Page 73 of The School Mistress (Emerson Pass Historicals 1)

“Not usually,” I said.

“That’s too bad,” Flynn said.

“Willa, tell us why you don’t like them,” I said.

“I don’t like them because they hurt,” Willa said. “My brothers throw too hard. One time they gave me a bloody nose and then Mama sent them to bed with no supper.”

Noah groaned quietly. Flynn leaned over and patted his shoulder. “Sisters.”

They exchanged grins in a moment of obvious solidarity. A new friendship formed right before my eyes.

The rest of the morning went by without incident. By lunchtime, it was as if the Cole children had always been with us. The sky was clear, and a fresh layer of powdery snow had fallen overnight. I sent them all out to play after everyone had finished their lunch. Willa hung behind, looking out the window. I was about to encourage her to join the others when Nora came rushing back inside. “Willa, want to play hopscotch with us?” Nora said.

Cymbeline was outside making a stack of snowballs that she would surely use for an evil attack against her brother. There would be no hopscotch for that one. I should have paired Willa with one of the sweet Cassidy girls instead, I thought.

“How do you play?” Willa asked.

“It’s easy. We’ll show you,” Nora said as she held out her hand. Willa took it and the little girls walked out to the porch together.

Offering friendship came naturally to innocent children, who saw only another child and not a skin color or social status. May they always remain thus, I prayed. Don’t let the world change them.

I added the Cole siblings to my class roster and stood gazing at it for a few minutes. These young souls had been entrusted to me. I could only hope to do them all justice.

That evening, I sat with Lord Barnes in the library as he told me about his morning visit to the Wus. He described their living situation and how they’d come to Emerson Pass. “Mrs. Wu’s been living out there alone with two small children. It was heartbreaking to see.”

“And Samuel helped them all these years?”

“Yes, it seems so.”

“What do we do now?” I asked.

“I’ve invited her to come work with Lizzie in the kitchen. She and the young ones will take the spare room down there.”

I couldn’t believe what he was saying. “You asked them to live here?”

“Yes. I know it’s rather unorthodox.”

“Unorthodox? Is that the word?” My eyes filled with tears.

“Miss Cooper, what’s the matter?” He leapt from his leather chair and thrust a handkerchief onto my lap. “What did I do wrong?”

“Nothing. I’ve never heard of anything so outrageously kind.” I dabbed at my eyes with the handkerchief as tears continued to leak from my eyes.

“I thought you’d be happy with me.” He knelt on the floor next to my chair and looked up at me with such a bewildered expression that I laughed through my tears.

“I am.” I wiped my eyes and took a long breath, in and out, before speaking. “Lord Barnes, I’m quite undone. I’ve never known anyone like you in my life.”

“It was the baby,” he said. “She looked at me with that face, and I could see how hungry and cold she was. I couldn’t walk away.”

I love him, I thought. With all my heart. It was all over for me. This was the man I wanted.

“What is it?” he asked. “You’re looking at me strangely.”

“I have all these feelings.” I stopped, not trusting myself to speak further for fear of everything in my heart spilling out onto his lap.

“What kind of feelings?” His eyes, glossy as green silk, held my gaze.

My mother’s voice came to me then, reminding me that Lord Barnes was my employer, not a man. An employer with a Lord before his name. I had no title—nothing in front of my name but Miss, and it was likely to remain thus.