have let this happen?
And if she were responsible for Webb’s death he should be throttling her, not falling for her lies like the rest of the fools of London. “You’ll wait.”
“It’ll be worth it.”
He didn’t respond, but instead ordered a third footman up to watch the door, then strode down the staircase.
When the ragged woman in the foyer caught sight of him, her wailing stopped. Her eyes narrowed and she raised a bony finger toward him. “You evil man. You took me baby.”
“Madame,” he said with as much courtesy as he could muster, “I’m afraid there has been a mistake. I do not have your baby.”
“Why, you lying devil,” she spat out before flinging herself at him, her clawlike hands extended.
Her companion caught her before she made contact. “I’m sorry, milord, for this disturbance. Me missus isn’t quite right in the ‘ead, it seems.”
All the while the woman fought and called out over and over for her little Johnny.
The man leaned forward. “Our baby died, you see. The fever took him. We can’t make her believe he’s gone to his reward. Her sister and I’ve been trying to get her to see the sense of it. She keeps insisting he’s been stolen and she has to find ‘um.” The man pulled off his cap. “You won’t have her thrown in the asylum, will you? She doesn’t mean no ‘arm. We waited so long to have the wee little nipper, and then he was only with us for a couple of months.” The man looked as if he was about to break into tears. “She just took the loss a mite too ‘ard.”
“My condolences,” Giles offered, unable to find any other words to fit the situation. He’d heard of women like this, so tormented by the loss of a child that it filled them with madness. “But you need to take her home and see that she gets the care she needs.”
The man bobbed his head in thanks. “I will that, milord. Come on, luv. Our Johnny’s not here. We should be getting back home, because if he’s there he’ll be needing his mother.”
The idea appeared to snap the woman out of her dementia. “A baby needs his mother.” She clung to her husband, wiping her tears with the back of her sleeve and sniffing loudly. Slowly, she allowed herself to be led from the house.
Giles followed Keenan to the door to make sure the couple made it down the steps. As they rounded the corner of the house Michaels pulled up in the carriage with Dryden.
“So you have her,” Lord Dryden said when he got inside. “That fool Stanton blathered on so, I insisted Michaels drop him off before we came here. He was quite miffed, but when I mentioned that his part in this evening would not go unnoticed, he cheered right up and left quite willingly.”
Giles smiled. If he knew the duke, the man would be at Dryden’s office first thing in the morning requesting a medal of honor for his meritorious duty to his country.
“Come along, sir,” he said, resisting the urge to warn his superior of what was sure to befall him with the Duke of Stanton. “She’s upstairs in my study.”
“Has she said anything? Have you been able to find out who she is?” Dryden asked as they went up the stairs.
Giles nodded to the footmen, who stepped aside. He fished the key out of his pocket and started to open the door. “No, sir,” he coughed, feeling quite guilty for his own lapse of professional judgment. “She’s being quite evasive.”
Dryden’s features became serious. “We’ll see about that.”
Giles took a deep breath and opened the door, not too sure what they’d find.
He certainly didn’t expect the sight greeting them.
In the middle of the room lay her skirts, in a pool of white silk. Next to them lay her hoops, and next to the open window lay her stockings.
Chapter 5
D ucking into the carriage, Sophia put her back to Emma and started hunting through her valise for her traveling clothes.
Lord Trahern hadn’t been kidding when he said the climb was impossible. So difficult that she’d
And if she were responsible for Webb’s death he should be throttling her, not falling for her lies like the rest of the fools of London. “You’ll wait.”
“It’ll be worth it.”
He didn’t respond, but instead ordered a third footman up to watch the door, then strode down the staircase.
When the ragged woman in the foyer caught sight of him, her wailing stopped. Her eyes narrowed and she raised a bony finger toward him. “You evil man. You took me baby.”
“Madame,” he said with as much courtesy as he could muster, “I’m afraid there has been a mistake. I do not have your baby.”
“Why, you lying devil,” she spat out before flinging herself at him, her clawlike hands extended.
Her companion caught her before she made contact. “I’m sorry, milord, for this disturbance. Me missus isn’t quite right in the ‘ead, it seems.”
All the while the woman fought and called out over and over for her little Johnny.
The man leaned forward. “Our baby died, you see. The fever took him. We can’t make her believe he’s gone to his reward. Her sister and I’ve been trying to get her to see the sense of it. She keeps insisting he’s been stolen and she has to find ‘um.” The man pulled off his cap. “You won’t have her thrown in the asylum, will you? She doesn’t mean no ‘arm. We waited so long to have the wee little nipper, and then he was only with us for a couple of months.” The man looked as if he was about to break into tears. “She just took the loss a mite too ‘ard.”
“My condolences,” Giles offered, unable to find any other words to fit the situation. He’d heard of women like this, so tormented by the loss of a child that it filled them with madness. “But you need to take her home and see that she gets the care she needs.”
The man bobbed his head in thanks. “I will that, milord. Come on, luv. Our Johnny’s not here. We should be getting back home, because if he’s there he’ll be needing his mother.”
The idea appeared to snap the woman out of her dementia. “A baby needs his mother.” She clung to her husband, wiping her tears with the back of her sleeve and sniffing loudly. Slowly, she allowed herself to be led from the house.
Giles followed Keenan to the door to make sure the couple made it down the steps. As they rounded the corner of the house Michaels pulled up in the carriage with Dryden.
“So you have her,” Lord Dryden said when he got inside. “That fool Stanton blathered on so, I insisted Michaels drop him off before we came here. He was quite miffed, but when I mentioned that his part in this evening would not go unnoticed, he cheered right up and left quite willingly.”
Giles smiled. If he knew the duke, the man would be at Dryden’s office first thing in the morning requesting a medal of honor for his meritorious duty to his country.
“Come along, sir,” he said, resisting the urge to warn his superior of what was sure to befall him with the Duke of Stanton. “She’s upstairs in my study.”
“Has she said anything? Have you been able to find out who she is?” Dryden asked as they went up the stairs.
Giles nodded to the footmen, who stepped aside. He fished the key out of his pocket and started to open the door. “No, sir,” he coughed, feeling quite guilty for his own lapse of professional judgment. “She’s being quite evasive.”
Dryden’s features became serious. “We’ll see about that.”
Giles took a deep breath and opened the door, not too sure what they’d find.
He certainly didn’t expect the sight greeting them.
In the middle of the room lay her skirts, in a pool of white silk. Next to them lay her hoops, and next to the open window lay her stockings.
Chapter 5
D ucking into the carriage, Sophia put her back to Emma and started hunting through her valise for her traveling clothes.
Lord Trahern hadn’t been kidding when he said the climb was impossible. So difficult that she’d
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