Over the next few days, while they were waiting for the Nanny agency to arrange someone suitable for the large family, Evangeline found herself the primary caregiver for seven gloomy, yet still rather rambunctious children.

They weren't misbehaving really, they were all simply restless and understandably still reeling from their Mother's passing.

Aside from dealing with the temperamental twelve year old, the sad and distressed eleven year old, the overly-dramatic nine year old, the mischievous and far too clever eight year old, the insatiably hungry six year old, the weepy five year old, and the newborn who constantly needed feeding and changing, Evangeline also found herself acting as counselor to the children, offering much needed emotional support as they navigated their way through their grief for not only their Mother but their Father as well, who had become inexplicably emotionally unavailable to them.

"Papa never even talks with us about Mother", the eldest girl lamented despondently to Evangeline as they sat together on the porch, the din of the girl's siblings making an unconscionable racket through the nursery window above them.

Tora was the most mature of all the children. She was also the most perceptive and emotionally attuned to other people's feelings.

Evangeline gave the girl a sympathetic look. "Sometimes when someone we love passes away it can be hard to remember all of the good times we had with them for a while."

"You mean he's forgotten everything good about her? How she used to sing for us all? The picnics we went on? The way he and Mother used to dance together in the parlor?"

Evangeline shook her head. "He hasn't forgotten any of that, Tora. It's just that there's a cloud what's blocking all those good memories in his mind just at the minute. But that cloud won't be there forever. I promise."

"But why can't he just spend time with us? He barely even looks at us anymore!" The tears streaming down the child's cheeks broke Evangeline's heart in two.

She had answers to the girl's questions, but they were quite complex for a person of her age to understand - in fact Evangeline still wasn't sure she understood all the complexities of grief and human emotion herself yet, although she'd had quite a bit of experience with those things in her time.

"I think it's because you're all so much like her and so looking at you all makes him feel as sad as it makes him happy. Those feelings of sadness will pass too though, in time."

The young girl frowned deeply. "He's getting rid of their bed. He had the carpenter around this morning to measure for a new one. It's as if he's trying to erase her completely."

Evangeline raised her eyebrows in surprise. She had to admit to feeling pleased about Mr. Brown getting himself a new bed. Perhaps now he'd actually be able to get a proper night's sleep instead of being all hunched up in his study night after night. Despite this, she did understand the girl's concern and sadness over another tangible connection to her Mother being removed from the home.

Evangeline spoke to her with a gentle reassurance. "I don't think he's trying to erase her. I think he's trying to erase the pain he feels over losing her." The maid put her arm around the girl's shoulders, shoulders that were carrying far too much weight for a child of her age. "What's important is that you remember her and that you all keep speaking of her every day. She'll never be forgotten and she'll always be in your hearts."

Her bottom lip trembling, Tora turned and flung her arms around Evangeline's neck, gripping her tightly. She held the girl with all her might, hoping to be able to offer even the smallest bit of maternal affection and care to the child, things she knew the girl and all of her siblings were sorely missing.

"Evangeline, where are ya?" Mrs. Blatherwick stormed out onto the porch, stopping short and sighing when she saw the two embracing figures. The cook was a hard lady, but she did have a heart and underneath it all, she cared a lot about the family she served.

"Come on lass, we've got to get a move on, this dinner won't cook itself!"

Evangeline and Tora separated and Evangeline smiled apologetically to which Tora responded with an understanding nod.

Evangeline followed Mrs. Blatherwick down to the kitchen. It was stiflingly hot and the maid's ankles and feet were swelling from being on them all day. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had a drink of water, let alone something to eat.

"You're slower than a wet week this evening, girl!" Mrs. Blatherwick complained.

There was no point in reminding the cook that she'd just spent the day running around after the children while also doing her best to carry out her usual duties.

"Sorry Mrs. Blatherwick", the young woman panted, wiping the sweat from her brow with the back of her sleeve.

"Cor blimey, is that the time already?! Master'll be home any minute…", cook shook her head, looking every bit as flustered as Evangeline felt.

