Ethan closed the door behind him gently. “What is it?”
The moment he shut the door, Mrs. Parker came close to him, almost invading his personal space. “I didn’t want to disturb you, my lord, since you were tired. I let you sleep. But I must speak my mind. It’s the boy. David.”
Not what he expected. David was so well-mannered and quiet. He couldn’t be a problem. “What about him? Did he cause trouble?”
“Yes. No. Yes.” She huffed.
“Mrs. Parker.” He kept his tone low and calm. “What happened?”
“The boy asked me if he could help me do chores after breakfast. He was agitated and eager to help. I thought it was because a boy his age needs to keep himself busy. Lots of energy. I told him he could help with the dishes, and he did a good job, so he did.”
“Great,” Ethan said, not following.
“Then he scrubbed the floor and cleaned the windows. After that, he scrubbed the stairs and helped the maid with the laundry. I told him to stop, but he didn’t listen. He kept going.” She waved a hand to gesture at the whole house. “He hasn’t stopped since this morning, and now he’s polishing the silverware downstairs. The maids are worried you want to replace them with him. He didn’t eat. He didn’t take his afternoon tea. He did nothing but work.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Parker. I’ll have a word with him.” Although he wasn’t sure what he was supposed to say or why David had a burst of desire for house chores.
Mrs. Parker nodded solemnly. “I’ll draw a hot bath for him, my lord, should you convince him to stop. He’ll need one.”
“Please have my and David’s dinner served in my personal dining room.”
She curtsied. “Yes, my lord.”
He found David working furiously on the silver spoons in the strong room. Sweat damped his reddened face, and a feverish light gleamed in his amber gaze. Ethan had seen that look in men caught by the frenzy of the battle.
“David,” Ethan said. A chill went down his back. The room didn’t have a stove. The boy must be cold.
David stood at attention, dropping the spoon on the table. “Sir.”
“What are you doing?”
“Cleaning the silverware.”
Ethan took David’s clammy hands. Fresh cuts and bruises covered them. “Why are you doing all these chores? Mrs. Parker told me you didn’t stop working for the whole day.”
“You don’t have to worry about my mother and me.” David brushed his matted hair from his sweaty forehead. His shirtsleeves were rolled up to his shoulders, showing a few more marks and scratches. “I can earn my keep and do my mother’s work as well. I can do anything you want. Any chore you ask me. I won’t complain. Mama will rest, and I’ll work.” He picked up a spoon and showed it to him. “I’m a hard worker.” He said all that speech in one breath, shaking from head to toe.
A silent shock went through Ethan. How could he reassure this boy and make him feel safe and welcome without overwhelming him or offending him? He started to talk only to stop. He knew nothing of children. Dammit.
“May I continue, sir?” David asked.
“No, David.” He paused. “We need to talk.”
David nodded several times, but tears welled in his eyes as he sucked his teeth. Damn. Tears. Ethan had barely spoken, but he’d already said something wrong.
Ethan held up a hand. “You’ve done nothing wrong. You have nothing to fear from me.” Perhaps the tears had nothing to do with fear of him but of something else. “And you and your mother are welcome here. You don’t have to do any chores.”
David pressed his lips hard, doing a poor job at suppressing his sobs. “We can’t stay here without repaying you. We’re a burden for you. You’ll throw us out.”
“No, I will not do such a thing. Who told you that you’re a burden? It’s ridiculous.”
“My mama said we’re like strangers to you.”
Bugger it. He was terrible at this conversation. He needed to think. “Listen.” He set aside the shiny silverware. “I want you to do something for me.”
David nodded again. Unshed tears hung on the tips of his eyelashes. “Anything.”
“Go to Mrs. Parker and get a warm bath and a change of clothes. Then you’ll join me in my personal dining room, and we’ll have dinner together and talk man-to-man. Can you do that for me?”
