Interesting. Though he was no closer to learning the meaning of the design, he wondered whether Carstairs or Hollingford had been responsible for the stolen shipment profits.
“Do you know what it means?”
The boy shook his head. “I asked Father to let me have one, but he said not until I was older.”
“Your father was right.” Stephen adjusted his shirt to hide the tattoo.
”Iamolder now,“ Royce argued.
“Not old enough.”
Royce scowled, even as he climbed into bed. “I still don’t like you.”
“I still don’t like you either. Go to sleep.”
“Are you my uncle now?” Royce asked. “I don’t want you to be.”
Stephen hadn’t thought of it, but he supposed he was. “To my great misfortune, I am your uncle now.”
“If you die, you won’t be my uncle anymore,” Royce offered.
Stephen hid his amusement. “Planning to do me in, are you?”
Royce pondered this a moment before saying, “Not until I’m older.”
“How very reassuring. I shall sleep better at night, knowing it. Be sure to let me know the date on which you plan to kill me, won’t you?”
A devilish smile creased Royce’s mouth as he closed his eyes.
Stephen shook his head at the boy’s active imagination and pulled the door shut behind him. Down the hall, he heard Victoria wailing loud enough to shatter glass. He ignored it and entered his room where he saw that a servant had delivered the baggage. But his wife’s belongings were nowhere to be seen.
Why did Emily insist on being so stubborn? After opening the door to her original chamber, he found the battered valise. Upon a quick inspection of its contents, he saw that it contained only the black dresses she owned and the lavender tarlatan gown. She’d brought none of the day dresses or the jewels he’d given her.
Almost as if she didn’t want any part of him.
Last night, he’d made her cry. He’d been completely unprepared for the tears, after he’d been caught up with the intent of seducing her. Though she’d claimed that he hadn’t hurt her, he knew differently. He’d hurt her feelings when he couldn’t remember their wedding, or their first night as husband and wife. And then there was the night at his family’s ball when he’d refused to acknowledge her.
Stephen discarded his traveling clothes and changed into a silk dressing robe. Pouring himself a glass of sherry from the decanter, he relaxed in a chair. Victoria was still crying, from the sound of it.
He propped up his feet, wondering if it were even possible to gain Emily’s affections. He’d expected the gifts of dresses and jewels to make her happy, but she’d left them behind. He realized that he knew almost nothing about her. Only the book of cooking receipts had made her smile.
The sound of Victoria’s incessant screaming kept interrupting his thoughts.
Time passed and there was no sign of Emily. The baby’s cries would die down, only to rise up again within minutes. Stephen didn’t know what was going on, but if it meant his wife needed help, so be it.
Victoria sobbed, her face puckered with fury. Emily tried to rock her, but the motion only made the infant cry harder. Looking at the baby, Emily wished she knew what was wrong. She had never felt so helpless.
She walked the length of the nursery, holding Victoria to her shoulder and bouncing her in a rhythm. Victoria’s cries diminished at the new position, and her arms clenched around Emily’s neck.
She walked the distance six more times before the baby’s cries subsided into hiccups. When Victoria drifted into sleep, Emily tiptoed to the crib. She prayed that Victoria would finally surrender to her exhaustion.
The moment she laid her down, the baby shrieked and screamed louder. Emily lifted her up again, shushing the child as tears ran down her own face. How had she ever thought she could do this? How could she believe she would make a good mother when she could not even put a baby to sleep?
The door opened and Stephen stepped inside. “What is wrong? Why won’t she stop crying?”
“I don’t know. She’s already been fed. Perhaps it’s the unfamiliar room. She might be frightened.”
“Don’t be foolish. The child can’t be old enough for such nonsense. Put her to bed and after she cries a bit, she’ll sleep.”
