“But you’re still working? And Daniel—”
Nora’s mouth flew open to defend herself, but she choked on her reply at the last second. No need to make Aunt hate both of them. The lie formed as she spoke it. “He didn’t know. I only just told him. He was going to travel home this weekend to announce it, but work has kept him away around the clock.” She caught Horace’s raised eyebrow and his clear, silent warning not to continue down this track. Too late now.
“Deceiving your own husband?” Aunt’s cheeks trembled, and she looked at Nora as if she were a dangerous, unknown creature. “You knew you were with child and didn’t tell him?” The plume in her hat quivered as lines of outrage dug deeper around her mouth. “I came to tell you how Miss Vaughn and Mr. Brandon were faring after the accident, but I see you are not worthy of the consideration.”
Nora fought the compulsion to fight back by inwardly reciting Aunt’s twitching facial muscles.Masseter. Risorius. Buccinator.
“I cannot countenance this. If Daniel will not make you see sense, someone must. You cannot risk his child, his name, and my family’s heir any longer. I’m ordering you stop work at once.”
“You cannot order me to do anything, Aunt Wilcox.”
Mrs. Phipps bustled into the room and froze, detecting the emergency in one glance at their stricken faces.
“But I can disinherit and disown your husband. So will his parents. You must give this up.”
“You would break Daniel’s heart?”
Mrs. Phipps’s hand went to her mouth, a nervous habit.
Aunt drew her velvet bag to her waist, as if fearing Nora would steal it. “That’s your doing, girl, not mine. You’ve used us all badly and continue to do so with no compunction. My nephew gives you latitude to do whatever you like, and you repay him in lies and deception. He deserves better.” She straightened, transferring her glare in turn to Horace and Mrs. Phipps. “I can’t pretend I don’t blame both of you as well.”
As Aunt Wilcox swept past them, Mrs. Phipps mouthed something to her. Nora couldn’t decipher the words. But she understood perfectly well that she had to do something. Unfortunately, the older woman was marching away at a furious pace, and Nora stepped on her own skirts as she started forward, stumbling after her into the hall. By the time she caught up, Aunt Wilcox was at the front door, spitting orders at the terrified hallboy.
“Aunt, I’m sorry. I wanted to be sure before telling anyone. To spare Daniel additional worry. There’s so much—”
Aunt Wilcox yanked her umbrella from the hall stand like a warrior drawing a sword. She wheeled on Nora, cheeks red with anger, spittle flying from her lips. “There’s only one thing you can say to me to show any remorse—that you are leaving town today and finding a safe place to convalesce.”
Nora folded her hands at her waist. “No. I can’t leave London. No doctor with any kind of conscience—”
“You’re a mother now, girl—or as good as one.” She flung open the door, pausing at the threshold. “I gave you a stage and a voice. I encouraged my friends to help you. And all the time you were hiding a pregnancy, risking my nephew’s child and my future heir. A lady engaging in work for the good of society is one thing, but a woman working during confinement when there is no financial necessity is quite another.”
She whisked her skirts outside, as if afraid Nora was contagious, and slammed the door behind her.
When the reverberations died, Nora clutched her waist. “I think I’m going to be sick again.”
Chapter 34
Daniel cornered her in the water closet, brushing her teeth.
“Horace told me to find you,” he explained, sidling past the door. “And I heard some of the shouting from the ward. What happened?”
Nora spat into the washbasin and pressed a wet towel to her face. No way to avoid telling him the new problem she’d created. “I had no idea Aunt was here. Apparently, the maid came down the main stairs while I went up the back with Horace.” She paused just to spare him the truth a second longer. “Aunt overheard me mentioning my pregnancy.”
She recounted the argument as stoically as she could, watching her husband’s jaw tighten. When she finished, he passed a tired hand over his eyes.
“How is your stomach?” he asked quietly.
She swallowed, touched by the tender tone. But even if he sided with her now, what about next week? Ten years from now? Would he still think defending her was worth alienating his family?
“I don’t know,” Nora admitted. “My brain is spinning too fast to take note of anything else.”
“I’m sorry. She’s… My aunt has a quick temper, but she’llsoften in time. By the time our child is born—”
Nora looked up at him.
He shrugged. “I’ll talk to her. She’ll recover.”
“I don’t know if she will, Daniel.”
