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She blushed in response before waving him off so she could eat her meal. Richard was determined to prevent any more crises from arising before his wife ever discovered that he put the valued security she sought in jeopardy with his immoral past. He would finish his correspondence and then it would be time to meet Halmesbury to discuss the note burning a hole in his pocket.
* * *
Sophia heldher skirts aloft while climbing the stairs to the nursery. She planned to take Ethan out to the gardens to enjoy some sunshine, and perhaps share some hothouse fruit with the boy. Reaching the landing, she turned in to the corridor leading to the nursery. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a flicker of movement and spun around in surprise to see that the new footman, John, was climbing the stairs behind her. He quickly stepped over to the banister, pulled out a dust cloth, and started wiping at the grooves.
Sophia frowned. She thought the chambermaids did the dusting. The man was behaving suspiciously, and she did not trust him. Perhaps she needed to talk to Richard about it when he returned home. News of the print had caused her to forget her desire to talk with him about the new footman earlier. Turning back, she made her way to the nursery, where she found yet another footman dusting picture frames in the hall. Stopping near him, she looked him over, noting she had not met this servant either. He gave her a quick bow. “Milady.”
“Are you new?”
“No, milady. I … am recently arrived from … one of Lord Saunton’s country estates.” The man spoke like he was remembering lines in a play. Sophia’s suspicions mounted once more.
“And your name is?”
The man, who was very similar in appearance to the footman she had met at breakfast, looked uncertain for a second. He was slightly taller, but his livery was just as disheveled and his collar was crooked.
“John, milady.”
“John?”
“Yes, milady.”
“Like the other footman just arrived.”
His expression was strained. “Yes, milady.”
“Two Johns?”
He gave a nod.
“Both arrived from the Saunton country estates?”
He nodded again, appearing to be tongue-tied.
“Well. Good to meet you, John. I hope you enjoy London.”
Sophia abruptly opened the door to the nursery before he could reply. If he offered her another lie, she was going to vent her frustration, so she strode away.
When she entered, she found Ethan drawing on a page with a graphite pencil while his nursemaid, Daisy, sat across from him. His sweet face lit up at the sight of her. “Mama!”
Sophia froze in surprise. His small face scrunched. “May I call you Mama? Papa said he thought you would like it.”
Sophia’s eyes prickled, a lump in her throat while she nodded with enthusiasm. “Of course! I was just surprised. If you want to call me … that … I would be most honored.” She turned her face to dab at her eyes. When she turned back, Ethan was right before her, having crossed the room as silently as a cat.
“I have never had a mama before,” he said earnestly, his small face angled up to look at her.
On the verge of weeping, Sophia swallowed the thick emotion and dropped to her haunches.
“Now you do.” She reached out to hug him, and he ran into her arms, embracing her with his small arms. Sophia rested her cheek on the crown of his head, his thick curling hair tickling her nose, and she did her best to fight back the tears welling up. Across the room, Daisy caught her eye and gave a wide smile in encouragement.
Sophia leaned back to look Ethan in the face. “Have you eaten?”
“Yes. Daisy and I had breakfast early. Not as early as the farm, but early enough.”
“Good. Would you like to go with me to the gardens?”
He nodded vigorously. Sophia smiled, rising to her feet to take his little hand. Daisy rose to follow her out of the room.
Exiting into the hall, Sophia came to a stop when she found the two Johns both waiting outside the door. She frowned, mistrusting that the two men were, in fact, footmen when she noted how they were slouching against the wall, quickly straightening when she had opened the door and surprised them.
