Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
“Are you certain you wouldn’t like to go and play with them?” Clara asked.
Clara was sitting at the window while Sophia drew. Clara watched her intently, showering her with regular praise, sprinkling a few pieces of advice among them, not wanting to make it feel as though she was criticizing.
Sophia was currently drawing the scene before them.
Emily, Teddy, Oliver, Duke, and Gerald were playing outside.
Duke raced around, attempting to catch the ball thrown by the others.
When he did, he didn’t seem to know what to do with it and simply dropped it on the floor.
Then he waited expectantly, eager for the game to begin again.
The infectious laughter was so loud it drifted into the house.
Sophia shook her head and continued drawing. Clara patted Sophia’s shoulder and brushed her hair away from her face. Sophia tilted her head from left to right as her hand swept across the page.
A profound sense of melancholy filled Clara’s heart, thinking that one day neither Sophia nor the other children would be here. Like seeds on the wind, they would be scattered afar, and all Clara could do was pray that they would find happier endings than their beginnings suggested.
Although the scene in front of them was a fluid thing, shifting and changing with every moment, Clara’s eyes were drawn to the one that Sophia was drawing. Duke looked as though he was in flight, leaping in the air, head twisting back as he tried to catch the ball that sailed over his head.
Emily was leaning forward, her hand still in a throwing motion.
Teddy was beside Duke, offering encouragement.
Oliver threw his hands in the air and jumped just like Duke, ready to catch it if Duke missed.
Gerald had his hands on his hips, a look of adoration on his face as though he didn’t want to be anywhere else.
He had become just as enamored with the children as they were with him.
It warmed her heart to see such a bond developed, although this sweet feeling was marred by a hint of melancholy as she knew it too would come to an end.
Would the children be devastated? It was likely.
Would she be devastated? Completely, for it broke her heart to know that life would bring these children more suffering, and there was only so much she could do to protect them.
Would Gerald be devastated? Now there was the question. Clara wasn’t entirely sure. He was a practical man, and although she had no doubt that his feelings for the children were genuine, he might have been the type to lock the emotions away and leave them be, a talent in which many men excelled.
Her father being one of them. Her first father, that was.
Mary had never told Clara too much about the man, but one thing she had mentioned was that he kept his emotions very close to his chest, so close in fact that she could never be sure if he possessed them at all. Clara sometimes wondered if, as his daughter, she was capable of the same thing.
She had never dared to try, fearing that if she suppressed one emotion then she would suppress them all, and that did not sit right with her. Life was about caring, even if that did make it difficult in the end.
A knock at the door disturbed Clara from her thoughts. She stroked Sophia’s head and went to see who was calling. It happened to be Lord Ashcombe, a man of sixty-two years with a warm smile and ears that stuck out from his head at an absurdly horizontal angle.
“Miss Sterling. I hope that you don’t mind me dropping by without notice. I thought that with the benefit swiftly approaching I should peruse the orphanage’s accounts, just so that I am aware of the particulars,” he said.
“I am always honored when a trustee comes to visit,” Clara said, and welcomed him in. She led him to the room she had just exited and went to fetch the account books. When she returned, she found Lord Ashcombe trying to make conversation with Sophia.
“Quiet thing, isn’t she?” he whispered.
“She’s been through a lot,” Clara replied.
Lord Ashcombe gave her a knowing look. He licked the tips of his fingers and then flicked open the books.
He placed one finger at the top of one column and then moved it down, tracking it with his eyes.
How he could absorb so much information so quickly, Clara did not know.
While he was occupied, Clara went outside and clapped her hands, gathering everyone’s attention.
Teddy had thrown the ball quite high, and all of them but Duke turned their gaze away from it.
It fell back to earth, right in the direction of Gerald.
Thankfully, the ball was soft and would not do any lasting damage as it bounced off his crown, causing him to utter a surprised gasp and raise his hands protectively, as if the sky was going to follow.
Duke tracked the ball, leaped up, and grabbed it in his mouth. He landed adroitly and wagged his tail, dropping the ball at his feet.
“Well done, Duke,” Teddy said. The three children gathered around Duke and praised him by petting him. Duke’s tail wagged even more fiercely.
