out of Mitch’s reach and held her arms out. Her youngest sister, Caitlin, came running.
“We were good,” she said in a singsong voice. “Can we have some of the cookies Maddie was baking?”
The other children quickly followed, the chorus of voices joining Caitlin’s. But Polly noticed that the Taylor children hung back.
Polly stepped toward her charges and gave them a smile. “Did you have fun?”
The eldest, Louisa, glared at her, but the others hesitated. Nugget tugged at the back of her skirt. “They didn’t know any of our games.”
Polly turned toward Nugget. “Did you teach them?”
“No.” Nugget kicked at a rock. “They didn’t want to play.”
Polly put her arm around Nugget and turned her toward the Taylor children. “Do you remember when you first came here, and you didn’t know anyone?”
“People were mean to me, on account of my mama,” Nugget said quietly.
One of the twins, Clara, came forward. “People are mean to us, on account of our mama, too.”
Polly watched the expressions flash across the rest of the Taylor children’s faces. Her heart ached as she remembered the taunts poor little Nugget used to face. And, to a lesser extent, she used to face. Polly’s ma was a woman of the most honorable sort, but her pa... Polly sighed. She did her best to honor her pa, but his gambling, drinking and suspected philandering was the biggest reason she could never see herself settling down.
“Well, I’m not going to be mean to you on account of your mama.” Polly held out her hand. “And I am fairly certain that none of the children here will do so either. But if they do, they will answer to me.”
Clara came and took Polly’s hand. “Everyone says Mummy was wicked. And we’re wicked just like her.”
Those big brown eyes looked up at her, full of hope, yet fearful.
“You’re not wicked,” Polly said, squeezing the little girl’s hand, then looking over at the rest of the Taylor children. “You might need to learn a few manners, but that doesn’t mean you’re wicked.”
Mitch stepped alongside her. “Thank you,” he said quietly. “I don’t think anyone’s told them that before.”
She turned her attention to him. “Why haven’t you?”
“I didn’t know.” The sadness in his voice tugged at her heart more strongly than the wounded expressions on his children’s faces.
She’d already been convinced that she needed to help this family. But now, more than ever, nothing would stop her from giving them the support they needed.
Slipping his hand into Polly’s free hand felt more natural than anything he’d done in a long time. Actually, everything about being with Polly felt natural. How had Mitch not seen the misery his children had been living in for so long? How had he not known how the nannies themselves disparaged the children?
Polly squeezed his hand, sending an intense current of warmth through him.
“I’m sorry, children, I didn’t know.” Mitch looked at his children, wishing he could undo the damage that had been done to them.
Clara let go of Polly’s other hand and rushed at him, wrapping her arms around his legs. Before he knew it, the rest of the children were gathered round him, hugging him. Isabella probably had no idea why, but she was still of an age where all she needed was a few snuggles and she was perfectly happy. She hadn’t yet realized that people treated her differently because of her dark skin.
Louisa, however, stood apart from them. Watching him. Shooting glares at Polly.
“Just because you say the right things doesn’t mean we’re going to accept you as our nanny.” Then she looked pointedly at the hand Mitch still held. “Or our new mummy.”
Polly immediately jerked her hand away. “Well, I suppose it’s just as well that I never have any intention of marrying.” She gave Louisa a smile that seemed to be more menacing than sweet. “Or having children. As for being your nanny, if you can prove to me that you are as capable as you say of taking care of your siblings, I will gladly leave my post, become trained as a teacher, then make my own way in the world.”
Mitch watched as Polly locked gazes with his daughter. “But I promise you that whatever you try to do to drive me away, it won’t work. The only way I will leave is if I am completely assured of your ability to take care of yourselves.”
Then she turned her gaze to Mitch. “We haven’t discussed terms of my employment yet. Perhaps we can leave Louisa in charge while we take a short stroll to settle things. This could be the perfect opportunity for her to prove her worth.”
Polly didn’t wait for Mitch’s response as she tucked her arm into his elbow and extricated him from his children’s embraces. She didn’t speak until they were well outside of the children’s earshot.
“I think they’ll be just fine while we walk. Even though I left Louisa in charge, everyone in Uncle Frank’s household is within earshot.”
She smiled at him, and again, he was struck by the warmth in her expression. Warm, but tough.
“I’m not comfortable with Louisa raising her siblings. It’s no life for a young girl.”
“I quite agree,” Polly said, a twinkle filling her eyes. “Having lived that life myself, I can tell you that eventually, she’ll come to resent it, and be willing to do just about anything to escape.”
“Such as become a nanny to five unruly children.”
Polly grinned. “Indeed. It’s a good thing you only had five, because I’m not sure I have the stamina for six.”
Mitch had already been certain in his decision to hire Polly, but her quick wit and sense of humor cemented it. The dour women who’d looked after his children in the past always intimidated him, and sometimes he wondered if that intimidation only frightened the children.
He’d never considered that what the children might need was something completely different. Someone completely different.
“You’re sure your family won’t mind?”
Polly sighed. “Honestly, other than not having someone to do their bidding, I’m not sure they’d notice. I feel more in the way these days, and I never know what my place is. Other than following orders.”
Then she stopped, put a hand over her mouth and turned to him. A few moments later, she dropped her hand, then gave him a dejected look. “I’m sorry. I sound like such an ungrateful daughter. Ma has worked hard her whole life. Even when Pa wasn’t up to the task of providing for our family, Ma took over. I know Ma says that Pa means well, but the truth is, she’s nearly worked herself to death to do right by us, and I am truly grateful for her sacrifices. Maybe it is selfish of me to want my own life, but I’ve spent most of it helping Ma. Now that Pa has a good job in Joseph’s mine, Ma doesn’t have to work so hard.”
Another long sigh escaped Polly’s lips as she looked at the house, then back at him. “Since I’m not needed so much, I have to take the chance to live the life of my choosing, not what’s forced upon me.”
She gave him a soft smile, and once again, he was struck by how pretty she was. He pushed the thought away and concentrated on her words instead.
“I didn’t mean to unburden myself on you like that, but I don’t want you to think I’m a bad person or Ma is a bad person. We’ve done the best we could do with what we have, and I promise I’ll be good to your children.”
“I know,” Mitch said, trying to ignore the tug on his heart. Her words made him