Page 7

Julian sighed again, already feeling the strain of this ridiculous problem, and hoping it would be resolved as soon as possible.

“I do not think we can do this,” Anna finally let herself admit it.

Ellen pouted, pausing the playful faces she had been making at the baby. “I think we are doing quite all right this far.”

Anna sighed and gestured at the small group of maids that surrounded the baby in his bassinet.

“I do think we are trying, which is lovely. But I fear this might be a tad… much. I do not want to overwhelm him.” She pointed out.

“That is true. My sister’s daughter did not like it when too many hands reached for her at once. Perhaps we ought to give him more space.” Regina suggested.

The maids nodded in agreement, but none of them moved away immediately, all of them seemingly enchanted by the child’s innocent expression. Anna sighed, calmly ordering,

“Ladies, if you would be so kind as to give the boy some breathing room.”

Reluctantly, they shuffled away from the bassinet, Gretchen whining about how utterly precious he was and how it made her want to gobble him up.

Anna had not spent a lot of time around children, aside from her niece, so she did not know how to care for a child this young.

To his credit, Nicholas seemed like a lovely child, easily distracted and entertained by the maids, but Anna knew it was only a matter of time before he grew fussy and began to miss his mother.

“What else, Regina? Tell me everything you remember your sister doing when she had her children.” Anna prompted quickly, knowing the berries they had fed him a little while ago would only go so far.

“Well…” Regina hummed thoughtfully. “She cried, mostly. And cursed her husband. And cursed at herself for marrying him. Then she –”

“The children, Regina. How did she care for them?”

“Oh. I don’t really know, Your Grace. I usually only go to help her clean up the house while she wrangles them to behave. I only know that they are loud and occasionally messy. And our dearest Nicholas isn’t like that at all! So we’re doing well already.” Regina grinned, waving at the baby.

Anna felt a wave of exhaustion settles over her, unable to keep herself from letting out a groan of frustration.

This was becoming too much. With this child now here, and her husband as well, Anna could feel the months of simplicity she had learned to live by slipping from her grasp.

It did not surprise her at all when her husband denied having a child, but she did not believe him at all. He seemed intent on putting on the charade for as long as he could and she would let him because eventually, it would all come to light.

However, the care of another being was a matter she was not at all versed in. She had a niece too, a lovely little girl who clung desperately to her sister, so Anna had never really gotten a chance to hold her or aid in her care during the times she visited Leah.

But perhaps her sister might be willing to visit her here and lend her assistance.

As if on cue, Nicholas made a face and began to cry, startling the women.

“Oh no. Oh – why? What’s wrong?” Anna panicked, reaching out to hold him but hesitating because she was unsure what to do and if she might just make things worse.

“Here, Your Grace. Let me.” the housekeeper stepped into the room.

Anna watched as the elderly woman reached for the boy and lifted him into her arms, holding him close to her bosom as she rocked him back and forth. Almost immediately, Nicholas quieted down, only occasionally whining in discomfort.

The housekeeper, Miss Lawson, patted his bottom gingerly for a moment, then she turned to the maids.

“He looks to be about a year old. Perhaps a month older or younger than that, but no more. It will be easier to care for him than an infant who is younger. Heat up some water and mix it to a warm temperature in a basin. He has soiled himself and is in need of a bath. And have the cook prepare some custard for him. Not too sweet, you hear?” she instructed.

The maid nodded and dispersed immediately, running in different directions.

“Do not worry, Your Grace. You are doing just fine. We will help you, as much as possible to care for this little one.” The older woman assured the duchess.

Anna exhaled in relief, thankful that someone within her household had an idea of what to do.

In less than an hour, Nicholas had been bathed and fed and was asleep in Anna’s bed, nestled comfortably in a pile of covers and sheets.

“We need to prepare a few things if he is to stay in our care for the time being. He needs clothes, and a room should be put in order to serve as a nursery. There is already one, but it is in need of cleaning,” Mrs Lawson stated to the maids – and the duchess, who willingly put herself under her housekeeper’s tutelage.

“We will clean it up right away,” Regina stated, grabbing Gretchen’s hand and tugging her out of the room.

“You must all be careful with him. Ensure your hands are clean before you touch him and do not crowd him too often. He could get overwhelmed and upset. Children his age tend to wail over the slightest discomfort, so I would recommend keeping a close eye on him. If he cries, he could be hungry, soiled, or just in need of attention. His comfort and care should be our priority, constantly.” The housekeeper added.

“Perhaps I should send for my sister. She has a daughter and might be able to help us handle Nicholas. We have no idea how to get things such as clothes for him.” Anna suggested, secretly in need of her sister’s reassuring company to face the whirlwind of chaos her life had become.

“I would not recommend that, Your Grace,” Ellen said with a wince, as though she had not wanted to speak out the words that came out of her mouth.

“I agree, Your Grace. It is imperative that no one hears of this situation. If the ton were to catch wind of it, who knows what vile rumors might surface? Not to mention that it might cause the real parents of the child to never want to reclaim their child again. Lord knows anyone might feel tempted to let the child they had abandoned be if it was being passed off as the child of the Duchess.” Mrs Lawson pointed out, supporting the younger maid.

“We must be discreet. Ellen can sew, so all we need to do is acquire materials for her to craft the baby clothes here. Everything else will be procured carefully so that no one outside the household catches wind of what has transpired.”

Anna couldn’t deny that they made a good point.

She had barely managed to fade from the minds of the ton.

Due to the fact that she and her husband lived separately, they did not attend public events and it had many people asking about the validity of their marriage and if perhaps they had gotten a divorce a few weeks afterward.

The duchess had done her best to pay it no mind, far too content with the life she lived to give her peace away by listening to people who did not know what they spoke about. But still, it would only add more fuel to the fire of their opinions about her.

Not to mention… if her mother were to hear about it, problems would definitely arise. Anna might not like her husband, but she did not want him to face her mother under any circumstances, seeing as it was her mother’s machinations that brought them together in the first place.

She did not know if he had forgiven the circumstances of their marriage, and could not deny that she held some resentment towards both her mother and her husband for going along with it regardless of her feelings.

Ultimately, she just wanted peace.

“What if… what if we have to hold onto Nicholas for a long while? What happens then?” Anna voiced quietly, unable to keep her uncertainty and fear from seeping into her tone.

“We just have to make sure we all do our best to cater to him. But worry not, it will all be fine.” Mrs Lawson assured, bowing to the duchess before leaving the room with Ellen.

Now alone, Anna gingerly settled onto the side of the bed, careful not to wake Nicholas.

He looked… so small and at peace, sleeping without a care in the world, even though his life was not as peaceful as it seemed.

Anna reached out to pat his head, hesitating before she touched him and then she lowered her hand, rose to her feet, and walked out of the room.