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Henrietta opened her mouth to blister the dandified Londoner for jeering at her apparel, but Josie’s screams were so irritating that she couldn’t overlook them for another moment. Ignoring the sharp pain that lanced her hip, Henrietta bent over and grasped Josie’s wrist, pulling her firmly upright. The little girl came to her feet screaming like a penny whistle. Henrietta held her upright for a moment, but there was no cessation of noise. “Josie,” she ordered. “Stop this noise immediately.”

“I won’t!” Josie bellowed. “I won’t go to the nursery! I won’t eat bread and water! I won’t go with the barmaid! I’m a poor motherless girl!” Her recitation had a fluency to it that suggested much practice. She twisted around and managed to kick her father in the leg. It looked as if it hurt, although his wince might have had more to do with the scuff left on his boots.

“I’ve had enough of this nonsense,” Henrietta said, raising her voice over the screams.

Josie’s voice escalated. Henrietta felt her temper rising in tandem.

She bent over, looked Josie straight in the face, and said,

“If you don’t be quiet, I shall do something extremely unpleasant.”

“You wouldn’t dare!” the little girl said at the top of her lungs “I’m a—”

24 Eloisa

James

“Be still,” Henrietta said, in the most menacing tone she could manage.

Josie tried to wrench herself free and succeeded in twisting Henrietta’s wrist. That was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Without letting go of Josie’s wrist, Henrietta grabbed the glass of water that Gyfford had brought her and poured it over the little girl’s head.

There was an almost comical moment of silence, broken only by a tiny snore from Anabel, who had settled down nicely again in her father’s arms.

Josephine stared up at her, mouth open, water dripping from her hair.

Darby burst out laughing. “Well, that did the trick. Lady Henrietta, I must salute you. I had entirely underestimated your backbone. I do believe I had written you off as a missish type.”

Henrietta’s stomach had just fallen into her boots. “Mr. Darby, you must forgive me. I can’t imagine what came over me! I’m horrified at myself,” she gasped. “What I just did goes against every principle of child-raising that I hold dear!” She loosed her grasp on Josie, who backed toward her father, still staring up at Henrietta.

Darby instantly put out his hand. “Josie, if you convey your wet condition to me, you shall suffer from more than water. Now you had better make your apologies to Lady Henrietta.”

Water was dripping from Josie’s soiled pink dress. Her hair had formed little rattails around her head. In all, she was the very epitome of a motherless child. Henrietta’s heart twisted with reproach. How could she have lost her temper in such a way?

“That lady threw water on me,” Josie observed. Her tone was more wondering than outraged.

“You deserved it,” Darby said callously. “I wish I’d thought of it myself.”

Fool for Love

25

“Mr. Darby, I simply cannot apologize enough for my behavior,” Henrietta broke in. Her voice wavered with the force of her shame. “The fact is”—she gathered herself together—

“the fact is that I have a deplorable temper. You must allow me to make reparations.”

He raised one arched eyebrow.

“Reparations?” he repeated. His voice was a husky baritone that held just a trace of laughter.

“I shall find you an appropriate nursemaid. It’s the least I can do. If you will be staying in the inn for a day or two, I will contact the employment office in Bath and have candidates presented immediately. I assure you that my appalling behavior aside, I am perfectly capable of finding you a nursemaid. I hired the schoolmistress for the village school, and she has proved quite satisfactory.”

Josie tugged on Darby’s pantaloons rather as someone might pull a bell cord and demanded, “I need to use a pot.”

Mr. Darby ignored her. He was still looking at Henrietta, one eyebrow raised, as if the question of “reparations” had given him some sort of idea. A humorous one, to judge by his grin.

“Lady Henrietta, may I say again what a pleasurable surprise you are turning out to be?”

Josie repeated, loudly, “I need to use a pot. Or I might have an accident.”