Fletcher?
Chapter Six
“I s it quite necessary that you desert me to go off to church?” Lord Hawkehurst asked Hannah the next morning as he ate his breakfast. “There are no newspapers for me to read today. How am I to pass the time until you return?”
A few days ago such complaints might have irritated Hannah, but closer acquaintance with the earl had made her more tolerant. Considering how hard he found it to stomach inactivity, he seemed to be trying his best. He had not given in to the temptation to rise from his sickbed without the doctor’s permission, not even when Hannah had left baby Alice in his care.
Listening to the gentle way he spoke to his infant daughter and watching the way he held her, Hannah had found herself strangely drawn to him. No doubt that was due to their mutual bond with the child. Whatever the reason, she was relieved her attitude toward him had begun to soften. It would be far more difficult to keep her promise to his late wife if she must constantly battle her aversion to the children’s father.
“As to your first question,” she replied, “yes, it is quite necessary for me to go to church. With all that has happened of late, I need to seek comfort in the words of scripture and pray for strength and guidance. It is vital that I take your son with me. After losing his mother, he needs the consolation only faith and love can provide.”
“I suppose that is all true.” The earl finished his last spoonful of buttered eggs. “I beg your pardon, Miss Fletcher. I did not mean to be so beastly selfish. Being confined to a sickbed for days on end does not bring out the best in me. I reckon you need all the divine assistance you can get to put up with it me.”
Hannah did not disagree, though in truth she found him much easier to tolerate when he recognized his own faults. “To answer your second question, you might pass the time and observe the Sabbath by reading from your Bible. It may not be as current as the Times or the Morning Chronicle, but it contains words of wisdom that could well apply to the present situation. Or you could pray about matters on the Continent.”
The earl did not greet her suggestions with much enthusiasm. “I am accustomed to taking more direct action. But since I am unable to do that...”
“You might be surprised at the power of prayer.” Hannah removed his breakfast tray to the butler’s table beside the door. “If nothing else, it might help you decide upon a course of action to pursue once you are well again.”
She hoped the spirit would move him to remain at Edgecombe with his children and leave the fate of Napoleon Bonaparte to a higher power.
“Perhaps.” The earl did not sound hopeful.
Hannah wished she had taken Sunday into account when she’d made up his lordship’s schedule of activities. It was meant to be a day of rest, but he clearly needed as much activity as possible.
“Before you go,” said Lord Hawkehurst, “I wish to speak to you about my daughter’s visit yesterday.”
“Very well, sir.” Hannah braced for a reprimand she’d been expecting ever since.
Perhaps she deserved it. Had she taken too great a risk by leaving the baby alone with a father who had little experience with infants and even less liking for them? Just because her gamble had paid off did not mean it had been wise.
“Apart from a little crying, her visit did not appear to do the child any harm.” The earl sounded oddly defensive, as if he expected Hannah to disagree.
His remark was so different from what she had expected that it took Hannah a moment to recover from her surprise and produce a reply. “On the contrary, sir. I believe an opportunity to meet her father could do your daughter nothing but good.”
Though he tried not to show it, the earl seemed pleased with her answer. “In that case, I would not object if you were to bring her for another visit sometime soon. Tomorrow, perhaps, if the weather permits.”
This was so much
Chapter Six
“I s it quite necessary that you desert me to go off to church?” Lord Hawkehurst asked Hannah the next morning as he ate his breakfast. “There are no newspapers for me to read today. How am I to pass the time until you return?”
A few days ago such complaints might have irritated Hannah, but closer acquaintance with the earl had made her more tolerant. Considering how hard he found it to stomach inactivity, he seemed to be trying his best. He had not given in to the temptation to rise from his sickbed without the doctor’s permission, not even when Hannah had left baby Alice in his care.
Listening to the gentle way he spoke to his infant daughter and watching the way he held her, Hannah had found herself strangely drawn to him. No doubt that was due to their mutual bond with the child. Whatever the reason, she was relieved her attitude toward him had begun to soften. It would be far more difficult to keep her promise to his late wife if she must constantly battle her aversion to the children’s father.
“As to your first question,” she replied, “yes, it is quite necessary for me to go to church. With all that has happened of late, I need to seek comfort in the words of scripture and pray for strength and guidance. It is vital that I take your son with me. After losing his mother, he needs the consolation only faith and love can provide.”
“I suppose that is all true.” The earl finished his last spoonful of buttered eggs. “I beg your pardon, Miss Fletcher. I did not mean to be so beastly selfish. Being confined to a sickbed for days on end does not bring out the best in me. I reckon you need all the divine assistance you can get to put up with it me.”
Hannah did not disagree, though in truth she found him much easier to tolerate when he recognized his own faults. “To answer your second question, you might pass the time and observe the Sabbath by reading from your Bible. It may not be as current as the Times or the Morning Chronicle, but it contains words of wisdom that could well apply to the present situation. Or you could pray about matters on the Continent.”
The earl did not greet her suggestions with much enthusiasm. “I am accustomed to taking more direct action. But since I am unable to do that...”
“You might be surprised at the power of prayer.” Hannah removed his breakfast tray to the butler’s table beside the door. “If nothing else, it might help you decide upon a course of action to pursue once you are well again.”
She hoped the spirit would move him to remain at Edgecombe with his children and leave the fate of Napoleon Bonaparte to a higher power.
“Perhaps.” The earl did not sound hopeful.
Hannah wished she had taken Sunday into account when she’d made up his lordship’s schedule of activities. It was meant to be a day of rest, but he clearly needed as much activity as possible.
“Before you go,” said Lord Hawkehurst, “I wish to speak to you about my daughter’s visit yesterday.”
“Very well, sir.” Hannah braced for a reprimand she’d been expecting ever since.
Perhaps she deserved it. Had she taken too great a risk by leaving the baby alone with a father who had little experience with infants and even less liking for them? Just because her gamble had paid off did not mean it had been wise.
“Apart from a little crying, her visit did not appear to do the child any harm.” The earl sounded oddly defensive, as if he expected Hannah to disagree.
His remark was so different from what she had expected that it took Hannah a moment to recover from her surprise and produce a reply. “On the contrary, sir. I believe an opportunity to meet her father could do your daughter nothing but good.”
Though he tried not to show it, the earl seemed pleased with her answer. “In that case, I would not object if you were to bring her for another visit sometime soon. Tomorrow, perhaps, if the weather permits.”
This was so much
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