Page 76 of Summer of Sacrifice

“Why don’t you take a tiny break and get some wiggles out?”

Elsie’s eyes shone, a big grin crawling across her mouth. “Three sillies?”

“Three sillies,” Seleste agreed.

She didn’t have to tell Elsie twice. The little girl launched from her chair and ran around the room, arms raised above her head and screeching like a banshee. Before she made one full turn around the room, all three of them were laughing hysterically. Elsie then began to spin, arms out wide and golden hair splaying out around her. Emeline joined in and the two of them landed in a heap of giggles.

Just as Elsie was preparing for her last silly—it appeared it would be a cartwheel—Cal showed up in the doorway, knocking on the doorjamb.

“Clearly I’m interrupting a very important lesson,” he said over the noise, a grin of his own plastered on his face.

The girls squealed and ran to attack him as Seleste watched, laughing. She couldn’t help but imagine Cal as a father. The thought surprised her, and the smile slid off her face. He was a mortal—something she pointedly ignored—and he would be gone at the end of Summer when her Order was over. Something else she refused to think about.

“All right, all right,” Cal chuckled. “Back to your studies, then. I’d like to have a word with Mademoiselle Joubert.”

The girls groaned but did as they were told. Apparently, it was only Becky they had difficulty listening to. But the young woman was now merely around to prepare the girls for the day and bed, and to occupy them anytime Seleste wasn’t with them.

Cal straightened his waistcoat and his dishevelled hair as he walked toward her. She couldn’t help but be reminded of the disarray of his hair once she’d run her fingers through it in the throes of their passion.

She wasn’t certain if something in her gaze gave her away, or if he was merely thinking the same thing, but his eyes sparked and red blossomed on his fair cheeks. When he reached her, he cleared his throat, trying and failing to keep his attention from drifting to her lips.

“How are the girls faring?” he asked, keeping a respectable, albeit charged, distance.

“They’re doing very well. Lady Emeline isn’t fond of reading because she is not yet confident in her capabilities, but she will get there. I’m on the hunt for more books that might interest her and motivate her to push past the difficulties. Lady Elsie, on the other hand, is a gifted reader, but she struggles with arithmetic.”

“Words or numbers usually find favour with a person, rarely both.”

Seleste nodded her agreement. “There is much to be said for strengthening one’s weaknesses. The girls will find success.” Her eyes narrowed on Cal. He was nodding along, but his eyes were distant. “What’s on your mind, milord?”

That caught his attention. He despised when she called him that, but they were in front of his sisters, out in the open. His mouth dropped into a frown and she watched as he resigned himself to their current situation. Finally, he sighed. “I fear I need your help with something.”

“Oh?”

“I’m concerned about my father.” He scrubbed a hand along the nape of his neck. “My area of study is surgery, not maladies or viruses, but I have a base knowledge of such things, and I think it’s become clear my father is far more ill than he’s letting on.”

“I would agree.”

Brow furrowing, he didn’t seem to like that she agreed, as if he’d been holding out hope she would claim his worries were baseless. “I’ve spoken with his physician after nearly every visit, and he assures me my father is simply overworked.” Cal snorted. “As if anyone in Society is overworked, and we’ve been here all Summer. Dr. Pollock insists he merely needs more of the fresh country air.” Scooting in closer, he lowered his voice. “There has to be mo?—”

“Argh!” Elise shouted, drawing both their attention. She threw her arms up in the air. “I can’t figure out the sum!”

“I’ve finished my book!” Emeline spouted.

“Why is it always about you!” Elsie screeched, flinging herself around in her chair, prepared to spew more venom at her twin.

An argument broke out between the girls until Cal moved to intervene, but Seleste took hold of his sleeve and motioned for him to stop. He regarded her curiously but raised both hands in mock surrender, and moved to sit on the edge of her desk. Seleste slowly walked toward the girls and stood there quietly until they both clamped their mouths shut and looked up at her. Instantly, they both dropped their chins and mumbled apologies.

“Chins high and shoulders back,” Seleste commanded firmly. “You are ladies and you are intelligent. Now, go and speak to one another as such, and work this out.”

They scampered off to a corner, whispering harshly, and Seleste returned to her desk where Cal looked impressed, if not a bit flirtatious. “You are remarkable,” he murmured, his gaze dragging down her body like his fingers in the night.

She tried to suppress the smile rising to her lips. “You’ll need to stop that right now, milord, and wipe that look off your face before someone sees it.”

“Oh?” he teased. “Is it too telling?”

“If it were any more telling, it would singe my clothes right off.” She knew she wasn’t helping matters, confirmed by Cal clearing his throat again and adjusting his position on the desk. “What were you saying before the catfight broke out?”

“Right.” He shook his head as if he had to physically dislodge his salacious thoughts, and Seleste suppressed a chuckle.

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