“Can’t you get up?” Anthony asked. He glanced at Anna and surprised a ghost of a smile on her lips, but it was gone before he could be sure.

Desford tried to stand again. This time he made it, but his chair went with him. “It’s stuck to my pants!” he said in a voice of blank wonder. He pushed at the chair, and it slowly released and dropped to the floor with a thunk.

The seat was covered with a thick grayish paste. “Glue,” Desford said blankly. “Someone put glue in my chair.”

Serena placed a hand over her open mouth, her eyes on the seat of her brother’s pants. “Desford, your pants are wet. You look like you’ve p—”

“I know what it looks like,” he snapped, cheeks pink. He glared at Elizabeth. “Did you—”

“Of course not!” she said indignantly, tossing her brown curls. “How could I? I was with you all morning.”

Desford whipped his glare to Richard.

Richard shook his head, his brown hair flopping into his eyes.

“It had to be someone,” Desford said menacingly. “It had to be—” Suddenly he swung his gaze to Thraxton. “It was you.”

Anthony waited for her to deny it, but instead she smiled serenely. Desford’s face reddened.

“I believe I won that trick,” she said calmly.

Elizabeth, who had been staring curiously at Desford, suddenly giggled. Which set off Marian and then Selena. Even Richard had a ghost of a smile on his face.

Anthony wasn’t sure he liked any of this. “Did you really put glue on his seat?”

“Desford and I have been trading jokes, haven’t we, Desford?”

The boy’s mouth continued to open and close, his face an alarming shade of red. “You—you—”

“Easy there.” Anna lifted her brows. “It’s a joke, Desford. Rather like stitching someone’s pantaloons closed. Ever heard of anyone doing such a thing?”

Desford shrugged, some of his anger melting away. “Once or twice.”

“Yes, well, although that seems like a very funny thing, it is quite possible someone could get hurt.”

Elizabeth’s giggles ceased. “How could someone get hurt from that?”

Anna pushed up her sleeve. A huge blue and black bruise appeared on her elbow.

“Oh no,” Elizabeth said, looking stricken.

“Good God, Thraxton,” Anthony said. “Did Desford—”

“Heavens, no.” She smoothed her sleeve back in place. “It was an accident. Nothing more.”

A flicker of surprise lit Desford’s gaze, but he didn’t say anything. Anna locked gazes with the boy. “However, I’m certain it’s the last bruise I will get.”

The boy’s shoulders sagged and he looked away. “May I change my breeches?”

“Certainly. We will wait for you here.”

The boy ducked his head in a quick nod, then left while the other children went back to their work.

Anthony stood. “Miss Thraxton, may I speak with you outside?”

She sighed but went with him, admonishing the children to finish their work. Once in the hallway she looked up at him with a challenging set to her jaw. “Yes?”