Page 28 of The Earl and His Lady

Lucas paused, hearing a series of light taps echoing against the walls. He cocked his head to the side, trying to determine where the sound came from.

He went to the music room and saw the door open. Lucas peered inside without moving it and there stood two little boys. Phillip’s ear was pressed to the wall and Edward tapped against it with a small wooden ball.

“It doesn’t sound any different,” Phillip said. “Let’s go over to the other one again and make sure.”

Edward started to nod when he spied Lucas and immediately straightened, tucking the ball behind his back.

Lucas raised his eyebrows and pushed the door open wider. Phillip turned and his expression changed rapidly from surprised to belligerent. He crossed his arms over his chest and stepped in front of his brother.

“We were looking for the passage. You said we could.” It sounded more like an accusation than anything else.

This is going to take a great deal of work. Lucas shook his head and did his best to look non-threatening. He smiled and tucked his hands behind his back.

“I did say that. No luck yet? Would you like another hint?”

“Yes,” Edward blurted, peeking around Phillip’s shoulder. “Please.”

Phillip’s eyebrows lowered still further.

Although he was on the verge of telling them which room to look in, Lucas stopped as another idea occurred to him. The boys had been kept mostly out of his way, in the nursery or outside playing, while their mother learned the ways of the house and became familiar with the servants. Had she spent much time with them? Lucas only saw her at meals. It was best, he knew, that he allow her whatever privacy she wished for, but rarely seeing another soul about the house had hardly done much to improve his feeling of being alone.

“I would be happy to share such a hint, but what will you trade for it?”

Edward’s dark eyes turned at once to his elder brother. “What can we trade, Phillip?”

Phillip’s gaze went from Lucas to Edward, then down to the ground. His jaw worked as he thought, but after a moment he started to shake his head. “Not much. He’s an earl. He’s got everything.”

Lucas hummed thoughtfully, turning away from the boys to pace toward the window. “I don’t have precisely everything.” He watched from the corner of his eye as the boys exchanged looks. Edward appeared hopeful and Phillip doubtful.

“You two may have noticed it has been raining a great deal this spring?”

They both nodded.

“This has made more streams than you can count, flowing all down to the lake. I find myself wondering how fast those streams go. I think, perhaps the best way to time them would be to put paper boats in the water. What do you two think of that?”

“Phillip knows how to make paper boats,” Edward said, his little voice soft. “Don’t you, Phillip?”

Phillip started to nod, but then froze. “Don’t you know how to make a paper boat?”

“My lord,” Edward reminded him with a whispered hiss.

“My lord.” Phillip narrowed his eyes.

“It has been several years since I have done so. I’m afraid my technique might not be what it once was.” Lucas issued a melancholy sigh, which might’ve been overly dramatic, but it seemed to press his case.

“Come on, Phillip. Will you make a paper boat? Please? I want to find the passage.”

Phillip took in Lucas once more before nodding. “All right. If I make you a boat, will you give us another hint, my lord?” His eyes turned to his brother as he spoke the title.

“You must help me test the boat, too. And you had better make at least two boats, so there is a spare.”

The put-upon boy dropped his hands to his side and nodded. Edward’s grin nearly split his face in two.

“Excellent.” Lucas clapped his hands together, allowing his smile to widen. “Then let us go to my study. I have all sorts of different papers and we must find the best for the job.”

The boys started forward cautiously but by the time they made it down the stairs, Edward was chattering happily about the last time they’d had boat races and how his had won half them. Phillip said nothing, though his expression had softened from belligerent to accepting of the situation.

When they arrived at the study, Lucas opened drawers in his desk and brought forth stacks of every sort of paper he owned. There were thicker sheets meant for cutting cards, more expensive linen, a very few vellum, and the paper he used for more informal correspondence.