Page 76 of The Heiress's Daughter
“Dear me, that is a worry,” said a deep voice behind her. The children looked up at Lord Randall, startled. Clarissa had forgotten he was there. “But she’s not dead yet, is she?”
They stared up at him, shocked at his bluntness.
He continued, “Your papa might just want to be with your mama when the baby is born. I know when my wife has a baby, I intend to be with her for the birth.”
They all stared at him in amazement, Clarissa, too. He smiled. “I promise you it’s true.” He went on in a brisker tone, “Now, with your mama busy giving you a new brotheror sister, and your papa up there with her, supporting her, how do you think they would feel if they knew you were sitting down here weeping, hm?”
Judy stared at him a moment, then straightened her spine, choked on a hiccup and swallowed.
He smiled down at Judy. “Well done. We haven’t met, have we, young lady? What’s your name?”
“J-Judy.”
“Short for Judith,” he said. “A fine name. It means ‘beautiful and daring’—did you know that? It’s a name for a queen—I can’t tell you offhand how many queens have been named Judith, but there are lots.” Judy blinked up at him. “Do you think you could be brave, Judith, for the sake of your sisters and your mama and papa?”
She swallowed and nodded gamely. Clarissa’s eyes misted with tears.
“Good girl,” he said softly. Next he squatted down in front of Lina, who was sitting on the end. “Now, sweetheart, we cannot know what the future will bring, but we can decide how we face it. And why worry about a future we cannot possibly know?”
“But I don’t want Mama to die.” Lina burst into renewed tears.
“No, of course you don’t,” he said gently. “Come here, little one.” He opened his arms. Lina crept forward, and he rose, lifting her up and cradling her against his chest. The little girl clung to him, sobbing into his shoulder, and he just rocked back and forth, rubbing her back and murmuring to her softly.
Clarissa sat with her arm around Debo and, through misty eyes, watched the tall man comforting the distraught child. She had no idea Lord Randall could be like this. So tender and understanding and patient. And he didn’t even know these children.
Lina’s sobs eventually slowed and Lord Randallproduced a handkerchief and dried her face. “Now, what’s your name, young lady? We haven’t been introduced, you know. I’m Lord Randall, and you are?”
“Lina,” she said shyly. “It’s short for Selina.”
“Ah, from the Greek for ‘moon,’ I understand. What, you didn’t know that?” She shook her head, and he went on, “Selene was a goddess who drove her moon chariot across the heavens, bringing light to the darkness.” He gave her a searching look and nodded. “Yes, I think you’d be the very person who would bring light to a dark night.”
Lina buried her face in his shoulder again, but Clarissa saw a small, tremulous smile.
He was just as good with little girls as he was with grown women.
Still holding Lina, he looked down at Debo, now leaning quietly against Clarissa, exhausted by her tears. “That’s a handsome cat,” he said.
“Mittens,” she said gruffly.
“An excellent name for a cat. And who does Mittens own?”
She stared up at him a moment, then chuckled. “Me, silly. I’m Debo.”
“Short for Deborah?”
She scowled. “No, just Debo.”
He nodded. “Well, Deborah was wise woman and a force to be reckoned with, and I can see you are, too.” He glanced at the nanny. “Nanny, I don’t suppose it would be possible for us to have milk and cookies in the summerhouse, would it? And perhaps if you have it, bring a game of spillikins or something like that as well?”
Nanny beamed up at him. “Bless you, sir, of course it would. I’ll be back with them in a jiffy.” She hurried off. Lord Randall helped Clarissa to stand and then the two of them and the three little girls—and cat—went into the summerhouse.
Lord Randall began a game of I spy, pulling hideous and ridiculous faces as he gave outrageous hints to those who were too young to spell, and he soon had them all laughing.
“Can anyone join in?” a deep voice said from the doorway.
“Papa!” the little girls shouted. They surrounded him, wrapping him in desperate arms, then fell silent gazing up at him in sudden trepidation.
He smiled, picked up Debo, cat and all, and put an arm around the other two girls. “Girls, you have a healthy little brother.”
