“Come here little one,” he said in French, hoping she could understand.If her mother was from Avignon, she might have spoken French rather than Flemish to the little girl.“I’ll keep you warm.”
With some reluctance the child allowed Tessa to unclench her fingers and pass her over to Marcus.He tucked her into his coat, and did up several buttons, supporting her on his arm.
“See?”He told her.“Like a nest.Warmer.”
The big eyes gazed back at him.Her little body was stiff and tense at first, but after a while she slowly relaxed against him.He felt small, cold fingers wriggling between the fastenings of his shirt and then her palm pressed against his skin.She gave a big sigh and relaxed more fully against him.Trusting him to keep her safe.
He swallowed a lump in his throat and silently vowed that he would.Poor little scrap.
They continued steadily on their way.From time to time.he peered inside his coat to check how she was traveling.Each time those bright eyes blinked back at him, like a little bird, but an hour later he saw she’d nodded off, her small body warm and relaxed against him.
“She’s asleep,” he said quietly.
“Oh, good,” Tessa said.
They rode on in silence, Marcus deep in thought.
After a while, Tessa said, “What are we going to do with her, Marcus?Do you plan to give her to the nuns—assuming we can find some.”
He glanced at her.“Hmm?I was just wondering, what did Louis look like?”
She blinked at the abrupt change of subject.“A lot like Edgar, only with kinder eyes.”
“So, blond with blue eyes?”
“Yes.But why—”
“And he was an officer, wasn’t he?”
“Yes, a lieutenant.But what does that have to do with anything?”
He paused for a minute, then said, “What would you like to do with the child?”
“Keep her,” she said immediately.No hesitation, and said with a faint air of defiance.
“Good,” he said mildly.“Because that’s what I was thinking, too.Raise her as our own.”
“You did?”She stared at him.“Keep her?Really?That’s wonderful.But, but you’re an earl.”
His mouth twitched.“I know.”
“I mean, yours is an ancient, well respected family.With blue blood.”
He smiled.“Everyone’s blood is red, Tessa—prince or peasant.”
“Well, I know that, but if we arrive back in England with a child of this age, people will talk.”
“Let them.People will talk anyway, no matter what the provocation.We’ll let it be thought that she’s Louis’s child, your niece.Orphaned.But we’ll raise her as our daughter.”
“Really?You would do that?As our daughter?”Her voice was husky.He glanced at her.Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears.
They rode on a little.“If you’d already planned to keep her, why did you ask me what I wanted to do?What if I’d said no?Some women would be offended at the suggestion they take in a dirty little foreign urchin to raise.”
He shot her an amused look.“Those women didn’t spend their childhood watching over fox kitts and otter pups and badgers.”
“Yes, but what would you have done if I had refused to take her in?”
Again he lifted a shoulder.“Place her with a kind childless couple on one of my estates, I suppose.But we won’t, will we, Blossom?”he added, glancing into his coat.“We’re keeping you.”
