s here to attend to our needs.”
All three girls gave each other amazed looks.
“We don’t have to help cook?” Ellie asked.
“We don’t have to wash the clothes?” Lucy said at the same time.
“No. We have several servants to do all those chores.” It finally dawned on Elizabeth that they were used to doing these chores themselves. She had assumed her cousin Edward must have had money, but perhaps he hadn’t.
“Good night, ladies. I shall see you tomorrow morning.” Elizabeth walked slowly toward the door.
“What time is breakfast?” Ellie asked.
“Whenever you want it,” Elizabeth replied. “Just let the maid know if you will eat in the breakfast room, or if you want a tray in your room.”
“We can eat in our bedroom?” Sarah exclaimed.
“Yes, I do most mornings,” Elizabeth commented.
“Good night, Lady Elizabeth,” Lucy said.
Elizabeth walked out of the girls’ room and toward another room. Hearing loud voices, she knew before she opened the door that the boys were inside. She walked into the bedroom and found two of the younger boys investigating a bug in the corner of the room. They both turned as she entered the room.
“What are you two about at this hour?” she asked.
“There’s a spider,” the younger of the two answered. His hair was sandy brown and he had large blue eyes.
“And you are?”
“Robert, ma’am.”
Glancing toward the older boy with blond hair, she asked, “And you?”
“Ethan, ma’am.”
“I see. Have you two decided which bed will be yours tonight?” She walked over to where they still stood in the corner. Spying the spider, she lifted her skirts and stomped on it.
“I can’t believe you did that!” Ethan said. “It was a poor little spider. He wasn’t going to hurt anyone!”
Elizabeth inhaled deeply. She had no idea how to deal with children, especially boys. “That spider might have bitten you. And that is no way to speak to an elder.”
“Yes, ma’am,” they muttered together.
“Now, tomorrow we shall settle everyone into their permanent rooms, but for tonight, you will have to make do with the beds that are in here.”
“It doesn’t matter about the beds,” a sullen voice from the doorway said.
Elizabeth turned and looked at the older boy. “Why is that? And who are you?”
“I’m Michael. And it doesn’t matter about the spider or you or the beds or anything else.” Michael moved toward one of the beds and flopped on it, facedown.
Elizabeth stood there, unsure of what to do. Should she call for William? She had never been around young boys before now.
“Michael, we’re not going anywhere,” said an older adolescent from the corner.
Had he been in the room the entire time? She was in completely over her head. “What do you mean, Michael?”
He turned his head slightly from the pillow. “As soon as Will sells off everything, we’re moving back to America.”