“Not at all. We must continue our lessons.”
“But Miss Patience, it is Saturday,” Stump reminded her. The boy sounded pleased with himself.
“What is our duty on Saturday?”
A jumble of murmurs greeted that question. Zach made out “chores,” “barn,” “muck,” and “dormitory.”
“But Miss Patience we can’t. We’re gone from school,” Walter pointed out reasonably.
“Mr. Brewster and his servants have given us food and shelter, at a time when they are overwhelmed. It is already obvious we will not be the only refugees he has to take in. How can we help?”
She raised a hand toward Peter to order him to keep his peace. Zach gave her credit for allowing the younger boys’ silence to stretch until they squirmed.
“Stable’s same as a barn I suppose,” Stump said. “Me and January can muck out the stalls and sweep up.”
The grooms will be over the moon for that one.More horses had arrived since sun up. Zach expected to help out himself. Then Norb spoke up and Zach thought he should have seen it coming. “Algernon will need to be brushed, and I suspect the other horses too,” the lad said. “I can do that, and talk to them so they’re not afraid of the storm. Froggy, want to help me?”
As if conjured by the thought, Ryman, the head groom, sauntered up to Zach who put a finger to his mouth to suggest silence and slanted his head toward the proceedings.
Walter spoke up next. “If Froggy and the others want to work in the stable, I don’t expect they need so many of us in here. I’m thinking they could use a pot-boy over at the inn. I used to help at my Grandfather’s public house in Yarmouth.”
It was the first any of them had mentioned family. Zach had suspected Patience Abney of running an orphan asylum under the guise of her fancy academy. Her warm smile at Walter had layers of meaning in it.
“Excellent idea, Walter. Well done, all of you.” She paused and looked from face to face, drawing their full attention. “Routine is good, but remember, this isn’t our home. You take your orders from the grooms and other servants about how things are done. Be as useful as you can be. I won’t have running and rambunctious carrying on during or after. When you finish working, I want you to read.”
She peered directly at Zach at that point. “I stored an oilcloth bag under the seat of the wagon. Did you find it?”
He had. “I took the liberty of unpacking it. The books are drying upstairs in the grooms’ quarters by the chimney. There’s only a bit of damp and they should be dry by noon. Peter can fetch them.”
“Well, then, reading after lunch. You can pay your respects to Millie while I speak to the gentleman in charge. Use the necessary one at a time if you need to and for heaven’s sake don’t stay out in the rain.”
“I’m going to need someone on mud-clearing duty full time if this continues,” Ryman said under his breath. “I have helpers, do I? I already talked to Peter, here. If he can oversee the cleaning, I can set my men to the welfare of the beasts and some much-needed mending of tack.”
Take your orders from servants… Don’t neglect reading. What sort of gentleman does she expect to instruct?Zach’s curiosity about this school of hers grew. It almost matched his curiosity about the woman herself.
Peter followed Ryman, leaving Zach alone with Patience. He stood a little straighter. Zach generally drew his fair share of admiring gazes from women even after his injury, but this woman’s approval suddenly seemed important to him.
“I had best get over to the inn. Mrs. Brewster will be needing all the help she can get. I’ll take Walter with me.” When she met his eyes, Zach’s breath stopped. He wanted to ask questions, wanted to know more about Patience Abney, wanted her near on this dreary day.
He inched closer, but checked himself. This will not do!he thought. She has duties and so do you, Newell.
“Thank you for your help last night, and for reading to them this morning,” she said into the awkward silence, her voice gentle.
“Miss Abney, would you have dinner with me tonight?” The words were out before he thought. “At the inn. After the boys are fed.”
She blinked up at him.
“That is, if I’m going to help with the boys, I’d like to know more about them.”
“Are you?”
“What?” Her eyes transfixed him.
“Going to help with the boys?”
He shook himself to break the spell that held him. “The majors and I will be off the moment the roads open. A private yacht belonging to some friend of theirs is meant to take them to Ostend on their way to Brussels, and their presence is urgently expected. Until then, Miss Abney, I have little enough to do, and I will gladly help you manage your academy for young rascals.”
The smile that lit her face at his turn of phrase ignited a fire in his heart.
