Page 9 of The Earl and His Lady

Virginia nodded and stood, keeping one arm about Edward’s back and gesturing for Phillip to precede her from the room. This event showed every indication the boys would either dissolve into tears or an endless round of argument, and she had no wish to share that display with the other adults. She briefly met Christine’s eyes as she walked out, the other woman gave her a commiserating smile. Virginia’s gaze passed over the earl, whom she realized was watching the scene with at least mild interest.

Phillip contained his ire long enough for them to reach the hall. He rounded on Edward the moment the door to the parlor was closed. “I told him not to play with it,” he half-shouted, half-sobbed. “He wasn’t supposed to touch it, but he kept sneaking it away.”

Edward buried his face in Virginia’s skirts at her hip, shaking his head in denial. “I didn’t, Mama! I was only looking—”

“Looking doesn’t break things—”

“I hardly touched it—”

Had they been smaller, Virginia would’ve whisked them both into her arms and to another room. As it was, she was trapped in the hall with them until the matter was sorted out.

“Boys, enough.” Her voice was firm but her tone low. “Phillip, hand me your horse.” She reached out and Phillip put the wooden figure in her hand. The finely crafted toy was missing a foreleg, but the wood was cleanly broke, not splintered. “Have you the leg?”

“I cannot find it,” Phillip said, his anger giving way to a more mournful tone. “I looked and looked. The horse was on the floor, by our bureau.”

Virginia crouched down, her hand on Edward’s shoulder. “Edward, do you know where the leg is?”

The four-year old’s lip stuck out and his eyes swam with tears. He met Virginia’s eyes and she saw the hesitation in them, sensed his temptation.

“Darling, tell me the truth. Do you know where the leg for the horse has gone?”

His brown eyes darted briefly toward his brother, then came back to hers. He reached into the pocket of his trousers and pulled out a piece of wood.

“I didn’t mean for it to happen. It was an accident.” He held the tiny foreleg, painted white, out to his mother.

“See,” Phillip yelled, and Virginia looked to see his hands balled into fists at his side. “I knew he did it. He broke it and now it’s ruined.” Angry tears leaked from his eyes.

“Edward, what happened? How did it break?” A heavy weight settled deeper in her chest. At moments like these, she missed Charles. While the argument between children was not dire, it helped to have another parent to balance out the mood, to assist in settling disputes and restoring good humor.

“I was looking at it.” Edward trembled and stared at the rug. “Then Nurse Smythe called. I had to get a clean han’kerchief from the drawer. When I closed the drawer, Phil’s horse fell. I didn’t mean for it to happen.” His gasped on the last word and raised his hands to cover his face.

Virginia’s heart squeezed tight. “The horse must’ve been near the edge of the bureau.” She looked at Phillip, standing like an avenging angel ready to mete out justice. “Phillip, I think the horse’s balance must’ve been upset when Edward closed the drawer. It sounds like an accident.”

“He wasn’t careful and it broke,” Phillip said, his eyes flashing. “It’s broke and it cannot be mended.”

“But darling, he—” Virginia was interrupted by a voice from behind.

“Perhaps it can be mended.”

She rose and turned, her cheeks turning warm. Had they been loud enough for the others in the parlor to hear every word of the childhood tragedy unfolding? Standing outside the closed door was the Earl of Annesbury. He took two long strides and bent his tall frame in a polite bow.

“May I, Lady Heatherton?” He put a reached out.

Virginia looked from his hand to Phillip, whose anger had faded to a dull upset, and then to Edward, who looked curious.

“I would not wish to trouble you.” She held the horse out with one hand and the foreleg with the other. He took the horse and his fingers grazed her palm when he took the broken appendage.

“No trouble.” He gave her the barest of smiles, though an amused light twinkled in his eyes. “I have a younger brother and the two of us were forever repairing our damaged toys.” He turned the leg over in his hand, then the toy horse, and shook his head. “Ah, I see the problem. Phillip, let me compliment you on the fine horse and assure you that it can be mended.”

Phillip took a step forward, his eyebrows lifting. “It can? How?”

“We will need a very special pot of glue I keep at my house. As you can see, the break of the horse’s leg is a clean one.” He bent and held the broken toy for both boys to see, Edward creeping closer.

“You can fix it?” Edward asked, his voice a near whisper. “Really?”

Virginia’s heart lifted and she looked from one hopeful boy to the other.

“I can provide the glue,” the earl answered. “But as you can see, this toy is small. My hands are too large to do the necessarily delicate work. I think, if you are willing to help, the two of you can have it mended in no time. What do you think, Lady Heatherton?”