Page 5 of Her Honorable Viscount (Noble Pursuits #3)

CHAPTER 5

D ot froze as she tried to decide how to extricate herself from this situation with her secrets intact.

She should never have come here – but the thought lasted only momentarily before she looked at Lucy and the baby on the bed. If she had never arrived, then neither Lucy nor the baby would likely be here. That was worth Lady Carroway discovering her secret.

“Lady Carroway,” she said, greeting her as though they were in the midst of a ballroom. “How are you?”

“Not well, at the moment,” she said. “One of my maids just sullied a room in my servants’ quarters.”

Dot bit her tongue.

But only for a moment.

“Actually, Lady Carroway, birth is a beautiful event. And all was cleaned up so there is nothing for you to worry about. Your staff acted admirably in the circumstances, and there is no reason why any of them should be released from their duties.”

“No?”

Lady Carroway advanced a step toward Dot, but then stopped and looked around, realizing where she was before backing up to the doorway again.

“That is for me to decide, Lady Dot, and I have decided that I do not want servants who act in such a manner.”

“Of course you wouldn’t want good, hardworking people who would go above and beyond for someone in need.”

She really needed to work on being more diplomatic.

But not today. She was past that point.

“And just what are you doing here, Lady Dot?” Lady Carroway asked, her eyes narrowing as she suddenly took a moment away from thinking about herself to consider Dot.

Dot straightened her shoulders and shifted her bag.

“I have some knowledge of medical issues,” she said. “I was nearby when I heard the call for help, so I came to offer my expertise.”

“Medical knowledge?” Lady Carroway scoffed. “How?”

“There is plenty of literature available,” Dot said. No one could fault her for that. “I?—”

A voice sounded from outside the corridor.

“Mrs. Adams! Is the midwife still here? Her man is?—”

The servant who had initially come to fetch Dot came to a sudden stop behind Lady Carroway. His expression would have been comical had it been a different circumstance as his eyes widened in horror when he saw his mistress standing there.

He began to back away in slowed action, but Lady Carroway turned and caught him.

“You,” she said, pointing at him. “Tell me who the midwife is.”

“I—” His mouth opened and closed a couple of times as he seemed uncertain of whether he should listen to his employer or protect Dot, for Lady Carroway’s tone made it obvious that she blamed the midwife for something.

“Tell me, or you can say farewell to your job, just like Mrs. Adams and— the maid.”

She had forgotten Lucy’s name.

The footman sighed.

“Very well. She is the midwife.” He pointed to Dot.

Lady Carroway’s piercing blue eyes stared at Dot. “A midwife. Well, I have heard many things in my days, but this is nearly impossible to believe. Your poor mother.”

“She does not know,” Dot lied, holding her head high. “I would prefer to keep it that way.”

Lady Carroway stared at her for a moment before throwing her head back and laughing so hard that she had to wipe tears away from her eyes while the rest of them stayed frozen in shock. Dot hated that this one horrible woman could hold so much power over good people, one of whom might have made a small mistake. Or maybe not.

“Very well, Lady Dot,” Lady Carroway said, a slow, horrible smile crossing her face. “I will keep your secret, as you have so requested.”

Dot wanted to breathe a sigh of relief, but she knew that there would be more coming. There always was with a woman like Lady Carroway. She was older than Dot but younger than Dot’s mother, and from what Dot knew, she hated her husband, who was rumored to spend more time with other women than with his own wife.

Dot wasn’t sure if that was what made Lady Carroway so awful or if she had been awful to begin with and that was why her husband avoided her.

“There will, however, be a cost.”

There it was.

Lady Carroway looked around the room, clearly remembering that they were not alone. “I will be in touch.”

And with that, she turned and practically flounced out of the room.

Dot lifted her bag, about to leave when she realized the three servants still in the room were all staring at her. Right. They had just discovered that she was not just Dot but “Lady” Dot.

Mrs. Adams was the first to recover, likely having the most interactions with nobility. “My lady,” she said, dipping into a curtsy. “We are?—”

“Please, don’t,” Dot said, lifting a hand. “I came here as Dot, the midwife, and that is who I choose to be now. Unfortunately, Lady Carroway discovered me, but I can handle her. I am most worried about you,” she said, looking at Lucy and the baby.

