Page 24 of What a Difference a Duke Makes

Adele stood atop the toy chest, hands clasped in front of her, elbows out, proclaiming doggerel at the top of her voice, “I once knew a nursemaid named Brill, who thought fleeing from snakes quite a thrill. The snake it did slither, the nursemaid did quiver, and—”

Mari placed two fingers between her lips and produced her most earsplitting whistle.

Everyone froze and stared at her.

A superior governess would never resort to anything so vulgar as a street vendor’s whistle, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

“Merciful Heavens,” huffed Mrs. Brill, her breath coming in puffs. “This is simply the last straw. I’m giving my notice. I leave them with you, Miss Perkins.Yousee if you can control the little heathens.”

“Please don’t leave—”

“My mind is quite made up.” Mrs. Brill hurried out of the room.

Adele and Michel exchanged glances. “We didn’t mean for her to leave forever,” said Michel.

“Then maybe you shouldn’t have chased her with a snake.”

Mari knew she must be firm with the children, yet she sensed that scolding them would only make them mistrust her. “Poor Trix.” She made a sad face. “He has a terrible case of vertigo.”

“What’s that?” Michel held the wriggling snake close to his face. “It’s not fatal, is it? I don’t see any spots.”

“He’s dizzy,” Mari said. “How would you like to be rushed about the room like a spinning top? And what if he has to do the necessary? Poor dear.”

She marched to Michel and held out her palm.

He gave her the snake.

She carried him to the water jug.

Michel followed. “Do snakes use the privy?”

Mari hid a smile. Introducing the subject of bodily functions never failed to capture the interest of children.

“Not in the same way as humans do.” Mari retied the muslin. “Snakes can go a whole year without excretions.”

“Bof.”Michel made a very French noise of astonishment. “A whole year?”

“How do you know?” asked Adele, who had joined them by Trix’s jug.

“Because I read encyclopedias,” replied Mari. “You may wish to do the same.”

“I could write a verse about reptilian excretions,” Adele said.

“I’d rather you didn’t,” replied Mari.

“What rhymes with excretions?”

“Now, what was all of that about?” asked Mari.

“Nurse tried to dress me in this.” Michel scooped a frilled shirt with lace at the cuffs from the floor. “I’d be a fribbling milksop.”

“I think you’d be bee-yoo-tee-ful,” said Adele with a smirk.

“I won’t wear it.”

“It’s not very practical, I’ll admit. Let’s find you something a little less lordly, shall we?” Mari rummaged through the wardrobe in the adjoining bedchamber and found a plain white lawn shirt for Michel.

She popped his thin arms through the armholes and pulled the shirt down. “You’ll have to apologize to Mrs. Fairfield, you know. For chasing away Mrs. Brill. Now I’ll have to be your nursemaid as well as your governess.”

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