Chapter 18
Lord and Lady Robertson satin the family parlor of their London townhome, enjoying a cup of tea. They’d been married for four wonderful months after a shaky start to their romance in June, which had almost ended in disaster.
“My love, would you care for a carriage ride through Hyde Park today?” Robertson asked.
“That would be lovely, my dear. We must take advantage of this lovely October weather before it turns colder,” Olivia said.
“My thoughts as well.”
Their conversation was interrupted when Griffin knocked and entered the room.
“My lord, this letter has just arrived for you,” the butler said, holding out a silver salver.
Robertson took the letter and broke the seal, and his brow soon furrowed as he read the contents.
“My darling, whatever is the matter? You wear such a frown on your face,” Olivia said.
“I’m afraid the news is quite grim,” he said, handing the letter to his wife.
She took the letter and read it. “Oh no, what distressing news. How tragic for Mr. Hughes… I mean, Lord Harrison now.”
“It is indeed. He adored his uncle and cousin. I’m sure he feels adrift with all the new responsibilities of being viscount while trying to cope with the loss of his family.”
“I’m sure he could use your wise counsel on a number of matters,” Olivia said.
“Yes, I’m sure he will need that,” Robertson said.
“When should we leave?” she asked.
“How about in three days’ time? There are a few things I need to take care of here first.”
“Of course, my darling. That would be perfect. I was thinking that perhaps I’ll take a trip to visit Bett while we’re in Oxfordshire. I haven’t seen her since our wedding.”
“That’s a good idea, my darling, although Albury will be at least a three or four-day carriage ride from Harrison Manor.”
“I understand, but it will be well worth it to see my friend again. I shall write to Bett and let her know of our plans to journey to Oxfordshire.”
Bett walked into thefamily parlor to find a crying baby and a distraught sister-in-law.
Cecily looked up when she came into the room. “Oh, Bett. Thank heavens you’re here. Stephen won’t stop crying. I’m at a loss for what to do. I’ve just fed him, but still, he cries.”
“Give him to me,” Bett said, holding out her arms.
Cecily seemed almost eager to pass the child over. Bett took the infant from Cecily and cradled him in her arms, cooing to him softly. “Stephen, my darling, there’s no need to fuss,” she said, rocking him gently as she paced the floor. The baby soon calmed down and closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep.
Nursing her child was taking a heavy toll on Cecily. Instead of settling into motherhood, she seemed more and more anxious every day. Bett hoped her sister-in-law would now be amendable to Peter’s suggestion that they hire a wet nurse. Dark circles were readily visible under Cecily’s eyes these days, and herenergy level was quite low. There were no leisurely walks in the garden anymore, even though the weather was still pleasant. Cecily needed rest to fully recover from the birth, and there was no way she was getting enough trying to nurse the baby every few hours.
“Bett, you’re so good with him,” Cecily said. “I can never seem to calm him like you do.”
She handed Cecily the sleeping baby. “You’re good with him as well, although I fear taking care of Stephen all alone is taking too much of a toll on you. When you’re tense, the baby is as well. Would you reconsider hiring a wet nurse so you may get some much-needed rest?”
“But I wanted to be the one to feed Stephen. It’s what good mothers do, isn’t it?”
“Cecily, believe me, you are a good mother, but the strain of taking care of the baby is making you miserable. You need to think of your own health as well because a child needs its mother. We don’t want you falling ill. That wouldn’t be ideal for anyone, especially the baby.”
“I know, but I wanted to prove to Peter that I could do it,” Cecily said as a tear rolled down her cheek. “He’ll think I’m a failure if I can’t feed my own child.”
“You will never be a failure in my eyes, my darling,” Peter said, walking into the room. “Where on earth did you get that idea?”
