“A visitor?” she asked, baffled by the news. She wasn’t expecting visitors. What if it was her cousins again? After Michael’s suspicions, she would rather not receive them alone.
“Yes, milady. Lady Rutledge is here to see you. Given the relationship, I thought you would want to meet with her, so I allowed her to wait for you.”
“The relationship?” She was repeating words like a simpleton. But what on earth did the man mean by that? Was this a distant relative she didn’t remember? Suppressing her irritation and wishing once again she had remained in the north, she divested herself of her gloves, coat, and hat and proceeded toward the drawing room. The sooner she got to the bottom of this the better.
As soon as she strode into the drawing room, an elegant older lady with brown hair, gentle eyes, and a svelte figure stood from the chair she had occupied. An untouched cup of tea sat on the table in front of her. She looked every inch a lady and would have been dignified if it weren't for her skittery eyes and wringing hands that betrayed her nervousness.
“Lady Josephine?” At her nod, the lady dropped into a precise curtsy before continuing, “I am Lady Rutledge. Please forgive my presumption to call uninvited. We haven’t been introduced, but given the circumstances, I could not wait to make your acquaintance.”
“Lady Rutledge.” Josephine dipped into a small curtsy of her own. “Forgive my ignorance, but to what circumstances are you referring?”
That seemed to take the older lady aback. “You don’t know who I am?”
“Should I?” This whole situation was getting more strange by the minute. She felt as if everyone was aware of some momentous information. Everyone except her.
“I am Edward’s grandmother. My daughter was his mother. Your late brother’s wife.”
“Oh!” Words failed her as several realizations hit her at once. She had never once considered that Edward may have other relatives. Her brother, the cad, had never mentioned the child’s mother or her family. What did that mean? Were they estranged? Why was she only hearing of the existence of this lady now? And why was she here? Did she also intend to contest Edward’s guardianship? But the woman appeared more sad than confrontational. She had lost her daughter. If she had no evil designs on Edward and wanted a relationship with her grandson, Josephine had no right to prevent it. Even if they wanted to take the child away from her. Throat tightening, she sat and invited the other lady to sit as well.
“I didn’t know about you, Lady Rutledge. In the short time between my arrival and his demise, my brother never mentioned his wife’s relatives.”
Lady Rutledge tightened her lips, looking down. “That’s not surprising, since there was bad blood between my husband and your brother. You see, my husband blames your brother for our daughter’s death.”
Josephine gasped, clutching her neck. Her brother was no saint, as she well knew, having been his victim herself, but would he go as far as murdering his wife? The mother of his child?
“No, not like that,” Lady Rutledge soothed her. “The reason he blames your brother for our daughter’s death is that he got her with child. You see, her health had always been fragile. We had misgivings about her getting married at all. But she fell in love with your brother and insisted. We couldn’t deny her. Still, my husband spoke to your brother and warned him of the dangera pregnancy would pose for her and also tried to get him to promise to do his utmost to avoid getting her with child.”
Good God. What an awful situation. For all involved. “And did my brother agree to this?”
“No. And I think that’s why my husband harbors so much resentment toward him. If he had at least tried, promised to take care of her, heeded our warnings, my husband could have forgiven him. After all, accidents happen and sometimes it’s impossible to prevent children.” Lady Rutledge stopped to dab at the corner of her eye with a lacy handkerchief.
“But your brother dismissed our entreaties out of hand. Said we were being ridiculous and that he needed an heir and nobody was going to tell him how to deal with his wife. Within a year, my daughter was pregnant. But it was not the only time. She miscarried three times before she finally gave birth to Edward.”
Oh Good God. Had her brother’s villainy known no end? Was he so selfish and inconsiderate that he had put his wife through such an ordeal simply to get an heir?
“I’m so sorry, Lady Rutledge. I knew nothing about that story.” It was so inadequate, and yet there seemed to be nothing else to say.
“I’m not going to place the entire fault at your brother’s feet. My daughter was stubborn as well. And she wanted a baby.” The older lady’s face softened with a sad smile as she remembered. “She was so happy when she realized there was a good chance she would carry this pregnancy to term. She loved her child even before he was born. She wanted him.
“But then, our worst fears were realized. She died in childbirth, and that caused a terrible rift between my husband and your brother. A lot of things were said in anger and pain that terrible night. In the end, your brother banished us from his home and forbade us from having a relationship with Edward. With our grandchild.”
“You have never met him?”
“Only once. The day he was born. I held him in my arms briefly. He was such a tiny mite.” Lady Rutledge’s arms folded in front of her, as if remembering the feel of her baby grandson in them. It was the most heartbreaking thing.
“What sort of relationship would you like to have with him?” Josephine asked, afraid of the answer. Afraid these people wanted to take her nephew from her. And the worst part was, if that was the case, she had no moral grounds to oppose it. These were Edward’s grandparents. If what Lady Rutledge said was true, they deserved to be in his life.
“I just know I need to see him. Please. He’s all I have left of my beloved daughter.”
The pleading note in such a dignified lady’s voice tugged at Josephine’s heart. Without thinking, she reached out and squeezed Lady Rutledge’s hand, offering comfort. The other woman returned her squeeze, her eyes misted with hope.
“I’ll ask the nurse to bring him down at once. Or would you like to come up to the nursery with me?”
“You would allow that?”
“Of course. You are his grandmother. And it’s obvious you love him. He needs all the loving family he can get.”
“Thank you!” The older woman held Josephine’s hand between both of hers, bringing it to her chest in a fervent show of gratitude. “You know, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I ventured here today. I was hoping I could convince you, but…” She paused, searching for words. “You are very different from your family.”
