Page 24 of The Duchess’ Second Chance

That didn’t make it any less awkward. What was he supposed to say to a child?

He cleared his throat. “Welcome to Mortridge Manor, Rose.”

Silence. The girl stole another look at him.

“Say ‘thank you, Your Grace,’” Amanda murmured.

“Thank you,” Rose grumbled, omitting the honorific.

“Do you have everything you need?”

“Well, I don’t need a governess,” she snapped.

“Rose!” Amanda put a hand on the girl’s shoulder. “I’m sorry,” she said to Sampson. “She’s processing a lot all at once. Moving to a new home, accepting a new person in her life…”

“How did you get that scar?” Rose blurted.

“Rose,” Amanda snapped. “That’s very rude.”

“It’s all right,” Sampson said. Of course, she was curious. “I got it in the war.”

“But how?” Rose pressed.

That wasn’t a question he was going to answer. Curiosity was all well and good, but some stories weren’t fit for polite society, and certainly not for little girls. He didn’t know how to deflect, though. “Never mind,” he said gruffly instead of trying to give her an answer. “Don’t worry about that.”

She flinched slightly at the change in his tone, glared at him, and scuffed her foot against the ground.

“Rose,” Amanda prompted, “tell His Grace thank you for giving us such a good home.”

“Thank you for giving us such a good home,” she rattled off as though reciting a line she had memorized.

“It’s my pleasure,” Sampson said, bemused. Was she really this angry that he wasn’t going to talk about his scar?

Her glare deepened.

He frowned.

Rose turned back toward Amanda. “Can we please go read now?” Her tone was imperious, as if she was used to being obeyed, and it surprised him. Hadn’t Amanda said that she’d found the girl on the street? When in her life would she have learned to talk like this?

Amanda bit her lip and glanced at Sampson. “Why don’t we plan to all have dinner together tonight?” she suggested. “That would give us the opportunity to get to know one another a bit better.”

Sampson nodded. He’d wanted dinner with her anyway. “I’ll look forward to that,” he said.

Rose sighed. “If I absolutely must.”

“All right, I think that’s enough.” Amanda shook her head and mouthed the words I’m sorry to Sampson. He nodded to show that he had understood.

She put her hands on both of Rose’s shoulders and steered the girl from the room, leaving Sampson alone to his thoughts.

“I have the tenants’ papers you requested, Your Grace,” Worthington said.

“Very good,” Sampson murmured. “Just set them on the corner of the desk.”

Worthington deposited the papers and took a step back. “Is there anything else I can assist with right now, Your Grace?”

Sampson looked up from his work. “Have you met the little girl yet?”

“Miss Rose? I have,” Worthington said.