AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He stared at her, at her fierce hazel eyes, the grim set of her mouth. She had determination. Courage. Passion. A current ran through him. Not an unpleasant one. Quite the contrary, in fact. Such inappropriate stirrings for the woman were cause for alarm.
“I shall consider what you’ve said,” he told her, hoping he didn’t sound as awkward as he felt. “Perhaps I can find a way to…” To what? Help? Am I insane? He could not get involved in this. William was the saint in the family, not he. He wasn’t equipped to play the role of the noble, beneficent lord. He determined to tell her that life wasn’t always fair and that she would have to continue to make due. But what came out of his mouth was entirely the opposite. “I will see what I can do. There are no guarantees, but perhaps a small building on the edge of the grounds.”
For a moment, her mouth opened and closed without a sound. In a way, it was almost worth it just to see her rendered speechless. He wondered how often in her life it had happened. Not very often, he guessed.
Eight
Harriett stared. Impossible! He couldn’t have just…
But he had. She looked into his eyes, searching for insincerity in their whiskey-brown depths, but found none. The queer sensation in her belly, the one she’d been trying to ignore for the past hour, intensified. She swallowed, her mouth of a sudden having gone quite dry. Say something! “It would need its own kitchen and separate staff to prevent cross contamination,” she croaked, trying to stay focused.
“As I said, I will consider it.” He blinked and looked away.
She almost sagged with relief as the strange spell was broken. What the devil was wrong with her? “I shall be grateful for whatever assistance you may render, of course.” It was high time they moved on again. The sooner she got him out of here the better. “If you will follow me, I will show you the live-in staff quarters.”
Not waiting for him to agree, she began walking. Her legs shook. In fact, all of her shook. “You may have noticed we are having the grounds fenced in and the courtyard enclosed,” she said, struggling to sound cool as they exited the sick ward.
“I noticed,” he said, his usual sarcasm back in full force as he pulled off his mask and slapped it into her waiting hand. “Walls and fences to keep the inmates in.”
“Not at all.” She shoved the cloth back into her pocket with tingling fingers. “It is to keep the rest of London out. These children have had no safe place to play but indoors until now. Children need sunshine and healthy physical activity.”
He declined to comment as she led him into one of the nurseries and past rows of cribs occupied by sleeping babes. Going to the window, she pulled aside the sash and gestured for him to come and look.
Manchester moved in beside her and looked down on a happy scene.
Below, a group children played, some with skipping ropes, some with wooden spinning tops or bilbo catchers, and others with each other in a raucous game of tag. In one corner, younger children were placed upon blankets to roll about in the sunshine under the watchful eyes of their nurses. Harriett could hear the laughter through the glass. It warmed her more than the bright sunlight streaming in.
She risked a glance at Manchester. What he was thinking she could not begin to guess, but his brow was creased and his manner serious. I suppose it would be too much to expect a smile from the man. Despite his grim demeanor, he was quite good-looking in profile. Not as elegant as William, but...
“They appear quite cheerful.”
The flash of irritation his soft comment elicited provided a welcome correction to her wayward thoughts. ”Did you expect them to be trudging in line, their legs shackled to a chain, perhaps?”
“It was intended merely as a positive observation.”
The quiet reproach took the wind from her sails. “My apologies,” she finally replied. “I misunderstood. Yes. They are as happy as can be, considering their circumstances. One thing I’ve learned about children is they are resilient. Some of these have come from terrible places, places of such neglect and abuse as would sicken the heart of any human being. Or at least it ought to do,” she added. “Not everyone views a child as something precious to be guarded and cherished.”
He turned to her, fixing her with a gaze that, like everything else about him now that he was sober, was enigmatic. “You would have made a fine wife.”
The quiet, unexpected compliment made her insides tremble in a way they’d never done when William had expressed admiration for her. She peered at Manchester, confused—on many levels. I think I preferred him when he was behaving like an ass...
A flush rose in his face. “What I mean to say is that he—William—felt as you do,” he amended. “He always wanted children.”
“Yes. We had planned on a large family,” she replied, still distracted by his odd manner.
Something almost like pain flashed in his eyes, but it was quickly veiled in a wry smirk. “William planned a great many things. Like this Hospital. But he is no longer here to see to the execution of those plans.” His face hardened. “I didn’t ask for this, Lady Harriett. I didn’t want it—I don’t want it. That is the first thing you must understand.” Turning on his heel, he marched from the room, leaving her standing with her mouth agape.
For the life of her, she could not figure him out. One moment he was perfectly civil, nice even, and the next…
She managed to catch up to him in the hallway, but had to resort to an ungainly trot to keep pace with his long stride. “I didn’t ask for this either, you know,” she said. “I certainly didn’t anticipate you ever becoming involved with this place, and I find it most disagreeable that you seem to be blaming me for it!”
Reaching the end of the hall, he yanked open the door. “I don’t blame you.”
“Well, you certainly appear to be doing so,” she said, stepping in front of him.
He slipped past.
“I know you still bear a grudge against me for what happened that day,” she blurted. Triumph filled her as he stopped two steps down. Finally, the real bone of contention between them had been addressed.