"Right, well you'd better go and set the flamin' table, though I don't know what the blinkin' point is when Mr. Brown hasn't taken a meal in there all week! D'ya think those little blighters care about a neatly laid out table? Not ruddy likely - they'll have it all messed up within seconds and with no one up there supervisin' em, guess who gets to clean it all up after!" Mrs. Blatherwick groused, Evangeline hummed tiredly as she collected things to set the table with and then ascended the stairs carefully, balancing a stack of plates and cutlery in her arms.

"...No Eric, that's my skipping rope. Mother gave it to me for Christmas last year. You can't have it!"

"But I need it for my experiment!"

"You didn't even ask me!"

"Because I knew you'd say no!"

"Exactly! Give it back this instant!"

Evangeline winced, Lily and Eric's screaming giving her a mighty headache.

As she reached the top of the landing, she huffed in frustration. "What are you two bickering about now?"

"Evangeline, wait!" Lily cried out in panic, but it was too late.

The plates, bone china and trimmed with gold, flew into the air, seven of them all at once as Evangeline tripped on the skipping rope that Eric had quite unwisely chosen to tie between the banisters of the staircase.

The scullery maid grabbed the railing just in time to stop herself from falling, but nothing could be done for the plates as they all went crashing to the floor, smashing into pieces.

Evangeline stood in shock for a moment, and then burst into tears. The plates had been favorites of Mrs. Brown's. She felt so guilty and distraught and so utterly exhausted and all of her emotions suddenly became far too overwhelming.

"Evangeline, I'm sorry…I'm sorry, Evangeline!" Eric called out timidly, desperately trying to console her.

Just in that moment, the front door opened and Cedric walked in, his already weary face turning pale as he took in the scene before him. He rushed towards the children and Evangeline. "What in the world happened here?"

"Oh, Mr. Brown!" Evangeline squeaked, the shock, fatigue and a week's worth of shouldering the burdens of a large family hitting her all at once.

She fainted right there on the spot. Luckily Mr. Brown had come close enough to catch her.

The other children who had come through from the play room after hearing the commotion, all gasped in horror.

"Evangeline!" Sebastian rushed to his Father's and Evangeline's side, his expression filled with concern.

"D-Don't crowd her, Sebastian", Cedric warned his son and Sebastian quickly stumbled backwards, into the arms of his older sister who was also deeply worried for their maid.

From the top of the stairs, Chrissy let out a wail. "Evangeline is sick now!"

"She's just fainted," Cedric said, though his focus was mostly on his maid, his voice not all too confident. "I'm sure there's… a reasonable explanation."

"It's our fault, Papa," Lily sniffed. "Evangeline was going to see why Eric and I were fighting and she tripped on my skipping rope."

"I'm sure there was no fault to it," Cedric said, looking up at his son and daughter only a moment before shaking Evangeline.

It took a few more tries and smelling salts from Mrs. Blatherwick, but to everyone's relief, Evangeline soon opened her eyes.

"What's happened?" she asked before wincing and bringing a hand to her head.

"You fainted," Cedric said, a noticeable sigh of relief escaping along with his words. "Are you all right?"

With Cedric's support, Evangeline sat up. "I think so."

"Simon-" he called, "Help me take Evangeline into my study, will you? Mrs. Blatherwick, will you please bring her some tea?"

Simon hurried down the stairs and took hold of one of Evangeline's arms while the cook said, "Right away, Mr. Brown."

Once on her feet, Evangeline said, "Really, Mr. Brown, I'm all right." However, when Simon let go, she stumbled a bit.

"Perhaps we should have the doctor come around," Cedric said.

"That's not necessary," Evangeline insisted.

"We'll see…"

With further help from Simon and Cedric, she successfully made it to the study where they sat her in Cedric's chair.

"Thank you, Simon," Cedric said, putting his hand on his son's shoulder.

"Are you sure everything's all right?" he asked, though wasn't sure to whom he was directing the question.

