Page 41 of The School Mistress (Emerson Pass Historicals 1)

“They never confessed,” Merry said. “But Lizzie and I are certain it was Flynn’s idea.”

Lizzie shook her head. “That poor woman. I heard her scream from all the way down in my room off the kitchen here. Lord Barnes took away their books for a week.”

They went on to tell me all of the previous antics the children had pulled to get rid of the caregivers, including making ghostlike noises outside her bedroom, hiding shoes, adding vinegar to cups of tea.

“The worst was vodka in lemonade,” Lizzie said. “Nanny Miller was drunk as could be in the middle of the afternoon and fell into the creek.”

“She came back looking like a drowned cat,” Merry said. “An angry cat, sputtering and crying.”

“Why don’t they want a nanny?” I asked. “Because of rules and such?”

Lizzie and Merry looked at each other before she answered. “They don’t want intruders. People who aren’t part of the family.”

“And they see you two as family?” I asked.

“That’s right. And Harley and Poppy,” Merry said.

“Because of their mum,” Lizzie said. “They don’t want to love someone they think might leave them. So they make them leave first.”

This theory made perfect sense. “I may as well tell you,” I said. “Lord Barnes and I have come to an agreement. Since it’s been so hard to find someone, I’m going to take care of the children until spring.”

Merry squeezed my hand. “That’s awfully kind of you.”

“Only until he can find someone appropriate,” I said. “However, now I’m wondering if my offer was ill-advised.”

“Bless you,” Lizzie said. “You’re just what the children need.”

“I do hope they won’t put a frog in my bed,” I said.

“Just pull back the covers before you get in at night.” Merry grimaced. “That was Nanny Shelby’s mistake.”

Chapter 14

Alexander

* * *

The children and I dined on Lizzie’s chicken potpie filled with soft chunks of carrots, potatoes, sweet onions. Miss Cooper had agreed to stay downstairs with Lizzie and Merry for the meal, giving me time to talk to the children alone. They all ate with great appetites. They’d had a big day.

“I have something to tell you,” I said.

“Is someone else dead?” Flynn asked.

“What? No. Flynn, what would make you say such a thing?”

“You always start out like that when you have bad news,” Flynn said.

“This isn’t bad news,” I said. “In fact, I hope you’ll find it good. As you know, we’ve had a hard time keeping a nanny. You’re a rambunctious brood, and this remote place we live in is not for everyone. I suspect, also, that you purposely ran off the last few. And you were terrible to Nanny—” For heaven’s sake, I’d already forgotten her name. “The one who left this morning. You know who I mean.”

Other than Fiona, no one looked at me. Josephine buttered an additional piece of bread for Fiona. Theo pushed a piece of onion around his plate. Cymbeline stabbed a bit of chicken and held it close to her face, as if examining for mold. Flynn guzzled milk.

“I need someone to look after you,” I said.

Theo lifted his head to gaze in my direction. “We have Lizzie and Merry,” he said with an unusual amount of firmness in his tone. “They’re enough.”

“And they love us.” Flynn set down his empty milk glass. “Unlike these other people you keep bringing here.”

“Lizzie and Merry have too much other work to add you to their burden,” I said.