“Papa.” Adam stepped closer to Trevor and held up the animal. “See? Kitty.”
Trevor’s face softened as he knelt to his son’s level and petted the cat’s fur. He lifted his gaze to Louisa. “It did not sound like you were talking about an animal.”
“At first we were, sir,” Louisa muttered.
The duke’s gaze switched between his son and daughter. “Where did you get the kitten?”
Amanda pointed to Louisa. “Her, Papa.”
He looked back at Louisa and she blushed. “If it’s all right with you, of course.”
He smiled and nodded. “I cannot see a reason why not.”
Beside her, Adam and Amanda cheered and jumped up and down. Louisa’s grin stretched wide. She also noticed the duke’s face brightened a bit more.
“Thank you, Your Grace.” Louisa curtsied then turned to her duties in the garden.
“Louisa?”
She stopped and looked at him over her shoulder. “Yes?”
“I would like to have a talk with you. In my study, if you please.”
Dread washed over her and she gulped. “Yes, sir.”
She dragged herself back to Mrs. Fitzwilliam’s side and pulled off her gloves. “His lordship needs to see me.”
“I think we may know why…”
Louisa didn’t meet the other woman’s gaze when the other servant made that comment. Yes, Louisa knew why. She couldn’t follow instructions, and she argued with most everyone she worked with. What was wrong with her? Had she been like this before she lost her memory? Perhaps that’s why she’d been whipped…for not following orders.
By the time she entered the house and walked to the duke’s study, he was waiting inside. She moistened her lips with her tongue then knocked on the open door.
“Come in, Louisa, and close the door behind you.”
Chapter Ten
Heart thumping outof control, Louisa took calculated steps inside, shutting the door closed as she passed. The duke stood leaning against the corner of his desk. She walked up to him and stopped, not daring to meet his eyes. She couldn’t for fear she’d crumble.
“Now, would you kindly explain to me what you and Mrs. Jacobs were really discussing?”
Swallowing another hard ball of fear, she nodded. “How much did you hear?”
“I heard enough to tell me how upset you were with the nurse’s actions.”
Louisa took a deep breath and lifted her eyes to his. Instead of the anger she expected to see, his soft expression let her know her fears had been all for naught. At least for now.
“When I first saw Mrs. Jacobs and the twins, she was having them march up and down the walk—arms and back straight, chin up—like trained soldiers.”
His eyes widened, and finally she detected a hint of anger. “They weremarching?”
She nodded. “Yes, Your Grace. I asked why she was having two-year-olds march in such a way. I could not abide her tactics, mainly because they made no sense to me. Children should not have to act in such a manner, especially when they are so young. Their nurse treats them as if they are hers to command to dowhatever she wants. The twins’ eyes were drawn with sadness, and it tugged on my heartstrings.”
“Now I want you to tell me,” he said, pulling away from the desk to stand in front of her, “why you are so emotional about it?” He lifted his finger to wipe a tear from her cheek.
It was all she could do not to collapse against him and sob. She wished she knew why it bothered her so much. She hiccupped a laugh and shrugged. “I don’t know, Your Grace, only that I could feel what those children must be feeling.”
“Have you remembered something about your past?”
