The Governess Club: Claire Read Online Free PDF Page B

ribbons. Babies come when husbands and wives kiss, hold hands, and be in a room alone together.”
    Allison slid off her chair and began her stork flight around the table, adding squawking to the performance. “I’m not standing for her,” Peter said. “She may be a girl, but she’s just a baby, not a lady.” He frowned mulishly and shoved a large bit of biscuit in his mouth, crumbs falling around him.
    “Elizabeth has four older sisters, one who is married. She knows all about how babies are made, and you don’t.” Mary glared at Allison.
    “They were going like this.” Michael demonstrated the art of kissing, making it a dreadful experience.
    Jacob’s head spun with how quickly the cooked tea had spiraled out of control. He doubted Claire had even walked three steps from the nursery before all hell had broken loose. He was half tempted to run after her for assistance but didn’t trust the little hoodlums to leave the nursery intact.
    He got their attention by slamming his fist against the table. Plates and dishes rattled; tea spilled and stained the already stained tablecloth.
    “That is enough.” His voice was low and tight.
    “You shouldn’t hit the table like that,” Sophie said.
    “It might break,” Michael continued.
    “It would be a big mess,” Peter joined in.
    “And then where would we be?” Mary asked in a reasonable tone.
    “Dead,” was Allison’s contribution from under the table. “Dead is bad.”
    A slow inhalation through his nose, released just as long, just as noisily. “This is what is going to happen . . .”
    Claire could not believe her eyes. Upon returning to the nursery, she found its occupants—both child and adult—sitting around the table in absolute silence. The meal was still being consumed, eyes were moving to others suspiciously, lips were pressed shut and quivering to keep silent. The males of the room had risen, albeit reluctantly on the part of the younger two, but had not spoken.
    Unsure of what was happening, Claire took her seat, her eyes on each of the children. No one spoke. Allison smiled and opened her mouth, but remembrance dawned on her face and she quickly snapped her mouth shut.
    Claire looked across the table at Jacob. “What—”
    “She spoke!” Peter crowed. “Miss Bannister spoke! She loses!” The other children chimed in, shattering the silence.
    “Lost what?” Claire looked back at Jacob in confusion.
    “We were playing the quiet game,” Sophie explained over her brothers.
    “The first person to speak loses,” Mary added.
    “And you spoke. You lost, you lost, you lost,” Peter and Michael sang.
    Allison’s face began to crumple. “I don’t want Miss Bannister to lose.” Tears threatened her eyes.
    “Ahem.” Jacob’s clearing throat and firm eyes quieted the noise. He gave his attention to Claire. “As the girls explained, the first person to speak in the quiet game loses. However,” he cut off Peter’s attempt to resume his chant, “as you were not in the room when it began and therefore did not know what we were playing, you did not technically lose.”
    “What?” protested Peter.
    “How can someone lose a game they are not playing?” Jacob asked reasonably.
    Slumping in his chair, Peter mumbled, “I suppose so.”
    “That means Peter spoke first,” Sophie declared. “He is the loser!”
    Peter’s adamant returned immediately. “I am not!”
    “Peter’s the loser. Peter’s the loser,” the two elder girls chanted.
    “Ladies, that is enough.” Claire’s clear voice rang over theirs, silencing the chant.
    “I am not the loser,” Peter said, glaring at his sisters.
    “A gentleman accepts his losses with grace and pays his debts with honor,” Jacob informed him.
    “Being a gentleman is horrible.”
    Jacob ignored that. “But considering the circumstances, as supreme judge I declare the penalty null and void.”
    Claire addressed Sophie and Mary. “And ladies, poor losers are never respected, but