paces away and your guess is as good as mine.”
“And yet you have managed to . . . ” Penelope
paused, not knowing a delicate way to say “heartlessly
slaughter these many dozens of animals,” so instead
she waved a hand vaguely around the study at all of
the stuffed, staring heads.
“The woods are full of life, Miss Lumley.” Lord
Fredrick made a swooping gesture with his cigar,
leaving trails of smoke in the air. “If you listen for a
rustling in the leaves and shoot at it, you’re bound to
hit something sooner or later. How was I to know there
were children living in the forest? On my own estate!
It’s most irregular.”
The smoke made her eyes water and her throat burn,
but she was determined not to cough. “And then?”
“Old Timothy always has a rope with him. He’s used
it in the past to tie up bigger game, like this elk here,
and have the dogs drag it home. It was quick work to
lasso the children and haul them back to the house.
Although I shall not soon forget the racket they made!
I was tempted to leave them behind more than once.”
Penelope bit her tongue and waited for Lord
Fredrick to finish.
“We herded them into the barn. My wife was
rather upset, of course, but had the sense to place an
advertisement for governess straightaway—and you
know the rest. They’re filthy and uncivilized, to be
sure, but on the plus side you’ve got a blank canvas to
work with.” Lord Ashton tapped more ash off his cigar.
“I’ve read your letter of recommendation. Surely a girl
of your talents will thrive on the challenge, what?”
“If I am given permission to manage them as I see fit,
I have no doubt that their better natures will prevail,”
Penelope answered rather boldly. “However, at this
very moment, they are still locked in the barn wearing
nothing but blankets, and Lady Constance has not yet
given me leave to move them into the nursery.”
“‘As you see fit,’ what is meant by that? Ah, you are
concerned about my wife’s feelings, is that it? Now,
Miss—Lumley, is it?—I realize that Constance is rather
high-strung about all this, but I assure you, as soon
as they can say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ and perform
some simple tricks, her maternal nature will blossom
like a rose. She’ll feel calmer about it in the morning.
For tonight, let things stay as they are. There’ll be less
trouble that way all around.”
“But sir,” Penelope pressed, “children should sleep
in beds, in clean pajamas, and have bedtime books
read aloud—”
“After years of living in the wild, one more night in
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