“Is it time to eat already?” Gerald asked.
“No, we have a most distinguished guest. Lord Ashcombe, one of the trustees, has stopped by. We must greet him, children,” Clara said.
The children sighed and hung their heads.
The last thing they wanted to do was stop playing and speak to a stranger instead.
However, a combination of Clara’s expectant look and Gerald’s insistence that they race back to the house caused them to surge back.
While Duke didn’t understand the exact nature of the race, he was just excited that everyone was running and wanted to join in.
Lord Ashcombe was quite startled when the bundle of children and canine came bursting through the door. They all rolled into one heap. Teddy and Emily leaped up immediately and began claiming victory, while Duke yapped loudly, seemingly wanting to inject his opinion as well.
Clara wore a strained look on her face, fearing that Lord Ashcombe might think she had lost complete control of the children. He stared up from the accounts and raised bushy eyebrows, while he tugged at one of his absurdly wide ears.
“My goodness, for a moment there I thought we had four dozen children in residence, not merely four. And we seem to have a dog as well.”
“A gift from His Grace,” Clara said, deferring to Gerald.
Gerald strode towards Lord Ashcombe with an outstretched hand.
They greeted each other like old friends, although as far as Clara knew they did not know each other.
They spoke for a little while about the children, and then Lord Ashcombe suggested that they retire to a quieter room where they would be able to talk in peace.
He said this with a smile, and glanced towards the children
Clara turned to them. “Are you going to behave yourselves for a little while?” she asked.
“Yes!” they cried out in unison. Clara raised a finger in the air.
“I will pop my head in, and I will keep my ears open. If I hear anything I am not supposed to hear, then there will be no story before bed tonight,” she said. This brought about a groan from the children, which she hoped would translate into an eagerness to behave.
“What delightful creatures,” Lord Ashcombe chuckled as the three of them settled into another room.
“They are special indeed. I’ve enjoyed spending time with them since I became aware of St. Margaret’s plight,” Gerald replied.
“Indeed, and I’m sure they benefit greatly from your presence,” Lord Ashcombe said.
“Did you find anything alarming in the accounts?” Clara asked, a little worried that the orphanage’s future would be in doubt even with the benefit and the extended lease.
Lord Ashcombe raised his eyebrows and tugged his ear again.
“It’s nothing other than what I expected, which some might argue is alarming enough,” he chuckled, before adopting a more serious tone again.
“But we are grateful that the lease has been extended and that repairs have been made. We’ve been having to make difficult choices for far too long.
With the upcoming benefit, I’m sure that we will be able to celebrate people’s generosity and usher in a new era for St. Margaret’s.
I must say, none of this could have happened without you, Miss Sterling.
You have been the backbone of St. Margaret’s for many years now.
I hope I am not overstepping the mark, Your Grace, but I’m sure our dear founder would have been ever so proud of you. ”
Clara blushed at the high praise, while Gerald smiled.
“I know for certain that Grandmother would have seen a lot of herself in Clara.”
Clara’s blush deepened.
“I appreciate all your kind words. I’ve only been trying to help.”
“You’ve done more than that! You’ve injected life into this place, and heart, oh yes, plenty of heart.
Those children are enjoying life with everything they have, and that’s something we want to see from St. Margaret’s.
Long may it continue, and hopefully when your successor inherits the role they will bring just as much joy. ”
Clara chuckled. “I’m sure we won’t need to be thinking about that for many years.”
“Perhaps not as many as you think. I can’t imagine it will be too long before you’re married. Although we will wish you the best, St. Margaret’s will suffer when you leave.”
Lord Ashcombe’s words were not meant to give offence, but Clara felt tension lancing through her. She arched her back and pressed her hands into her lap, while she adopted a cool expression.
“I hope that day is still a long way off,” Gerald said.
Clara felt a prickle upon her skin, and it took everything she had to maintain her composure.
“Forgive me, but I do not believe that the subject of my marriage should be a matter for discussion,” Clara said in a gentle tone, hoping not to chastise the men, but just offer a gentle reminder that they should not forget the company they kept.