Dr. Parrish smiled up at her and Hannah forced a half-smile in return. But she was quite certain neither wife nor child would be there if and when Sir John returned to himself.
She thanked Dr. Parrish and returned to her room, trembling all over. She had escaped the noose for now. A scapegrace, by every measure.Oh, God. Will you ever forgive me?she silently asked.What shall I do?For she knew very well she wouldn’t avoid discovery much longer. Every hour she stayed, she compounded her crime and worsened the fate that awaited her.
Chapter9
Hannah went upstairs to the nursery to talk to Becky. To begin easing the way toward their inevitable departure. But when she entered, she found Mrs. Turrill in the room as well, Danny in her arms, bouncing him gently and smiling into his face.
Becky turned as she entered. “Good day, Miss Hannah.”
Hannah froze. She locked stunned gazes with Becky, and the girl’s face paled.
Mrs. Turrill turned to frown at the young nurse. Whatever she saw on Becky’s face made her frown deepen. “Why do you call Lady Mayfield ‘Miss Hannah’?”
Becky stood there blinking, mouth ajar.
“We don’t call our betters by their Christian names, unless we’ve been invited to do so. Besides, I believe Lady Mayfield’s given name is Marianna.”
Becky faltered, “I ... I forgot.”
Hannah’s mind rushed to formulate a plausible explanation. “Did she say Hannah?” she asked lightly. “I thought she said, ‘Anna.’ Short for Marianna, perhaps, or ... was Anna the name of your little girl, Becky? Were you thinking of her and said her name by mistake?”
Now Mrs. Turrill’s perplexed frown shifted to her.
Hannah’s pulse pounded. What a muddle.
“Anna?” Becky murmured, as if trying the name on her tongue and seeing how it tasted. “Anna is a pretty name and would ’ave suited her. Never saw a more beautiful creature than my wee girl.”
“And you will see her again, Becky. In heaven,” Hannah soothed. “She’s in God’s care now, well and happy.”
“How can she be happy? Without me?” Becky’s chin quivered.
Oh dear. She had said the wrong thing. Hannah added quickly, “Because she knows she will see you again someday. How she must look forward to it.”
“Then perhaps I should join her soon,” the girl said. “Perhaps I—”
“No, Becky. Never say so. We need youhere, Danny and I.”
“And I,” Mrs. Turrill added earnestly. “Like my own daughter you are.”
Becky turned to the woman, wide-eyed. “Really? How kind you are, Mrs. Turrill. Never was my own mum half so kind as you are. Though I oughtn’t to speak ill of the dead, I know.”
“Come now, Becky dear. Let us speak of only happy things for the rest of the day, shall we?” Mrs. Turrill squeezed her arm. “And you may be the first to taste my fresh batch of marmalade.”
“May I? Oh, thank you.”
Hannah released a ragged breath. A second noose dodged in as many days. Though the speculative look in Mrs. Turrill’s eyes had unsettled Hannah. She wasn’t sure the housekeeper had been fooled.
Stepping from the room, Hannah nearly ran into Mrs. Parrish in the passage.Oh no.Her heart sank. How long had the woman been standing there?
“Just letting you know I’m heading into the village, if youneed anything.” She glanced through the door at Becky and then back again.
Hannah forced a smile. “No, we have all we need, thank you.”
Mrs. Parrish nodded and turned toward the stairs, leaving Hannah to wonder how much the doctor’s wife had overheard.
Either way, Hannah knew it was time to plan their escape, arm healed or not.
Part of her dreaded the prospect of setting off for an unknown future. Another part of her was as anxious to leave as a goose with its neck stretched on the chopping block.
