He understood the “we” and relaxed.“I’ll look forward to it.”
Miss Hurstman, at least, approved of her behavior.“I thought he was a bit too cocksure too, my dear.The delay will do him no harm at all.But I wouldn’t play the line any longer.”
Eleanor blushed.“I don’t think I could.”
Miss Hurstman snorted.“I wondered why he’d gone off before dawn when he could have traveled with the others.He’s a frightening man.Well, I suppose I’ll soon be able to get off home, maybe in time to plant my garden.I do enjoy that.By the way,” she remarked as she opened her book, “if you’re interested in what your husband is really thinking, watch his hands and not his face.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean he don’t always remember to control his hands.Last night he almost snapped the stem of his wine glass before he realized and put it down.At other times he had them clenched so tight they were white.And his voice was as smooth as silk velvet.”
Eleanor was not short of things to do during those three weeks.She had a great deal to learn about her daughter, and the household to run.She took long walks in the crisp winter air to regain her energy and her figure.She occupied her spare time with needlework and books, being extravagant with lamp oil in the long winter nights.
But she also ran over memories in her mind, with a smile on her face.
She remembered that first night and his kindness.She remembered the other time they had made love.He had seduced her.She’d scarcely known what she was doing.Color touched her cheeks when she thought of sharing her bed with him again.How would it go?Would she lose her nerve?Would she satisfy him, who was used to more sophisticated women?
She remembered when he’d interrupted her and Francis in the library.He’d desired her then.And that time before the debacle when he’d given her the key to the safe, fearing he might not survive…
So many little incidents, running together like a string of pearls.
Four days after Nicholas left, a groom arrived from London and asked for her.For a terrible moment Eleanor imagined Nicholas to have had an accident, but the man simply brought two presents: a silver rattle for the baby and a single red rose—in moist packing and carefully wrapped against the cold—for her.The card had only two words: For courage.
Miss Hurstman was inclined to be acidic.“I have heard the expression ‘starry-eyed,’ but I doubt I’ve ever witnessed the phenomenon before.”
Four days later a coach arrived to disgorge an elderly dumpling of a woman.“Good afternoon, Mrs.Delaney.I’m Nurse, or Mrs.Pitman, if you’d rather, and I’m told you’ve need of me.I can’t say I’ll be sorry to get at a baby again.”
“You were Nicholas’s nurse?”asked Eleanor, immediately taking to the woman.“I’m pleased to meet you, and yes, we do need you here.”
“And I am pleased to meet you, ma’am,” said the woman, shedding a number of shawls as she progressed into the warmth of the house.“First things first.Take me to my baby.”
Eleanor took her up and Nurse gave the nursery a military inspection, but was pleased to compliment Jenny.“You’ve done well for a girl not trained to it.Should have the Delaney crib, of course,” she said to Eleanor, “as it seems likely you’re going to produce the heir.”
She looked down at Arabel, who was awake and sucking a fist.“A healthy child, and has an amiable temper, I would say, just like her father.”
When they were alone over a tea tray the old woman turned shrewd blue eyes on Eleanor.“Master Nicky—is he well?”
“Is he not?”Eleanor countered.
“Oh, physically,” the woman said, dismissing that.“He’s hardly ever been ill.But he looked tired-out and down.I’ve seen his brother like that many a time, but not him.It’s a wife’s duty, ma’am, to make sure her husband doesn’t get that way.I can’t think what you were doing to let him go off traveling when his mind is ill at ease, and he’s just back from such a long trip.A note would have fetched me.I don’t approve of all this traveling he does.”
Eleanor recognized she had been irrevocably drawn into the ranks of Nurse’s ex-charges and tried to explain, even if it needed a lie.“He felt he should go and see his brother.Nicholas seemed perfectly well.”
Nurse tut-tutted.“A good wife knows how he is, not how he seems.”Then she relented.“Never mind, dear.You were doubtless not quite yourself.Birthing does funny things to a woman.But you should be over it by now.I hope you’ll take better care of him when he returns.”
Eleanor meekly promised to do her best.
Eleanor found Nurse easy to get along with.She wasn’t possessive about the child, possibly because she knew her tenure to be temporary, and she loved to gossip about the twins as much as Eleanor loved to listen.
“Beautiful babies, they were,” she said one day as Eleanor fed Arabel and Nurse folded snowy nappies.“But so different.Master Nicky had an amiable temper, but when he wanted something he just bawled.Master Kit was quieter, but tended to grizzle.His title, of course, was Lord Blakeland, as the heir, but I never used it to him.Just Master Nicky and Master Kit in the nurseries.I think their father worried that Master Nicky might resent things when he was old enough to understand, but I can’t say I ever saw sign of it.”
“Were they good children?”Eleanor asked.
“What boys ever are?”asked the nurse, chuckling.“Proper rascals at times.Master Nicky was usually the one who got them into trouble, but more often than not he could get them out of it again.When Master Kit tangled them in mischief, it would always be a real bumble bath.”She shook her head at her memories.
“Mostly, though,” she went on, “Master Kit just tagged along after Master Nicky in dogged determination, unless he gave up and went off with a book or to play his flute.He’s very musical, the earl is.We have a little orchestra at Grattingley, and if there are no guests he has them play a while for the staff.Lovely, it is.”
“Nicholas loves books,” said Eleanor, feeling he was unfairly being portrayed as the Philistine.
