Seasons of Change by Elizabeth Johns

Author:Elizabeth Johns [Johns, Elizabeth]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Elizabeth Johns

The next morning, the Duke was already packed and ready to begin his journey back south when Beatrice ushered the children in to meet him.

“Seamus, Catriona, Maili Douglas, this is his Grace, the Duke of Loring.”

The children bowed and curtsied as Beatrice had practiced with them, Maili wobbling a bit on the way up. She put her thumb in her mouth and tried her best to hold still. The Duke greeted each child and spoke with them individually.

“Seamus, would you care to attend school as you would have if your parents were still here?” Seamus nodded, but looked at the Duke wondering why he would ask such a thing. “If you promise to always do your best, I will help you go to school. Does that sound acceptable to you?”

Seamus looked away. “Thank you kindly, your Grace, but I am afraid I cannot accept your offer.”

“Why ever not?”

Could the Duke not believe the boy would refuse such a generous gift?

“My sisters need me. I gave my word as a gentleman that I would not run away again, even though I was doing it to find our family.”

“Ah. I understand. I promise Beatrice and I will look after your sisters, if that would make you feel better about leaving for school, and you may spend all of your holidays with them.”

“Father,” Beatrice gently warned under her breath.

“I am hoping your sisters will come and live at my house,” the Duke persisted.

“Oh, can we? Can we really?” Catriona exclaimed. She looked to Beatrice for confirmation.

How dare he put her in this position! “Maybe one day soon. I think it best if we stay here a little while longer. At least until Seamus is ready to go to school in the autumn.”

The little girl tried not to look disappointed and nodded her head.

“Run along now and do your lessons so I can say goodbye to my father.”

The children left out the door, and Beatrice turned with her hands on her hips. “That was a fine trick, Father.”

He smiled unrepentantly and threw his hands up. “I am used to getting my way.”

He handed her a purse of money. She looked at him questioningly. “If you choose to return on your own, post with a maid, or send word, I will come as soon as I may even though this feels like the ends of the earth!”

She thought it strange he would now be concerned with propriety, but chose not to question it. “Thank you, Father.”

He wrapped her in a paternal hug and squeezed a little tighter. “Whatever am I to tell your mother?”

She did not answer. She did not want to think about her mother’s reaction. She felt a tinge of guilt for leaving him to deal with her, but she knew deep down she was making the right decision.

“Goodbye, my dear.”

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