Fortunately, it was the time of day where traffic had lightened and the drive home didn’t take as long. Once they arrived, Cullen opened the door, and she handed him the baby, then descended the steps by herself before taking the child again. “It needs to be fed immediately.”
The footman nodded, rushed up the steps, and had raised his hand to the door knocker when it opened. Parkin stood in the doorway. “The wet nurse is waiting.”
“Good. I will take the babe up straightaway.” Henrietta decided not to wait for Nurse’s assessment of the child. “Fetch the doctor.”
“Yes, miss.” Cullen strode down the steps.
Henrietta grabbed a fistful of her skirts and raced up the stairs to the nursery as quickly as possible with the child in her arms. Her heart pounded as she handed over the child. “I fear this one’s health is in danger.”
Mrs. Roberts, the wet nurse, took the babe. “If it’ll nurse, that’s half the battle.”
She slipped down the blanket, exposing a pale head with fine white hair, and set the babe to her breast. Henrietta closed her eyes and prayed the poor little thing would eat.
“There you go, precious,” Mrs. Roberts said. Thank God. Henrietta swiped at a tear that had somehow got into her eyes. “You can leave it with me now. We’ll find out what we have when I’m done.”
“Thank you.” She blinked the other tears back. “I was afraid I was too late.”
The other woman smiled. “Not this time.”
CHAPTERTHREE
Henrietta made her way to her rooms and stared out the window into the dark garden below, letting the tears flow down her cheeks. Not, she decided, for the man she might have killed. But for the innocent child they had used to try to get to her. She almost dismissed their actions as chance, but there had been three of them, and one of the blackguards had been hiding. Had they done something like this before, abducted a woman coming for a baby? Her sister’s charity was not the only one attempting to save children by offering payment for them. The conditions so many of the poor suffered were heartbreaking. Henrietta couldn’t imagine having to give up a child. But many of them would not live to see out their first year, and for those who did, their lives held little hope. If only the government would pass laws to help. She knew Merton and his friends tried. New workhouses were being planned. Yet she could not think that was enough. Something, some sort of major reform, had to occur. But what?
Henrietta gave herself a shake. Until she or someone else came up with a scheme, she could only support the work they were doing. At least the children they saved would have better lives.
A household maid entered the room, and lights flared and the fire was built up. “I’ll have everything ready in no time, miss.” Her lady’s maid handed her a cup of tea. “Mr. Parkin just informed me you were back. I thought you could use a nice cup of tea. The doctor arrived before his lordship and her ladyship.”
“Thank you.” Henrietta wiped the tears away and gratefully drank the tea. As soon as Merton found out about the trouble, he would want to have a “talk” with her. She supposed she should tell him first. “Thank you for telling me, Spyer. Where is his lordship?”
“They’re both in the nursery.” Spyer handed Henrietta a damp cloth. “Best to catch them when they’re with Lady Vivienne.”
That was a true statement. Merton doted on his three-year-old daughter. By this time next year, there would be a second child. “I’ll go now.”
Henrietta retraced her way back to the nursery, heading to the other end, where her niece, Vivienne, had her rooms. A fire burned, warming the cozy bedroom that had been painted the color of butter to brighten it. Only a few candles remained lit and a nursery maid was cleaning up the remnants of her niece’s dinner. Dotty was sitting in a bedroom chair gently rocking her daughter, but gazing at her husband as she did so. Cyrille, Merton’s Chartreux cat, sat on the floor leaning against one of Merton’s boots as he lounged in the chair next to Dotty’s, reading a book to the little girl.
After the maid left, knowing better than to interrupt reading time, Henrietta leaned against the doorpost and listened. The nursery maid came in again and warmed the sheets of Vivienne’s bed. Soon the little girl’s eyes drooped, then shut, and when her breathing was even, Dotty placed her in her bed and pulled the covers over the child.
As she stood, her eyes caught Henrietta’s, and traveled down to the gown she had not taken the trouble to change. “I take it there is something you wish to tell us?”
Straightening, Henrietta nodded. “There is a baby down the corridor. However, there was some trouble when we fetched her.”
Dotty’s lips flattened. “Where was Mrs. Perriman?”
“Out seeing to another child.” Henrietta related what Toby had told her.
Her sister motioned at the sleeping girl and went into the corridor. “Was it necessary for you to go immediately?”
“According to the message I received, yes. Even Parkin agreed I should go. I took Cullen with me.”
Merton, who had taken time to put the book back on a shelf, joined them. “Let’s look in on our new guest first. Then we can discuss it.”
They met the doctor leaving the room the baby was in. “One of the nursemaids is bathing her. She has sores all over her body.” He grimaced. “Bites of some sort, I imagine. And she is severely malnourished. You are lucky you got her when you did. She would not have lived much longer.”
For Henrietta, hearing that made it all worthwhile. “Thank you, Doctor.”
He bowed to them. “I’ll be back in two days to look in on her.” His face lost some of its seriousness. “Perhaps by then you’ll have a name for her.”
“Deciding on a name will be much more fun than worrying about her health,” her sister said.
