More nods and smiles.
“And I do not care for amphibians or reptiles of any kind. If you put one in my bed or anywhere else near me, I’ll have to go home to Boston.”
All five faces transformed from earnest to sorrowful. They hadn’t understood I was only teasing. If they only knew how much more difficult it would be for me to leave them than for them to be left. I suspected Lord Barnes would marry again soon and give them a mother. Probably someone from the east or even England. A blue blood debutante type. Someone of his world.
A spasm of jealousy hit me between my shoulder blades. That is quite ridiculous, I told myself. I barely know him. Why had God cursed me with such an imagination?
“We don’t want you to leave,” Cymbeline said.
“We want you to stay forever and ever,” Fiona said.
I smiled in a way I hoped was reassuring. “I don’t want to go away either, so put that out of your minds. I was only teasing. About going to Boston, that is. Not about the amphibians.” I waggled a finger at them.
“It was Flynn who put the frog in her bed,” Cymbeline said in a rush of words. “None of the rest of us like frogs either.”
I allowed myself a stiff smile, even though inside I wanted to throw my head back and laugh. “I’ll hold you to this.”
For the first time, Theo spoke. “What do we call you here at the house?”
I hadn’t thought about that, but it was a good question. I was Miss Cooper at school. Nanny Cooper didn’t sound right somehow.
“You may call me Miss Quinn at home. However, you mustn’t share it with the other children. When we’re at school, I’ll have to treat you like I do all the others.”
“Even though we’re special?” Cymbeline grinned and swung her legs.
“That’s correct.” I tented my hands under my chin. “Now let’s get ready for bed. If you wash up, clean your teeth, and put on your nightgowns with no fuss, I’ll read to you the first chapter of a book before lights out.”
All five bounced from the couch as if there were springs under them. Josephine and Flynn both grabbed a lantern, lighting the kerosene wick before heading toward the hallway. I did the same with one more, then picked up the two books I’d already chosen from the shelves earlier and followed them up the stairs to the bedrooms.
As promised, they obeyed my directions. Sharing space in the bathroom, one by one they brushed their teeth and washed their faces. I had to send Flynn back for a second scrubbing, as the dirt under his fingernails appeared to be almost as old as him.
In the hallway, he held out his hands for inspection. “Much better,” I said.
“A little dirt never hurt anyone,” he said.
“It hurts me,” I said.
“Why?” Flynn asked.
“Because it does,” I said. “It’s a grown-up thing.” I patted his back. “Now stop asking questions so we can have our story.”
The two little girls had crawled under the covers on their twin beds. Flynn, Theo, and Josephine sat cross-legged on her bed. I slipped next to Fiona and read the opening passage from Heidi. I’d chosen it from the shelves of the library, remembering how much I’d enjoyed it as a child. Like the Barnes children, Heidi was without a mother. As for me, I was like Heidi—a visitor in a remote and beautiful place.
The lamplight flickered as I read. Fiona fell asleep after only a few pages. Her body, warm and heavy beside me, reminded me of my sister, and a pang of homesickness washed through me. I pushed the pain aside. These children needed me present in the here and now. They had a way of making everything immediate. I liked this, as it kept me from thinking too much about the family I’d left behind.
When the first chapter was done, Cymbeline had also fallen asleep. I shooed the boys off to their room.
At the doorway, Flynn stopped. “Miss Quinn, will you tuck us in?”
“I’ll be right there,” I said, as I pulled Cymbeline’s quilt over her shoulders.
While I was adjusting Fiona’s blanket around her small, chubby body, now curled into a ball, Josephine pulled back her quilt and slid into bed.
I stood, smoothing my skirts. Josephine lay on her side, watching me.
“How about you, Miss Josephine?” I asked. “Would you like a tuck-in?”
She smiled. “I’m too big, aren’t I?”