Rules of Surrender by Christina Dodd Read Free Book Online Page A

difficult to ride sidesaddle than a regular saddle?“
    Standing, Wynter walked to the door, stepped out and, hands on hips, stared after his children and the governess. Charlotte handled Robbie and Leila with such ease, they didn’t even know they had been handled.
    She would do very well. Yes, very well indeed.
    CHAPTER 5
    A few moments later, Charlotte shook her head at the irrepressible gamine dressed in one of Charlotte’s hats, a pair of full-length gloves and a plain corset cover. ”I struggle to maintain an orderly appearance, and that’s what I look like?“
    Leila grinned, not at all impressed by Charlotte’s mock reproof, and donned Charlotte’s spectacles. Her eyes looked bigger behind the curve of the glass, and she blinked as the world took on a sudden tilt.
    ”What’s this?“ Robbie pulled the long case of Charlotte’s precious slide rule from her open bag.
    ”Bring it here and I’ll show you.“
    Leila staggered across the floor of Charlotte’s bedchamber, arms outstretched, lifting her feet high.
    Charlotte accepted the well-worn leather case from Robbie. ”Do you know how to add and subtract?“
    ”Yes, ma’am.“ Robbie’s language was more strongly accented than his father’s, but he spoke the queen’s English without faltering. ”And multiply and divide, too.“
    Charlotte lifted her brows at him. ”Very good. I didn’t know how much formal education you had had. Who taught you?“
    ”My father. Papa is… was the man of business for our tribe, and he says one had to be learned in all matters of commerce to earn respect.“
    Charlotte lowered her gaze to her hands as she pulled the slide rule free. ”Your father is a wise man.“ She manipulated the shifting pieces of marked and polished wood. ”You’ll be pleased to hear that when you’ve mastered the slide rule, you’ll have a way of doing mathematics without using pencil and paper.“
    Robbie frowned. ”Oh, I never use pencil and paper. I just do it in my head, like Papa.“
    Charlotte stared. ”Large numbers? Like… six hundred and thirty-two times four thousand four hundred and eighteen?“
    ”Two million seven hundred ninety-two thousand one hundred and seventy-six,“ Robbie said promptly.
    ”No, you can’t do that in your head. You see the answer is…“ Hastily Charlotte ran the calculations on the slide rule. ”Two million seven hundred ninety-two thousand one hundred and seventy-six.“ She looked at the boy again. ”How did you do that?“
    ”Papa taught me.“
    ”Your father taught you?“ Astonished, Charlotte wondered if the lack of civilization had so sharpened Lord Ruskin’s innate wits. ”What an extraordinary talent the two of you share!“ She wanted to question him further, but Leila careened into the washstand and the porcelain pitcher and wash basin fell onto the hardwood floor. The basin cracked in two. Water from the pitcher splashed out in a wave. Leila wailed.
    ”That was dumb,“ her loving brother said.
    Charlotte rose unhurriedly to her feet and went to where the child sat on the floor, clutching her shin. ”Are you wet?“ She plucked her spectacles off Leila’s nose and tucked them into her own pocket.
    ”Yes, and I hurt myself.“
    ”Not badly. Here’s a towel; let’s clean up the water. Can you multiply like your brother?“
    ”No.“ Leila grudgingly took the towel and swiped at the floor. ”I can’t do more than one hundred times a thousand.“
    ”I’m very impressed.“ Charlotte knelt beside the girl and used a rag with more efficiency. ”Has your father taught you how to read?“
    ”I know how to read,“ Robbie said.
    ”You do not.“ Leila’s accent, too, was stronger than her father’s, but the girl’s high, clear voice could be trained. ”You just recognize a word sometimes.“
    ”I’m better than you.“
    ”I can do it; I just don’t want to.“
    Charlotte righted the table and stacked the broken pieces of porcelain on the surface. ”Of course you