Page 33 of A Winter Scandal

Thea rolled her eyes. “You exaggerate.”

They had reached a neat little cottage, its warm stone almost completely covered with ivy. Thea turned up the walk, with Gabriel on her heels. She had barely had time to knock when the door was opened by a plump, white-haired matron, beaming at them.

“Come in. Come in.” Mrs. Williams practically pulled Thea into the room while managing to give a little curtsy to Lord Morecombe at the same time. She ushered them into the tidy main room of the house, offering them luncheon—and when that was politely refused, tea and cakes.

Thea did not have to worry how to subtly bring up the topic of Matthew, for the older woman immediately began to ply Thea with questions about the child.

“Is it true that you found him in the manger, miss?” Mrs. Williams shook her head in wonder. “Can you imagine that? Is it a little boy? I heard he was beautiful as an angel.”

“Yes, he is a handsome young man.” Thea could not keep from smiling as she thought of Matthew.

The old woman nodded. “I thought as much. Only fitting, really, him being found in the church and all.” She cast a glance over at Gabriel, as she had all through their visit. “It’s very good of you, my lord, to be helping Miss Bainbridge look for the mother.”

“It seemed the least I could do.”

“I hear there was a bit of a stir at the Priory yesterday after Miss Bainbridge found him,” Mrs. Williams went on, watching Gabriel brightly.

“Um, well …” He glanced over at Thea, obviously at a loss for words.

She suppressed a smile and came to his rescue. “The vicar and I hoped that Lord Morecombe or one of his friends might have some knowledge of the child, being new to town themselves.” Her reasoning, she knew, made little sense, and she doubted that Mrs. Williams believed a bit of it. But for politeness’ sake, she would have little choice but to accept Thea’s explanation. “I was certain that if anyone knew whether someone who was visiting in Chesley had brought a baby with them, it would be you.”

Mrs. Williams took the bait, straightening and beaming with pride. “Indeed I would, miss, you can be sure of that. But the truth is, I have been racking my brain since I heard the news, trying to think who the babe might be. The fact is, I don’t know of anyone with a lad that age in Chesley, except, of course, for the Potts, and the poor wee thing couldn’t be him.”

“No. It’s not.”

“There’s no visitors with one, either. Old Mr. Jonas’s daughter and her family are here with him, but that babe is a newborn.” Mrs. Williams chattered on about every family she could think of that had children, rejecting each of them in turn. Clearly, she had nothing to add to their store of knowledge.

After a few more minutes of polite conversation and sometimes less than polite questioning from Mrs. Williams, Thea and Gabriel extricated themselves from the conversation and started back toward the vicarage. Gabriel, walking alongside Thea, shook his head and let out a short laugh.

“How the devil could she know all about that child already?” he wondered. “I am surprised she did not describe the brooch you showed me.”

Thea smiled. “I told you, she knows everything about everyone. Between her husband’s family and hers, she is related to half the people in the village by blood or marriage, and she spent much of her life in the apothecary’s shop with her husband, chatting to everyone who came in. She would have made an excellent spy if there were anything worth discovering in Chesley.” Thea paused. “I apologize for causing a scene yesterday at the Priory. I should have thought about the gossip it would start, but, frankly, I was too incensed at that time to care whether I set tongues to wagging about you.”

Gabriel shrugged. “People talk. It makes little difference to me.”

“That must be a pleasant way to live.”

He glanced over at her. “If people whisper about me, I don’t hear it. It does not hurt me.”

“Mm. It’s different for a woman, I fear. What people whisper means a great deal—especially when you are the vicar’s sister.”

“Ah. So now we are talking about duty. You have a duty to live a blameless life or it will reflect badly on your brother.”

“Yes, of course.” She sighed unconsciously.

“I know a bit about duty.”

“You do?”

He laughed. “You needn’t look quite so surprised. I am not entirely lazy and self-indulgent.”

“I didn’t mean that.” Thea flushed.

“Now, Miss Bainbridge, don’t start telling me bouncers. I rely on your candor.”

“Very well. I have seen little in your actions to indicate otherwise. Well, I mean until now.”

“You mean your opinion of me has changed?” he asked wryly.