Elder Master Howard had many brothers, and each brother had several wives. With more wives came more children, and with more children came even more grandchildren.
The Howard Family was an old-fashioned clan that favored sons over daughters; girls didn't count in the family ranking, and boys were called various titles like ninth young master, and just trying to keep track of the numbers was dizzying, not to mention remembering each one's name.
Unless someone stood out exceptionally within the Howard Family, their ranking and name might become relatively more prominent.
Like Howard Thirteenth once had.
At that moment, Sarah asked something in French, and, out of consideration for Purple Summers and not speaking in French, Lily Howard explained, "Although it's a new era now, these elders lived in an old one, when they got married, there was no Marriage Law in existence."
Purple Summers understood then that Sarah was asking why they had so many wives.