“I’m so sorry, Mrs. Adams,” Lucy sniffed. “I had an idea of what was happening, but I was hoping to find another way out before the baby came.”

“The baby is small. She could have come earlier than most,” Dot said gently. “Do you have anywhere to go?”

Lucy sniffed again, shaking her head, but Mrs. Adams stepped in.

“We will go to my sister’s for a few nights. Then I will need to figure something out for myself, and hopefully, we can find some help for Lucy as well.”

Dot reached into her pocket, pulling out some of the money she had collected from Magda’s.

“Here,” she said, giving it to Mrs. Adams, who tried to decline.

“We should be paying you.”

Dot shook her head. “I only take what people can afford,” she said. She wouldn’t take anything at all, but for many families, it was a matter of pride to be able to pay for her services. She used what they paid her for her supplies. “I am happy to do this. Please, take it. And if you need me, please come to the servants’ entrance of Lord Fitzroy’s house and ask for Rose.”

“Rose?”

She pressed her lips together as her lips curled slightly upward. “My lady’s maid. She will bring me any message.”

She hefted her bag on her shoulder, turning when she reached the door. “All I ask is that you could please keep my identity to yourselves. I know it might get out through Lady Carroway, but I love what I do, and I do not want any other women to feel they cannot come to me.”

“Of course,” Mrs. Adams said quickly, with Lucy and the footman – Ralph – quickly agreeing.

Dot followed Ralph back to the servants’ entrance, although it wasn’t until she rounded the building, yet was still hidden from John’s view, that she came to a stop, leaning back against the brick wall as she closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths to try to settle herself.

She had been looking forward to her rounds today. Even an unexpected birth was nothing short of amazing. But she could never have expected the day to end like this.

She shook her head and thought of what Lord Mandrake would say if Lady Carroway exposed her secret. He would be happy that she hadn’t agreed to his suit, she was sure.

He could never know.

No one could, or this would all come to nothing.

Now it was all in Lady Carroway’s hands. Dot could only wait for the message or summons that would come to seal her fate.

And in the meantime, there was nothing she could do about it.

“I was hoping we might be able to come to some sort of arrangement.”

Edward made his offer and then warily sat back in the most uncomfortable chair he had ever sat in.

The table in front of him was made of wood so rough that he was afraid he was going to get a splinter just from touching it.

The man sitting on the other side looked just as formidable.

“I’m not sure who you think you are to walk here into my tavern and try to buy off my sister.”

Which was ironic, for that was precisely what Edward knew he wanted.

“That is not what I said,” Edward insisted, holding a finger in the air. “I am hoping to come to an agreement with you. One that will benefit everyone.”

“Your good-for-nothing brother has done quite enough,” the man said. “But I can care for my sister if you give me the right amount.”

Edward paused. He should be happy that the man was willing to be paid off. And yet, nausea churned his stomach as he was receiving the impression that whatever this man planned to do to “care” for his sister would not be to her benefit.

“What exactly does that mean?” he couldn’t help but ask.

“That is none of your business. She’s my sister.”

“Yes,” Edward said slowly. “But the baby will be my niece or nephew.”

The brother – Jack Tate, he was called – stroked his long, unkempt beard as he snorted.

“Don’t pretend this baby means anything to you,” he said. “This was all a mistake. Now, bring 100 guineas to me by next week, and you don’t have to worry about this ever again.”

Edward drummed his fingertips on the table. He wasn’t sure what he was hoping for. He supposed he had expected to come here and be assured that this girl who his brother had gotten pregnant would be well looked after, as well as the baby.

“What if I agreed to pay for anything she might need to look after herself and the baby?” he asked, looking up at the brother, whose face darkened.

“I told you that you would have nothing to do with us after this,” he said. “Now, bring the money, and then leave us be.”

“Could I talk to your sister?”

“No!” the man roared, pounding his fist on the table. “I told you what I wanted. Now take it and go, or I will take this story to the scandal sheets.”

