ever be able to abandon.”
Her earnestness had him smiling, until he remembered the silence of the house. “I must admit that learning you’re a voracious reader does take me by surprise, but books aside, do you happen to know where Mr. Macon is?”
Millie ignored his question. “Why does my reading take you by surprise?”
From the manner in which her eyes had begun to spark, Everett realized he just might have made a bit of a blunder. “Ah, well . . . I’ve never known a person in service who enjoys reading.”
“Have you ever taken the time to get to know any people in service?”
His collar began to feel rather tight. “Well . . . ah . . .”
“Of course you haven’t,” Millie finished for him as she tucked a strand of hair that had escaped the cap back into place and sent him a somewhat irritated look. “But getting back to your question regarding your butler, Mr. Macon very kindly offered to go to Abigail’s house and pack up some toys Abigail has in her attic so that the children will have something new to playwith once we arrive in Newport.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’ve been informed by Elizabeth that most of their toys are still back in their old home, which is slightly puzzling to me since you’ve had responsibility for them for . . . how long?”
His collar turned a touch tighter. “A little over five months, but . . . I wasn’t aware the children were missing most of their toys.”
“I see.”
Those two words, spoken in a voice that had turned rather knowing, set Everett’s teeth on edge. Deciding to turn the conversation away from his apparent failure as a guardian, Everett took a step closer to her. “Speaking of the children, aren’t you supposed to be watching them at the moment?”
“Of course.”
He glanced around the hallway. “Where are they?”
“They’re perfectly fine.” She dropped her voice to the merest whisper. “I’ve tied them up in the nursery.”
For a moment, he thought he’d misheard her. “Forgive me, but you didn’t just say you’ve tied up the children, did you?”
“Indeed I did.”
“It’s little wonder you get dismissed so often if you make a habit of tying up your charges while you wander through libraries perusing romance novels.”
“Oh, I’ve never tied children up before today. . . . Well, except for some children in my youth, but that hardly counts, since I was a child myself.” She held up a hand. “Before you dismiss me—something your expression clearly states you long to do—the whole tying-up business was the children’s idea.”
“You would have me believe they wanted you to tie them up?”
The dimple on Millie’s cheek popped out again as she grinned. “Don’t be silly. If you must know, they insisted on tying me up first, but obviously, since I’m standing in frontof you, I was able to free myself.” Her grin widened. “In the spirit of fair play, I convinced them it was their turn to be held captive, although I don’t think the children thought their little game was going to have this particular outcome.”
Everett headed for the stairs. “I’m going to go release them.”
“You’ll put a damper on our fun if you do.”
Not bothering to address that ridiculous statement, he took the stairs two at a time, breathing somewhat heavily by the time he reached the third floor. Wiping a hand across his perspiring brow, he headed for the nursery, coming to an abrupt halt after he stepped across the threshold.
Elizabeth, Rosetta, and Thaddeus were firmly tied to three straight-back chairs, looking completely forlorn, and for some reason, they seemed to be rather wet. Spinning on his heel, he narrowed his eyes at Millie, who’d followed him into the nursery, and annoyingly enough, she wasn’t perspiring in the least from her climb up three steep flights of stairs.
“Why are they wet?”
Millie gave an airy wave of her hand. “Oh, that was from before, when we were
Her earnestness had him smiling, until he remembered the silence of the house. “I must admit that learning you’re a voracious reader does take me by surprise, but books aside, do you happen to know where Mr. Macon is?”
Millie ignored his question. “Why does my reading take you by surprise?”
From the manner in which her eyes had begun to spark, Everett realized he just might have made a bit of a blunder. “Ah, well . . . I’ve never known a person in service who enjoys reading.”
“Have you ever taken the time to get to know any people in service?”
His collar began to feel rather tight. “Well . . . ah . . .”
“Of course you haven’t,” Millie finished for him as she tucked a strand of hair that had escaped the cap back into place and sent him a somewhat irritated look. “But getting back to your question regarding your butler, Mr. Macon very kindly offered to go to Abigail’s house and pack up some toys Abigail has in her attic so that the children will have something new to playwith once we arrive in Newport.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’ve been informed by Elizabeth that most of their toys are still back in their old home, which is slightly puzzling to me since you’ve had responsibility for them for . . . how long?”
His collar turned a touch tighter. “A little over five months, but . . . I wasn’t aware the children were missing most of their toys.”
“I see.”
Those two words, spoken in a voice that had turned rather knowing, set Everett’s teeth on edge. Deciding to turn the conversation away from his apparent failure as a guardian, Everett took a step closer to her. “Speaking of the children, aren’t you supposed to be watching them at the moment?”
“Of course.”
He glanced around the hallway. “Where are they?”
“They’re perfectly fine.” She dropped her voice to the merest whisper. “I’ve tied them up in the nursery.”
For a moment, he thought he’d misheard her. “Forgive me, but you didn’t just say you’ve tied up the children, did you?”
“Indeed I did.”
“It’s little wonder you get dismissed so often if you make a habit of tying up your charges while you wander through libraries perusing romance novels.”
“Oh, I’ve never tied children up before today. . . . Well, except for some children in my youth, but that hardly counts, since I was a child myself.” She held up a hand. “Before you dismiss me—something your expression clearly states you long to do—the whole tying-up business was the children’s idea.”
“You would have me believe they wanted you to tie them up?”
The dimple on Millie’s cheek popped out again as she grinned. “Don’t be silly. If you must know, they insisted on tying me up first, but obviously, since I’m standing in frontof you, I was able to free myself.” Her grin widened. “In the spirit of fair play, I convinced them it was their turn to be held captive, although I don’t think the children thought their little game was going to have this particular outcome.”
Everett headed for the stairs. “I’m going to go release them.”
“You’ll put a damper on our fun if you do.”
Not bothering to address that ridiculous statement, he took the stairs two at a time, breathing somewhat heavily by the time he reached the third floor. Wiping a hand across his perspiring brow, he headed for the nursery, coming to an abrupt halt after he stepped across the threshold.
Elizabeth, Rosetta, and Thaddeus were firmly tied to three straight-back chairs, looking completely forlorn, and for some reason, they seemed to be rather wet. Spinning on his heel, he narrowed his eyes at Millie, who’d followed him into the nursery, and annoyingly enough, she wasn’t perspiring in the least from her climb up three steep flights of stairs.
“Why are they wet?”
Millie gave an airy wave of her hand. “Oh, that was from before, when we were
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