Page 40 of Dubious about the Duke (Second Sons of London 5)

Chapter Fourteen

Sera fell inlove with the boys from the moment she met them.

Freddie was obviously the leader of the two. He was slightly taller and an air of defiance blanketed him. She was certain he had been the protector of their little family. Charlie was smaller and even thinner than Freddie, which broke her heart. She wondered how much they’d had to eat, especially in those last days before their mother passed.

She disagreed with Win about keeping their relationship to him secret but she could see he wasn’t ready to fully commit to his nephews. She doubted he even thought of the boys as nephews. Win only recently met them. Hadn’t even known they existed all these years. Sera thought it criminal that Terrance Cutler had gotten two different women with child and walked away from his responsibilities to both mothers and his sons. From the little Win had said about his older brother, though, it was possible the boys had been better off without the duke in their lives.

Hopefully, she could change Win’s views regarding the boys. It would take time. She had about six weeks before the house party started.

Sera planned to make the most of each day.

A maid appeared in the doorway, drawing Sera’s attention. She carried a tray.

“I brought the little ones their dinner,” she said uncertainly, eyeing the boys with trepidation.

Win moved into the room from where he had leaned against the doorframe the entire time Sera had talked with the boys.

“Do you eat you meals in the schoolroom?” she asked.

“We have today,” Freddie said. “We’ve bounced about a bit since we’ve been here.”

The moment the maid set a plate in front of Freddie, she saw he was about to dig in.

“Wait,” she cautioned gently.

“Why? I’m hungry.”

“Because Charlie is also hungry and it is kind to wait for everyone who is sitting at the table to receive his or her dinner. Then you may start.”

“Well, that’s rubbish,” Freddie declared.

When Sera gazed steadily at him, the young boy wilted.

“All right. I’ll wait. But I don’t like it.”

“You don’t have to like it. You just have to do it,” she said. “You’re going to live in this great house from now on. It will be a privilege to live here but there are rules you must follow.”

“Freddie hates rules,” Charlie said, his mouth already full.

“One rule I insist upon is that no one speaks when his mouth is full.” Again, she stared at Charlie, who looked sheepish as he chewed and then swallowed.

“Why are there rules?” Freddie asked, taking a bite after he spoke.

“Mankind was put here to rule over everything. They brought order—rules—so that there wouldn’t be chaos. I will slowly expose you to the rules, both here in the house and beyond.”

“There are rules on the streets,” Freddie noted. “They aren’t written down in any book but you just learn them. If you don’t?” He shrugged.

“Were you on the streets very long?”

“Pretty much since we moved to the boardinghouse,” Freddie said. “Mum was sick and some bloke took our house away. Dunno why.”

“Smaller bites, Freddie. Chew until you can swallow. If you wolf down your food, you don’t taste it and cannot appreciate it.”

“All right.” He slowed a bit and his brother matched him, fork for fork.

“Mum sold her jewels,” Charlie said matter-of-factly. “She had ’em a long time. From when she used to work on the stage.” He frowned. “I’m not sure what she did but she stopped doing it when we was born.”

“When we were born,” Sera gently corrected and Charlie echoed her words. She smiled at him and he looked at her adoringly.

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