Page 41 of A Virgin for the Duke of Depravity
Margaret could see the lines etched on his brow, a telltale sign that he was regretting his decision to bring the girls along on such an outing.
“The ton will excuse their folly,” Theresa said gently. “They are a duke’s nieces, after all.”
“They are a duke’s nieces, so they should act like it. Their father would never have allowed them to run wild as they do,” Leo said sternly.
Margaret wished to reach out and smooth the lines on his face. She wanted to press her fingers to his lips and tell him to be silent, to stop worrying about what others would think of the girls.
But it would be improper for her to touch him that way. Instead, she placed her hand on his arm so that she could step down from the carriage. He kept his arm bent so that she could take it as they walked into the park.
“Look at them,” she said quietly, nodding her head toward the girls and their governess. “When is the last time you saw them so happy?”
“When they are being mischievous. When they are hiding. When they are doing everything they can to avoid a beast like me,” Leo answered.
“You do not give them enough credit. Think of everything they have lost, and the adjustment it must be to live without their parents.”
The thought of the girls losing their parents reminded her of her mother and father, two people whom she might never see again.
“I know they have suffered loss, but it has not been easy for me either. I had not spent much time with them before I went to war. Not until I came to the mansion to care for them.” Leo sighed deeply.
Annie and Kitty were chasing after the ducklings near the water. He watched them studiously, even as Margaret watched him. He picked up the pace, trying to draw nearer to the girls. Margaret dropped her hand from his arm to free his movement.
Joan called after the girls, but they did not turn around. She made her way slowly among the puddles, trying to get closer to them. If it were not for Leo being there, Margaret thought that Joan would never be able to keep up with them.
Perhaps it was time to hire a new governess. Someone who could locate them when they hid, or perhaps someone who would not let them out of her sight long enough to hide.
She smiled as the girls raced around the park. Annie circled back toward the four adults with a beatific smile on her face. If this were all that they did today, Margaret would be happy knowing that she had persuaded Leo to give the girls a chance.
“Margaret, have you seen the ducklings?” Annie called to her as she pointed toward the fluffy birds waddling toward the pond.
Margaret did not get a chance to answer because Kitty came running behind her sister. Kitty looked over her shoulder to see whether Joan was following her, taking her eyes off the puddles she ran through. When her feet hit the water, she slipped and landed on her bum.
Her little eyes went wide as they darted to Leo. Margaret looked at him as well, noticing how his jaw clenched. He opened his mouth, presumably to chastise the girls for their behavior and for the accident, but Margaret beat him to it.
She ran to Kitty, who rose to her feet, her dress dripping with muddy water. Kitty had tears in her eyes that were about to fall when Margaret laughed gently.
“Dear Kitty, did you forget to look where you were going?”
“I did not mean to slip in the water,” Kitty said, looking down. Her tears abated as she rubbed her eyes with a damp hand, smearing more dirt on her cheek. “It was an accident?—”
“Do you wish to catch up with the ducklings?” Margaret asked as she wiped away the dirt with the sleeve of her gown.
Kitty nodded and looked back at Leo. He stood rigidly as he watched Margaret interact with her. His jaw remained clenched,but he did not come over to scold the girl. Joan caught up to them and took Kitty’s hand.
“Maybe now you will not run from me,” she said.
She nodded to Leo as she led Kitty in the opposite direction from the four adults. It took only a moment for Kitty to forget her folly and laugh as she raced away from her governess toward her sister and the ducklings.
“You are excellent with the girls,” Aaron said to Margaret. “They seem to be quite taken with you.”
“It is only because we have so much in common,” she laughed. “On any other day, it could have been me in that puddle.”
“You do have a way of finding trouble.” Theresa looked fondly at her. “I remember clearly your antics when we were at St. Agatha’s. I recall that Mother Superior was often cross with you. Do you remember the time you hid the baby goat in your chambers for three days before Mother Superior found him?”
“Only you knew the full extent of my mischief. You were a sister to me,” Margaret said.
As she thought of the days she and Theresa had spent in the convent, a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. How lonely she was now that Theresa had gone.
“I am only glad that I do not have to hear you sing anymore,” Theresa laughed, lightening the mood. She turned to Leo and added, “The nuns have forbidden her to sing the hymns, to spare us all.”
