He gave her a half-smile. “Sleepy.”
She hugged him. “Did I wake you?”
He gave a weak gesture toward his brother. “William, I think. Incessant giggles.”
“‘Incessant’? My, Mr. Thompson is indeed earning his salary.”
Robbie stood a little straighter, pride shining in his eyes. “He tells me I am making excellent progress with my Latin and vocabulary. He tells me we will start reading botany soon.”
“And mathematics?”
He sniffed, then wiped his nose on his sleeve.
She pushed his arm down. “Not so much on manners, I see.”
His cheeks pinked. “I do not understand them. Manners make no sense.”
She kissed the top of his head. “There are many things in life that do not make sense, Robbie. We must do them anyway. Manners will make life smoother. They make being with other people easier. You will find, for instance, that your mother is much happier when you do not smear your sleeve with snot.”
He snickered. “Yes, Mum.”
The longcase clock on the first-floor landing chimed the half-hour, its mellow bongs echoing through the house. Judith gaveRobbie a quick hug. “Now. Go get ready for your breakfast and studies. I must return downstairs.”
He returned the hug and tolerated one more kiss before shuffling out of the room. At a tug on her dressing gown, she looked down at William, whose sweet face and bright brown eyes gleamed up at her. All three of her boys had inherited their father’s dark features and tawny skin—such a contrast to her own fair appearance—looking enough like their half-brother Edmund that no one would question their relation to him. And she knew they would grow up to be just as handsome, just as attractive for the ladies. That Edmund had married so young and apparently so wisely had been a blessing.
But this one, her William, with those dark twinkling eyes and mischievous manner, he would be trouble. He could benefit from firm male guidance—Judith hoped Edmund would be up to the task.
She bent and gave William a silly kiss on his relatively clean forehead, making him giggle again. “I must go, jammy boy. It will be a busy day for both of us, I’m sure.”
He pouted.
“You will be nice to Nanny today?”
He nodded. “Always!”
Nanny gave a scoffed laugh, and Judith bit her lip. “We must work on your ability to tell the truth.”
His eyes widened, then he brightened. “Can I ride? Mr. Robins likes me to ask questions about the horses.”
For a moment, Judith wondered if their groom truly liked having her son around—or if it were Nanny’s company he preferred. She had seen the two of them exchanging shy looks. “It’s quite chilly outside—”
“Please!”
“I really do not know what happened to our summer—”
“I will wear a jumper!”
Judith looked at Nanny. “Ask Mr. Robins if he has time for a pony ride.”
“Yes!”
Nanny grinned, her cheeks flushing pink. “Yes, my lady. I’m sure the exercise will do him some good.”
“And give you a rest. Or perhaps a chance to chat with our handsome groom?”
Nanny’s cheeks grew even rosier. “Perhaps, my lady.”
Oh, she would miss this woman! In a few weeks, William would shift to Mr. Thompson’s care and tutoring, and Nanny would be in need of a new position. But good nannies were in great demand, and Judith reminded herself to write an excellent reference for her.
