Page 18 of How the Duke Saved Christmas

“Benjamin,” the younger boy corrected with a scowl and took a step forward, most likely more to upstage his sister than because he wanted to be properly introduced. “I’m seven.”

“I’m Susannah!” The littlest of the children showed no signs of propriety as she rushed forward and plopped her doll onto Clara’s lap with a proud grin. She couldn’t have been more than four. “This is Princess Charlotte.”

“Only today,” Margaret interrupted with an irritated fold of her arms across her chest. “Yesterday you called her Elizabeth. The day before that you’d named her Dorothy.”

Susannah’s face scrunched into a glower. “I did not! She’s Princess Charlotte!”

“Princess…ha,” Aaron countered. “She’s just a pack of rags that Mrs. Hansen sewed together for you because you left your other doll in Durham with Grandmama.”

Clara wisely ignored that and turned her attention to the little girl. “Miss Susannah, what a pleasure to meet you. And you—” She held up the doll and straightened its wrinkled skirt and yarn braids. “Your Highness. It is indeed an honor.”

When Clara gave a bow of her head in as close to a curtsey as she could come while sitting, Susannah burst into a fit of happy giggles.

“We belong to Uncle Michael,” Benjamin explained as he approached, with more trepidation than his younger sister.

“Webelongto Papa and Mama,” Margaret corrected. “We’restayingwith Uncle Michael for the holidays until our schools resume and until Bennie and Susannah can return to Grandmama’s to stay. She’s gone to Bath to take the waters.” She added in a not-so-secretivesotto voce, “Terrible gout, you know.”

“I see.” Clara bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. “Well, how fortunate His Grace is to have all of you here with him.”

Aaron’s face lit up. “We’re going to be here for Christmas and New Year—”

“All the way past Twelfth Night,” Benjamin interrupted eagerly. “Uncle Michael promised us a bonfire!”

“That sounds marvelous.” Clara glanced over their heads toward the door. Where was the footman? “I hope you have spiced punch and cakes with—”

“What’s wrong with your leg?”

Clara froze at the innocent question. The littlest girl glanced down at her leg with a frown.

“I—I—” She pulled in a deep breath. All four children waited for her answer as she awkwardly explained, “I was…in an accident, and my leg was…injured.”

Benjamin nodded as solemnly as if he understood all the great matters of the world. “Does it hurt?”

“Sometimes,” she choked out. Not wanting to upset them, she added, “But not right now.”

“Good.” Susannah placed her little hand comfortingly on Clara’s right knee. “I stubbed my toe last summer, and it hurt something awful! My toenail turned purple. It fell off when I—”

“Lady Clara doesn’t want to hear about any of that,” Margaret scolded as she took Susannah by the shoulders and pulled her back a step. Her hand slipped away from Clara’s leg and took its soothing warmth with it. “Proper ladies don’t discuss such personal details.” She said that as if parroting what her schoolmistress must have told her. Then she looked beseechingly at Clara for reinforcement. “Do they?”

“No, they do not.” She darted a look at the door.Wherewas that footman?

The children weren’t being mean or rude. They were simply being curious in that way children had whenever they met someone new, someone who was different from the rest of their acquaintances.

Yet they still made her self-conscious. Except for her niece Catherine, who was only one-year old and so had little idea of what was happening around her, Clara hadn’t been with children at all since the accident. She had forgotten what they could be like, how much energy and curiosity they possessed.

She forced a smile. “It was nice to meet you, but I think you should probably return to your—”

“There you all are.” Michael strode into the drawing room and gave a bright smile to his nieces and nephews. “I see you’ve met Lady Clara.” He leveled his gaze at Margaret. “Were proper introductions made?”

Margaret nodded proudly. “Oh yes!”

“Good, because Lady Clara is going to be our guest for the next fortnight.” He came forward and placed a fatherly hand on Aaron’s shoulder. “I want you all to make her feel welcome.”

“Can she help with the holidays?” Aaron asked, directing his question at Michael instead of Clara.

“I think that would be a marvelous idea.” He met Clara’s eyes over the children’s heads. “But why don’t you ask her yourselves?”

With that encouragement, all four children rushed forward and surrounded her, with little Susannah placing her doll once more on Clara’s lap. They all bounced with excitement over their plans for the holidays, including Margaret who clasped Clara’s hand in both of hers. They were all talking at once, all vying for her attention, and she had no idea where to look or who to answer.