“This is notmybaby.” The Duke gritted his teeth and tried to push the baby into Lydia’s arms. Lydia wrapped her hands around it and turned her back to Agatha, squeezing the baby tight in the hope that the closeness might calm the child.
“The noise is not good for the baby,” Lydia observed.
“Begone, go! You shouldn’t be here,” the Duke said, taking short shrift with Agatha. Lydia glanced over her shoulder and saw him wave a hand to dismiss her grandmother as though she was a troublesome cat. When that did not work, he took her hand and escorted her to the door but then paused.
“Oh no,” he said in a crestfallen tone. Lydia turned slowly, trying not to be overwhelmed. Sometimes there was nothing to do but let a baby cry. However, it was not so easy when Victor’s presence was making her tense. There was something in his tone, however, that gave her cause for concern. She turned slowly and then realized why he seemed so troubled.
There were people standing in the doorway and lined up all the way down the hall, from what she could see anyway. The sound of the crying baby must have attracted them, for such a noise would have caused intrigue and concern. But all they saw was Victor and Lydia standing close together in his bedchamber with a baby that was wrapped in a blanket displaying the Nightford Crest.
There were shocked gasps, and Lydia could already hear the whispers flowing through the crowd. The misunderstanding was clear, and the scandal had just begun.
And now, Lydia wanted to cry too.
Chapter Four
Lydia stared at the Duke then back at everyone else. Agatha’s amusement was short-lived as she too realized that this humorous incident had quickly become problematic. With the baby in her arms, Lydia was unable to do anything but care for the child. The Duke seemed utterly aghast as well.
“Go back downstairs; none of you should be here!” he cried out, trying to shoo them away just as he had with Agatha. He could not strongarm all of them, however, and they were far too interested in speculating about the hidden baby.
It was Agatha who took command. She stepped in front of Victor.
“All of you should be ashamed of yourselves! Do you not have better things to do? There is no champagne to be found here. Can’t you see that this baby is in distress?” she said and then raised her voice even higher and bellowed out for a maid.
Lydia breathed with relief. Although her grandmother could be trying at times, she was always there to help in demanding situations. A maid battled through the crowd and came towards Lydia, opening her arms to the baby.
Lydia passed the child to the maid. Even though she had only been with the baby for a short while, she did feel a profound sense of loss and worry. For a little while there, she had been the one to soothe the child, and she feared that it would suffer in her absence.
“Come, child,” Agatha said sharply, beckoning Lydia to her side. Lydia did as she was told, but she stopped briefly as she passed the Duke.
“Make sure you care for it,” Lydia said firmly, staring directly into the Duke’s eyes. Then, Agatha grabbed Lydia’s hand and pulled her through the tide of people. Agatha Hartley was an ornery woman and did not show any deference when she did not feel the need. People moved out of her way although Lydia noticed how they stared at her and gossiped, saying unpleasant things.
I never realized she had it in her.
No wonder she hasn’t gotten married.
Didn’t she disappear for a while? She must have had the baby then.
I wonder why he hasn’t made an honest woman out of her.
She must have tricked him.
He must have tricked her.
All of these things pricked Lydia’s heart, and by the time they returned to Edmund and Rose, tears welled in her eyes, and she was ready to weep.
Edmund and Rose looked at her with concern.
“What happened?” Edmund asked.
“There’s no time for that now. We must leave. We have outstayed our welcome,” Agatha said and continued on her path. Edmund and Rose fell in step with them. Rose took Lydia’s hand and squeezed it tightly. Lydia was glad of the comfort, but a surreal sense came over her, as though she wasn’t quite contained in her own body.
They entered the carriage, and it set off immediately. Lydia burst into tears.
“Will you please tell me what happened?” Edmund said.
“There’s a baby,” Agatha said and described the situation as best she could. Lydia sobbed all the way through the story. Rosesqueezed her hand tighter and tighter while Edmund offered her a handkerchief.
“It will be all right,” they said although Lydia could not believe this to be true, not for an instant. The carriage swept through London until it returned to Stonewood Manor. Lydia departed and stumbled into the house. Agatha asked to speak to Edmund while Rose escorted Lydia back to her room. She asked for some tea to be brought upstairs.
