Lady of Milkweed Manor (38 page)

Sally paused, then nodded sadly. “Good-bye then, Mary.” She turned and began trotting back toward the house.

“You’re a bigger fool than I thought,” Mary called after her. “Giving up your own chance at happiness to wet-nurse the brat of some stranger what don’t give a farthing about you.”

The words burned at her ears and heart like stove irons. I am a fool, Sally thought. But still she ran up the lane, as fast as her large feet would carry her, as though wild dogs were on her heels.

In the morning, Sally awoke to fierce pounding on the nursery door. She’d already given Edmund his early feeding and had fallen back to sleep, his warm form still beside her. The little biter had woken up three times in the night, fussing and crying. She’d barely gotten two hours of sleep put together. She’d nearly come to regret not giving him the sleeping stuff. When the child had seemed to stare at her, eyes wide, she’d murmured, “Oh, don’t pay me any mind. I just gets cranky when I don’t gets me sleep.” And clearly, she thought wryly, she also forgot how to speak properly when she was overtired.

“Hang on I’m coming,” she called now, quickly pulling her dressing gown around her. But the door banged open before she could get to it. She jerked the tie into a rushed knot and stared, shocked as first the missus and then the master rushed into the room and to Edmund’s cradle.

“Where is he?” he asked.

“What have you done with him?” she accused.

“Edmund’s right here. In my bed.” She pointed to where Edmund lay propped between a pillow and a rolled-up blanket.

“Is he all right?” the lady asked, breathless.

“Seems to be,” her husband said, bent over to peer at him.

“Oh, thank God,” Lady Katherine exclaimed and picked him up, cuddling him close. She gave Sally a sharp look. “Why isn’t he in his cradle? You might have suffocated him!”

“I fell asleep after his last feedin’. The little thing kept me up half the night.”

“Did he indeed?” she asked pointedly.

“Yes, m’lady.”

Lady Katherine lifted her chin toward the open door. “Search the room,” she ordered.

“What is it?” Sally asked as men from the place-the butler, the groom, the manservant-strode into the room. “What’s happening?”

“As if you don’t know!” Katherine snapped.

“I don’t.”

“The Whitemans’ baby was found dead early this morning,” Mr. Harris said. “The nurse was apprehended, clearly intoxicated, with laudanum on her person. It is assumed that she drugged the infant.”

“It is more than assumed she killed him!”

“My dear, allow me,” he soothed, and then turned a hard gaze on Sally. “You are familiar with this nurse, this … What was her name?” he asked the groom searching through her drawers.

“A Mary Poole, I believe, sir.”

He turned back to Sally.

“Yes, I know ‘er.” Sally swallowed. “A little.”

“Did you not, in fact, see her yesterday?” he demanded.

“Only for a moment … I’m sure she did not mean for it to happen. She told me it was quite harmless.”

“Did she? She claims the laudanum found on her person belongs to you.”

“‘Tisn’t true!”

“Was it not in your possession?”

“Well, she did give it to me, but I gave it right back.”

“Did you bring it into this house?” Lady Katherine interjected.

She swallowed again, dread filling her, and nodded.

“Into the nursery?”

Sally nodded again, eyes downcast. “She told me it wouldn’t hurt him. Surgeons use it, you know. Well, I believed her.”

“I shall give you one chance to answer this question truthfully,” Mr. Harris said. “Did you or did you not give any to Edmund?”

She looked at him then, meeting his eyes directly. “No, sir, I did not. Not one drop.”

“How can we believe her?” his wife asked. “She had it with her. In this very room.”

“Aye, but then I ran down to the road and gave it back.”

Katherine turned toward the butler. “Call for the physician. He must come at once and examine poor Edmund.”

“Why did you?” Harris asked Sally.

“I don’t know. It’s a hard life sometimes, never getting an hour to yourself, never seeing people your own age …”

“I meant, why did you not give it to him? You certainly intended to. You no doubt had plans to meet up with this Mary, to go to the inn with her, as she clearly had from the state of her, I gather. You brought it up here with the intention of drugging my child so you could have this `hour to yourself.’ But you want me to believe you didn’t follow through with it. And if you expect me to believe you, to not have the police come and haul you off straightaway, I need to know why.”

She looked at the man, the child’s father, obviously shaken and angry, yet trying so hard to control his emotions. Oddly, she thought fleetingly of other occasions when he had shown some kindness to her, and understood what a certain young lady had once seen in him.

She stared directly at him and said quietly, “For the sake of his mother.”

As dusk fell, Charlotte sat on a bench overlooking the sea. She held Anne on her lap, for the two had fled the cottage and the frenzy of preparations for company and Lizette Taylor’s shrill orders. Charlotte was sure Daniel’s wife did not mean to be demanding nor difficult. But it was clear she was tense and determined that everything about the place and the meal should be perfect. Anne’s fussing had only added strain to the woman’s agitated nerves, and Charlotte had been relieved when asked to “take the child away somewhere.”

The walk and the cool evening air had quickly calmed Anne, and now the two sat in peaceful silence, listening to the tumbling of the sea and the call of gulls.

She was surprised when Richard Kendall walked briskly up the slope from the sea path. She had not expected to see him-nor anyone on this side of the cottage and felt disquieted to meet him again. She rose to greet him.

“Miss Charlotte Lamb,” he called. “How pleased I am to see „ you again.

“And I you, Dr. Kendall.” The two bowed politely to one another.

“And this is Taylor’s daughter, I take it? I’d recognize that bit of strawberry hair anywhere.”

