“What is …?” he managed, as he took a step back.
Meanwhile, his wife was not going to cower. He never expected her to. What he did not expect was the chilly look on her face. Her eyes were hard and cold, the blues in them icy and unforgiving. This was not the Victoria he knew, the lively young woman who wanted to defy the norms of society.
“This, husband,” she said in a voice that was both controlled and brimming with fury, “is Melody. I believe you have some explaining to do.”
“A baby? How?” Richard felt a wave of dizziness come over him. “Where did you find this child?”
“Don’t,” she snapped. “Do not insult my intelligence. Somebody left her on our doorstep with a note bearing her name. You’ve been gone for a year. Therefore, it is not difficult to deduce that you have returned to your old, uh, liaisons.”
Richard could not blame her. They did not really know each other much, except that they were a great match on paper. Hehad his liaisons with various women, nothing ever serious, but that was before they had gotten married.
“How can you think that I would be with another woman after we were wed?” he asked, his voice rising a little, even as he tried to keep it down. “This child is not mine. I swear it.”
She merely raised a skeptical eyebrow, leaving him frustrated. They were not wed for love. She was concerned about the potential disrespect. And he should not care about what she thought, but he did. Oh, he did.
The baby whimpered, tugging at his heartstrings. This was a real child. An infant. Somebody had chosen to leave her behind, but why?
“If she is not your child,” Victoria challenged, as she tried to command her feelings, “then whose is she? Why would anyone leave her here in particular, at your house? Why would the person leave only her Christian name and nothing more to identify her? Do you think it is a coincidence?”
“The person who left her here does not wish to be found. He or she would not dare give the child’s surname,” he reasoned out, pacing the floor and threading his fingers into his hair.
Victoria’s accusation stung.
His wife took a scrap of paper from under the baby’s swaddling cloth and handed it to him.
“That’s the note,” she said coldly.
Richard peered at the note and said, “I do not recognize the handwriting, but I will find out who left her. My men will track the child’s parents, and I will then free you from this burden.”
Chapter Three
“No, Your Grace,” the young maid, Bessie, explained, “the swaddling cloth should be wrapped this way.”
Victoria’s hands fumbled with the piece of fine, white linen. Handling Melody made her nervous.
She was so tiny. So fragile. She also needed them to survive.
She could see the nervous way Bessie was looking at the single bundle on the changing table, a feature just recently added to the nursery. The room smelled sweet, of infant and powder and fresh linen. It was strange how quickly she accepted that fact.
The young duchess leaned over the table, frowning in concentration. Dread descended upon her. What if she could not make this right? She was used to learning things quickly. Literature. Fencing. Arithmetic. History.
Anything was easier than knowing how to take care of a human being, especially the tiny one in front of her. Melody had become her conqueror.
“Are you quite certain, Bessie? Because it feels like I am preparing her for a mummy’s tomb,” she protested, her voice beginning to sound whiny to her ears.
Her throat felt raw at the sight of Melody’s little legs kicking against the fabric. Would the baby be fine with this? Why was it so difficult to care for one little child? Exasperation washed over her.
“Yes, I am certain, Your Grace,” Bessie replied. “We could also try warmer linens because of the cooler weather.”
Her maid’s voice was tentative, but it was slowly gathering strength. Both of them looked eager to provide Melody as much comfort as possible.
“She feels warm enough. I don’t know if confining her in a swaddle is what she likes,” Victoria said. “I wish I knew what she truly wants.”
“I understand, Your Grace,” Bessie said softly. “You only want to ensure she is well.
Victoria tried again, but her movements had become more panicked whenever she thought she had made a mistake. Thebaby, sensing the lack of confidence in her current caregiver, let out a wail.
“How can a small thing make such a sound?” Victoria asked in wonder, as she gently held the baby in place while she wiped the sweat on her forehead with one forearm.