"I'm sorry to have worried you," Evangeline said with as much of a smile as she could manage with this onset of fatigue. "All of you. I'm only tired is all. I'll be back right in the morning."

"Run along," Cedric said to Simon, giving him a nudge toward the door. "I'm sure Cook will have your dinner soon."

"You promised you'd eat with us tonight."

"I will if I can. I've got to see what's happened with Evangeline."

"Go have dinner with them, Mr. Brown, please. You mustn't make such a fuss over me."

Ignoring her, Cedric sent Simon along once more. "Don't wait for me, but I'll come as soon as I can. I need to speak with Evangeline first."

Simon narrowed his eyes. If not for Evangeline's state, he would have said more.

Once he was gone, Evangeline's words came like rapid fire. "Mr. Brown, I'm terribly sorry about the china. I will replace it, of course. You'll take it from my wages. I know I can never replace the sentimental value. I can't apologize enough. I'm so clumsy. I don't blame you if you want to let me go."

"I don't care about the blooming china. It was an accident. I'm not angry with you."

Looking up at him with wide eyes, she questioned, "You're not?"

"I believe what Lily said. You tripped on a toy."

"Even that's my fault," she lamented. "I made you a promise I'd keep the house in order and I've failed."

"With seven children there are bound to be toys lying about," Cedric said. "I'm just glad it was the china that broke and not you. Although I suppose we can't be sure of that yet, can we?"

She shook her head slowly, truth be told it did still feel a little bit spinny. "I'm all right."

"People don't faint without a reason."

"I suppose it was the shock that got me. It's been a long day and I'm more tired than I realized. Nothing more."

"Are you certain?"

"Yes," she said just as Mrs. Blatherwick came in with the tea tray. Both she and Cedric thanked her before Evangeline finished. "I'm sorry to have given you all a fright."

"I blame myself for any exhaustion you're having. I never should have agreed to add seven children to your workload. Then you've come in here every night to make sure I'm taken care of. It's too much for you."

"I'm happy to, Mr. Brown. Sometimes being here… it feels like family. I care about you all very much. Helping out a little more is the least I can do right now."

"It's a lot more. You're not giving yourself enough credit."

She took a sip of tea to hide her face.

"Well," Cedric said, then cleared his throat, "I can at least ease your burden a little until we find a nanny. What you've been saying about me not getting proper rest here… I know I've got to get back upstairs. If not for my sake, then yours apparently."

"Oh, yes… Tora mentioned you had a visit from the carpenter today…"

Embarrassed, he replied, "Did she?"

Evangeline nodded.

"Would have gotten out sooner or later, I guess. You must think…"

Setting her teacup aside, she scooted forward on the cushion. "I think nothing of it. If that's what it takes to get you back in your room, it's necessary."

"It's not wretched of me?"

"Of course not. I think I might've done the same thing."

"Really?"

"Really."

"That makes me feel a little bit better."

She smiled. "I'm proud of you, Mr. Brown."

"I don't see this as being something to be proud of."

"You're taking care of yourself."

With a hint of a scoff, Cedric said as he turned toward the window, "And in turn, I've made you neglect your own wellbeing."

Managing to stand up, feeling much steadier now that she'd had some more time to recover, she walked around to stand next to him. "That was my own choosing. I suppose I have run myself ragged, but I want to do whatever I can. It's been such a terrible time."

Turning to her, he said, "You've gone above and beyond."

"Thank you, Mr. Brown."

Though he wasn't quite at the point of being able to smile at much of anything yet, Cedric did purse his lips together, his expression relaying his own gratitude. "Take the rest of the night off and get some sleep."

Evangeline shook her head. "I couldn't possibly. I have so much to do. Mrs. Blatherwick will have my hide."

"I'll take care of her. I insist on having the doctor around in the morning as well."

"But Mr. Brown—"

"I'm not willing to take the chance on anything happening to you, Evangeline."

His tone was so serious that her stomach did a flip. Suddenly she understood the gravity of the situation. This household wasn't ready to lose someone else. With this realization, she nodded, took her cup of tea, and started a slow walk to her chamber.