Duchess 02 - Surprising Lord Jack by Sally Mackenzie Page A

baby, was risking fleas by wrapping an arm around him to keep him from jumping down. He barked and tried to get up when he saw Jack looking at him.
    “Not until I know if he has good manners, Eliza. I found him only an hour or two ago in Hart Street.”
    “Oh.” Eliza nodded. He’d found her in Hart Street, too, when she’d been about three. None of the women in Covent Garden had seen the little red-haired girl before, so they’d speculated her mother had abandoned her there after being unable to get her admitted to the London Foundling Hospital. Perhaps Eliza’s mother had heard that children left in Hart Street disappeared, and that was all she’d wanted.
    He looked down at Eliza’s upturned face with its sprinkling of freckles and wondered for the hundredth—the thousandth—time how a mother or a father could abandon their child, especially a child as sweet as Eliza.
    “Who’s the boy with the doggie?” Jenny asked.
    “That’s Francis.” He looked back up at the lad. “Climb down and come into the house with us, Francis. You must be hungry—we’ll have some nuncheon before we head back to Town.”
    The boy looked reluctant to leave his seat. “What about Shakespeare?”
    “He can stay out here with the carriage. Mr. Understadt will keep an eye on him, won’t you, Joseph?”
    “Of course, milord. Shall I get one of the lads to walk the horses?”
    “Yes, if you would. I’m afraid we can stay only half an hour—an hour at the outside—so there’s no point in stabling them.” He turned back to the crowd of little girls. “And now, ladies, you must be cold, and in any event, Miss Weatherby will have my head if I don’t shepherd you all inside, so do come along.”

    Frances watched the tall man move off with the crowd of skipping, chatting, laughing little girls. The small one he was carrying—Anna, he’d called her—patted his cheek with her tiny hand, the one not attached to the thumb firmly lodged in her mouth, before putting her head back down on his shoulder.
    Was at least one of the little girls his? Anna, perhaps?
    “Ye best get down, lad,” Mr. Understadt said. “And here, Miss Eliza has stayed behind to see you safely inside.”
    Sure enough, the little girl with the red hair and freckles was waiting for her.
    Frances climbed slowly down from the curricle. Shakespeare jumped down after her and sat at her feet.
    “He looks like a very smart doggie,” Eliza said. “Does he do any tricks?”
    “I don’t know. As Lord Jack said, we just met him.” Frances looked down at the dog, too—anything to avoid Eliza’s far-too-direct gaze.
    Why had the little girl stayed behind? Children were unpredictable; they made her nervous. She’d always had trouble talking to them. Unlike Jack. He made dealing with the girls look so natural and effortless.
    She frowned. But then perhaps a rake could charm females of any age.
    “You’d best be going inside, Miss Eliza,” Mr. Understadt said. “You don’t want milord to have to come back for you.”
    “But I’m taking Mr. Francis in.” Eliza smiled at Shakespeare and held out her hand. “Do you shake hands, doggie?”
    Before Frances could snatch the little girl’s fingers back, Shakespeare had put his paw in her grasp.
    Eliza squealed with glee. “He does do tricks, Mr. Francis! We’ll have to show everyone.” She patted Shakespeare’s head. “Good doggie.”
    “I’m still not sure Lord Jack will want the dog to come inside, Eliza.” Frances looked to Mr. Understadt for confirmation. “I could stay out here with him.”
    She’d much rather stay out here. It had been hard enough to pretend to be a boy when she’d had only Jack to fool. The incident with the whores had been a nightmare, but at least it had been brief. But if she went into the house, she’d be surrounded by any number of children and their teachers. She’d be discovered in a matter of moments.
    Mr. Understadt shrugged. “Seems like the dog’s no danger. You