Edward nodded, even though he wasn’t sure if any of the scandal sheets would particularly care. This wasn’t exactly news regarding second sons of the nobility, but it would put a stain on the family name that he had no interest in trying to wash out.

“Very well,” he said, standing. He knew better than to believe that this would be the last demand if he paid Jack what he asked for – which was about 50 guineas more than Edward had hoped – and he also knew that he should drop this.

But him being him, he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep at night if he didn’t see this through.

He pushed open the tavern door, welcoming the air beyond, which wasn’t exactly fresh but was better than it had been within the stale, dank building.

He had just taken a few steps when he heard a “psst” from the next doorway, and he looked over, ready to tell whoever was summoning him that he had no interest in whatever they were offering.

From how the woman furtively waved him forward, however, he realized that this might have been exactly who he was looking for. “Follow me,” she said in a low voice, leading him around the side of the building.

Her face was half hidden in the shadows, but her hair was dark, nearly black, beneath the hood that she dipped down low behind her. Her frame was tall and strong, but a gauntness to her cheekbones made him wonder about her health.

She looked from one side to the other before addressing him.

“Are you looking for Adelaide?”

“Is that the sister of the tavern owner?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“Then yes, that is who I am looking for.”

“Well,” she said, taking a breath. “That’s me. I heard you speaking to my brother.”

“I am glad to speak to you directly,” he said, rocking back and forth on his heels, uncertain. He had little experience talking to women about such intimate matters. “First tell me, is this all true? You are… expecting a child with my brother?”

“You are Lord Michael’s brother?”

“Mr. Redgrave’s brother. Yes.”

“Then, yes, it is true,” she said, her eyes dropping to his feet. While she didn’t appear in excellent health, Edward could see why his brother had been taken with her. “I’m sorry about how my brother treated you. He is not the best of men, but I have no one else.”

He nodded. “What are your plans?”

“With the baby?”

“Yes.”

“Well,” she said, wiping her eyes. “I’d like to keep the baby. Care for it. I’m just not sure how I am going to do so.”

“Have you seen anyone about your health or that of the baby?”

“No, of course not.”

“Why not?”

She looked him in the eye and scoffed. “How could I afford such a thing when I can barely afford to feed myself?”

“I understand,” he said, hesitating before forging ahead. “Listen, I know your brother doesn’t want this, but I want to see to your health. Before coming here, I arranged for a midwife to attend to you.”

“Why?”

“Well…” He scratched his head. “I wanted her to determine if you were, indeed, with child.”

Her face tightened in anger, and he held up a hand to halt her ire.

“I believe you now. I do. But I wonder if you wouldn’t go see her about your health instead?”

She took a breath, clenching her hands into fists and then out again.

“I—”

“It is for you, yes, but also for the baby,” he said, gesturing to her stomach. “I will see to the payment.”

She tightened her jaw before she finally nodded.

“Fine,” she said. “When?”

“Next week,” he said, pulling a card out of his jacket. “Here is her address.”

His man of business, Aldridge, had arranged the meeting. Aldridge was a confidant of Edward’s, a man he had known since childhood. Edward had shared the situation with him, and Aldridge had told him that his wife had used a midwife, who he swore was competent and discreet. He had handled all of the arrangements.

“Will you be there?” she asked shyly, and Edward stiffened. He hadn’t planned on it, but perhaps he should see this through. The only problem was ensuring the girl didn’t get any notions about his involvement. Come to think of it, he would make sure that Michael was there as well. He had caused this mess. He should have some accountability.

“How do you feel about my brother?”

The woman shifted back and forth in her threadbare cloak, and Edward made a note to provide her with warmer clothing. “Deep down, he is a good man, although I do not know him well.”

Michael had met the woman while she worked in her brother’s tavern. It was a wonder Jack hadn’t caught him and pummeled him to death.

“Very well,” Edward said. This wasn’t the cleanup he had been hoping for, but it would have to do. They didn’t have much choice, not if they wanted to see to everyone’s health and wellbeing.

Things would be much easier if he didn’t care so much.

But he couldn’t push that feeling away. Instead, he usually had to hide it.

For it was his greatest weakness.