute father would be deserting them so soon.
It went just as badlyas Georgie had feared it would. Not that there were tears or tantrums. Worse. There was silence and an odd retreat, as if they had shrunk away even as they sat there.
“Where will we go?” Sophie asked from where she had moved to sit right next to her sister, Amelia’s hand firmly clasped in hers.
“Where?” Grey repeated, obviously bewildered. “Why, nowhere.”
The girls went stone still.
“He means that you will stay right here with me,” Georgie assured them gently, her heart in shreds for the distress so obvious in the rigid posture and small voices. How many shocks did these two have to survive in their young lives?
Grey blinked a couple of times. “Well, of course. You didn’t think I would send you away, did you?”
That was exactly what they had thought. This time, Georgie saw the pain reflect in Grey’s eyes and wanted to hold his hand.
Abruptly he got to his feet and walked over to insert himself ruthlessly between the two girls on the settee, one of their hands in each of his.
“My two little gooses,” he chastised them with a frown. “We are a family now. And I do not know what you believe a family is, but in my house, a family stands by each other. They work together and play together and if one of them must ever leave—as so often happens—the others wait for him—or her—to come back. Maybe they could even bake cinnamon buns to lure him home. I just got my family. I am not giving it up for anything!”
“But you’re leaving,” Sophie protested.
“And will be coming back,” he assured her. “As soon as my work is done. And in the meantime, your Aunt Georgie will be here with you. And she will help you finish settling in. I suspect she would even help decorate the nursery and your rooms.”
“With a swing?” Amelia asked, her voice still far too hesitant.
Grey smiled down at her. “As long as it is safe.”
“I was hoping you two would help me redecorate here,” Georgie offered, wanting so desperately to hold the girls as well.Knowing how important it was that Grey be the one to lay the foundation for them. “Maybe we can make it a little…” she looked around and scowled. “Brighter?”
“But what if Uncle Grey doesn’t recognize it and can’t find us?” Amelia protested.
Lord, would her heart ever stop hurting.
It was Grey who settled that question. “You could paint this house purple and wrap it in fur, and I would still find you. You will never ever be lost again, Sophie. I promise that. Because even if I am not here, your Aunt Georgie will be. And Chalmers, and Mrs. Chalmers, and Bill the gardener, and Midget, and especially Bark. Isn’t that right, Chalmers?”
The butler, the image of stiff propriety could be heard clearing his throat. “Indeed, my lord. You are our little girls as well, my ladies.”
Georgie swung a quick, surprised smile at the very proper butler, whose eyes shone just a bit too brightly.
“And just to be certain,” Grey continued, his voice sounding a bit rough as well, “you also have all the Packhams. You might not have realized it yet, but when Aunt Georgie made you her daughters, she made you official Packhams. Even if Aunt Georgie and I aren’t handy, the Packhams always will be.”
“And they’re always easy to find,” Georgie assured them.
She knew they weren’t convinced. Their history was too harsh to trust quite yet. And neither Georgie nor Grey had had enough time with them to convince them differently.
And then, worst of all, Amelia’s little voice coming from a bowed head. “Is it because we were bad?”
The silence was devastating. Sophie was watching Amelia with terrified eyes, and Grey was watching them both with tears in his. Even Bark, lying on the floor at their feet, had his head up and cocked.
“Sophie,” Grey said quietly. “Would it be all right if I talked to Amelia about this? Will you listen?”
Sophie didn’t face him, but she nodded, as if she knew it was a question too far. At least it would have been with her family.
With a kiss to the top of Sophie’s head, he reached over and plopped Amelia onto his lap and wrapped her in his arms. Amelia sat like a stone.
