She clung to his arm as if all strength had suddenly seeped out of her. Slowly, she nodded.
"It's so difficult. I had hoped that maybe somehow..." she whispered brokenly.
"I know," he soothed, tucking her arm through his and tenderly drawing her away from the bluff. He patted her gloved hand lovingly.
"Perhaps tomorrow... there's nothing more to be done tonight."
A shout stopped them, and Cedric turned, squinting into the growing darkness. One of the men who'd just passed them ran back to the edge of the bluff.
"It's Quimby!" he shouted above the wind. "Come on, lads!" He cupped his hands, calling to the others. "Give us a hand! He's got something."
"Wait!" Regina pulled back, her fingers tightening over Chatsworth's arm as she followed her companion up the steep rock face.
The man was nothing more than a large, dark shape as he collapsed over the edge of the bluff, strong hands pulling him to safer ground, his friends surrounding him. He fought to breathe, his skin chapped raw from the wind and biting sea spray, and struggled to his knees, clutching the heavy jacket that stretched across his chest.
"Eh, Quimby, what ye got there?" One man threw a blanket around his friend's shoulders while another tried to help him stand.
The man groaned from between chattering teeth, his eyes glassy with cold and fatigue. Then he got to his feet, opening his jacket for the others to see.
"Will ya look at that! Where in bloody blazes did that come from?" one of the men exclaimed.
Regina tore from Cedric's grasp. Her luxurious lap robe fell to the sodden ground and her cloak billowed from her shoulders as she braved the wind at the edge of the bluff. Cedric called out, going after her.
Unable to stand, Quimby collapsed, his legs near frozen from wading in the frigid water below, but he raised bloodshot eyes to Regina, and opened the folds of his coat.
She cried out, her hand flying to her mouth. A small child was bundled inside the sodden folds of Quimby's jacket.
"Dear God!" Regina fell to her knees beside Quimby, clutching at his arm.
"I found her among the rocks, ma'am," he explained brokenly, his breathing labored. "We already looked there. She must have washed up after we moved on," He carefully surrendered the child.
Regina reached for the cold, seemingly lifeless bundle, folding the little girl inside her heavy cloak. She sobbed as her fingers wrapped around smaller, blue ones, almost transparent and rigid with cold.
"What is it? Good God!" Cedric came up behind them.
His cheeks sucked in as he struggled to draw an even breath. He leaned over, eyes widening at seeing the small, blue-tinged face nestled against Regina's ample bosom.
Tears in her eyes, Regina looked up at him, snuggling the child against her own warmth. "Cedric, this is my granddaughter."
"Are you certain?"
Quimby rose shakily to his feet. "It doesn't rightly matter who the child is, guv'ner. We'd best get the wee one out of this weather."
Cedric reached down to take the child from Regina. He knew she must be exhausted. But she met his gesture with defiant eyes, clinging to the sodden bundle.
"I'll carry my granddaughter," she cried out vehemently. However, the hard edge left her voice. "Please, Cedric, she's so small and cold."
Chatsworth nodded, his arm going round her for support. As he held her close, trying to shield them both from the biting wind, he prayed the child, whoever she was, might still be alive.
Settling them inside the coach, Cedric quickly gave an order to the driver. When the door was closed, cutting off the stinging wind, he tapped firmly on the roof of the coach with his cane. The coach lurched forward, the driver setting a furious pace as he sent the horses flying down the road toward to village.
* * *
Sir Cedric's hand rested on Regina's shoulder as she knelt beside the huge down-filled bed. The child lay motionless in the center, barely visible in the feathery mass with blankets covering her.
The local physician bent over her, his face a mask devoid of emotion. Regina raised desperate eyes to him as he rose.
"It's too soon to tell," he informed them gravely. His mouth was pulled down severely at the corners, as it had been for the two days since he'd been summoned to the inn.