Charlotte smiled. “You have a keen eye, Dr. Kendall. Yes, this is Anne Taylor.”

“Hello, little lady. Let’s hope your father’s hair is all you’ve inherited.” He put his face close to the child’s and wrinkled up his nose. The baby smiled, releasing a stream of drool down her cheek. “That’s very like her father as well,” he joked. Then he smiled warmly at Charlotte. “Nice of you to look after her. Mrs. Taylor busy overseeing preparations, I suppose?”

“Well, yes, and well, you see …”

“Does Mrs. Taylor care for the baby herself or do they have a nurse for her?”

“They have a nurse. In fact, I-“

“Kendall!” Dr. Taylor called out from the back stoop. “You found us! Do come and meet Mrs. Taylor.”

“On my way, old boy.”

Daniel waved and stepped back inside.

Kendall turned back to Charlotte. “You’re coming in as well, I hope.”

“Joining us for dinner later, then?”

“No, I’m going to watch over Anne here. You go on ahead.”

“Better let the nurse do that. It’s what she’s paid for, isn’t it?” He began to walk toward the cottage, smiling at her over his shoulder.

“I am the nurse, Dr. Kendall.”

“What?” He paused, turning back to face her.

“I am Anne’s nurse. It is why I am here.”

“I don’t …”

“Your friend Dr. Taylor was a great help to me when my own child … was lost to me. And since Mrs. Taylor … needed someone, well, here I am.”

“I see.”

“I am sorry for the deception the other day.”

“No need to apologize.” He nodded thoughtfully, then cleared his throat. “Well. I best be getting in.”

Yes, yes, hurry away. “Please do.”

Daniel led Kendall into the parlor, where Lizette waited.

“My dear, allow me to present my old friend Richard Kendall. Kendall, this is my wife. Madame Lizette Taylor.”

Kendall’s eyes widened at the sight of Lizette, resplendent in her ivory gown, her hair piled high on her head, her black eyes shining. It was a reaction Daniel was used to, even enjoyed. He still sometimes found it difficult to believe he had such a lovely wife.

“Enchantee,” Lizette said, smiling coyly before dipping her head.

“I am delighted to make your acquaintance, Mrs. Taylor.” Kendall bowed. “You are even more beautiful than your husband described.”

“You are very kind, Dr. Kendall. Now, please come and sit down. Dinner will soon be served.”

Both men instinctively offered their arms. She laughed, her smile brilliant, and she crooked her arm first through Kendall’s, then Daniel’s. The three walked slowly together to the dining room, arm in arm.

After dinner, the two men sipped their port in Daniel’s study.

“Why did you not tell me?” Kendall asked.

“Hmm?”

“About Miss Lamb. Your nurse?”

“Oh. How did you … ?”

“She told me herself. Outside, before I came in.”

“Well, I saw no need to humiliate her-you are a stranger to her. I was not thinking ahead.”

“You might have sent a note and saved us both the embarrassment.”

“I am sorry. She berated me as well for not telling you. I only meant to spare her feelings.”

Kendall looked at him closely. “Were you and she … ?”

“What?”

“She mentioned a child.”

“Heavens no. I had not seen her in several years when I came upon her in hospital, quite far along in her lying-in.”

“I must say I find this situation highly unusual.”

Daniel shrugged. “My daughter needed a nurse. Miss Lamb needed a post.”

“Does Mrs. Taylor know?”

“She knows I am acquainted with Miss Lamb and her family from my time in Kent.”

“But not how you felt about her?”

“I saw no need. It’s years ago now.”

“Is it?”

“Yes. Kendall, I am devoted to my wife.”

“Of course you are. I did not mean to imply anything untoward. It is the irony of this situation-do you not recognize it? You have Charlotte Lamb in your service, living under your roof, nursing your child, looking as lovely as ever I imagined from your descriptions-“

“And what is your point?” Daniel asked in growing irritation.

“I am only pondering. I take it the bloke responsible has offered no marriage, no arrangement?”

“No. He is married.” Daniel took a sip. “As am I.”

“Yes, yes. And Mrs. Taylor is very beautiful, I grant you.” Kendall shook his head. “Here I am a year your elder with no woman in my life and you have two.”

“I do not have two women!” Daniel heard the anger mounting in his own voice.

“Look, I know you to be a man of honor and all that. Always have been. But you know, Daniel, these things are done. It is nearly respectable these days to support a beautiful lady in such a situation. Though I suppose the word lady must now be applied rather loosely.”

“Richard. You know not of what you speak. I have been and shall remain faithful to Lizette. I took vows. Sacred vows. And, well even if I had not. I am devoted to my wife!”

“Yes, so you have said.”

Daniel turned away, on the verge of ordering this man from the house. He forced himself to relax his fisted hands flat against his trouser legs and take several deep breaths.

“Forgive me,” Kendall said. “I have clearly overstepped and misspoken. You are not the only one who disgraces himself socially, you see.” Kendall sighed. “I shall see myself out. Do thank Mrs. Taylor again for the excellent meal.”

Daniel nodded stiffly without turning.

Later, when they were preparing to retire, Lizette smiled at herself in the dressing mirror as she let down her hair.

“Your friend could barely keep his eyes from me all evening.”

“I noticed.”

She glanced at him. “You do not seem afflicted with such difficulties.”

“My dear. You know I consider you absolutely beautiful.”

“So you say.”

“You do not believe me?”

“You do not prove your words. I do not feel that you find me desirable or irresistible. Nor understand why you should want to resist.”