“Here, pet.” Blessing fished a square of linen out from among the pillows and pushed it into her sister’s hands. “And Mama would not be ashamed of you. She taught us to do whatever was required for our own wellbeing. You needed an escape, and from what little you have told me, that is perfectly understandable.”
Fortuity pushed herself up from Blessing’s embrace and blew her nose with a very unladylike snort. “The problem is Matthew did not actuallydoany of those horrible things. They simply evolved from those two awful women from his past determined to use him for their own selfish means.” She hiccupped a shuddering breath and dissolved into more tears. “He kept asking me to ignore them and all the humiliation they caused,but I just couldn’t anymore. I just couldn’t. And he simply couldn’t understand that no matter where I went, the stares and whispers followed.” She noticed her ink-stained fingers and mourned her broken dream with another high-pitched howl. “And his name is onmybook. Everyone will think he wrote it.”
“Your name will be on the next book,” Blessing said, speaking louder to drown out Fortuity’s wails.
“There will be no next book. That dream is gone.” Fortuity scooted back against the headboard and hugged her knees. “I am going to find a hole to crawl into and never emerge again.”
“I see.” Blessing rocked from side to side while flailing her arms among the pillows. “Give a whale a hand, will you? My bum is sore from sitting like this. I need a bit of a shift.”
“Forgive me, Essie.” Fortuity helped her sister move to a different position and rearranged the pillows to support her better. “Here you are, as miserable as can be, and I have shown up on your doorstep a whimpering ninny.”
“I told you to come here anytime.” Blessing huffed out a groan, then wiggled and flexed her back again. “No. This will not do either. Help me to my feet. I shall walk the floor a while.”
Clambering off the bed, Fortuity grabbed her sister’s hands and pulled. After much grunting and scooting, she leveraged Blessing to a standing position. Her sister’s state of unrest made her forget her own misery. “Is the baby coming, perhaps? Remember what Papa said about how Mama got when Merry was born?”
Blessing waved away the possibility and waddled over to the window. “I am not really in pain. It is simply difficult to find a comfortable position in which I can breathe and not be all achy.” She wrinkled her nose. “The accoucheur was quite detailed about what sort of agony to expect.” She shuddered. “He also described the mess that comes when my waters let go. Themonthly nurse was also unpleasantly specific when she visited for us to get acquainted.”
“I should not have come here to burden you. I should have been staunch and courageous like you and Mama and stuck it out.” Fortuity unleashed a despondent sigh. If she told Anne to repack everything she was currently unpacking, the poor maid would probably think her mad. “What is wrong with me?”
Blessing frowned at her. “You have never been the hysterical sort before. Is it possible you are with child?”
“No. I got my courses last week.”
Blessing waddled closer and peered at her with sisterly concern. “Is that yet another thing upsetting you? You realize it sometimes takes time to be blessed with a baby?”
Fortuity pulled in a deep breath and held it to the count of five, reminding herself not to be curt. None of this was Blessing’s fault, and her sister had always been there whenever she needed her. She counted off on her fingers as she clarified why she was so unbearably overset. “Eleanor’s defiance and betrayal in my own home upsets me. Olandra’s greedy determination and blatantly obvious maneuvering to get Matthew into her bed upsets me. Matthew’s inability to comprehend how I could possibly be ill at ease about either of those bloody hedge whores upsets me most of all.” Fortuity threw up her hands, then clutched her fists to her chest. “Andmybook, the heart of my dreams, does not bearmyname!Thatinfuriates and saddens me beyond all comprehension.”
With a thoughtful nod, Blessing returned to her slow waddling around the room. “Well, then. We are clear now on what has upset you.” She rubbed her lower back as she walked. “The question is: what do you intend to do about those things?”
“The devil if I know.” Fortuity settled onto the cushioned bench at the foot of the bed. She rubbed her tired, gritty eyes thatburned from too much crying. “Matthew was overwrought about my leaving.”
“Well, that is a good thing.” Blessing took another lap, then paused and gazed out the window overlooking the street below. “He is also sitting outside in his carriage.” She propped her hands on the sill and leaned forward, squinting. “Or, at least, I believe that is him. Did you not send your coach back to the townhouse?”
Fortuity joined her at the window. “I did.” She eyed the vehicle parked across the street from the Knightwood residence. “That is either him or one of the servants.” A frustrated snort escaped her as she shook her head. “Gossip is one of the things that chased me out of my own home. Is he trying to create even more exciting morsels for the tongue-tattlers to gobble up?”
With her hands still planted on the ledge of the windowsill, Blessing rocked back, groaning quietly as she stretched. “The tongue-tattlers will simply think you and he came to welcome the baby.”
Fortuity tore her gaze from the carriage below and eyed her sister more closely. “Is it time to send for the accoucheur and his nurse?”
Blessing bowed her head and rocked in place, stretching her back again. “Quite possibly.”
“Get back in bed.” Fortuity took hold of her sister’s arm and gently tugged.
“I will not.” Blessing smacked her away. “When I lean like this and stretch, it eases the pain in my lower back.”
“I thought you said you were not in pain?” Panic rising, Fortuity rushed to the door and yanked on the bellpull several times to summon the entire household, if need be. “You said there was no pain.”
“It is an ache. A sort of cramping, notpain,exactly.” Blessing scowled at her. “When did you become such a nervous, flightycreature? Stop it, this minute. We come from a large family of strong women. Act like it.”
Fortuity bit her tongue to keep from calling her sister a snappish little chit. Blessing was about to give birth. She had every right to be more fractious and overbearing than usual. Fortuity yanked on the bellpull again. “Did you give all your staff the day off?”
Meggie, Blessing’s lady’s maid, rushed in from the adjoining dressing room. “Yes, my lady? Are you all right?”
“It might be time,” Blessing said with another groan, “to send for the accoucheur. Do not alert Lord Knightwood just yet. I believe he had meetings all day, and there is no reason to interrupt him until we know for certain that little Starpeeper has decided that today is the day to meet us.”
“Yes, my lady.” Meggie paused in the doorway. “Is there anything else you desire that might bring you comfort while I do as you ask?”
“My sister is here.” Blessing smiled at Fortuity, making her worry that she might not be up to the task. “She will take excellent care of me until you return.”
