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Alexander placed his hand on David’s shoulder. “Neither you nor Eli should be climbing chimneys, and I wish to take you away from here to a place in London where you will receive some schooling and learn a new trade.” He looked at Eli’s gaunt face, his thoughts instantly turning to Asher. “Somewhere where you will be fed three full meals a day.”

“No more chimneys?” David said in wonder.

“None.”

“You can’t do that,” Francis said, his voice rising. “We work fer Jasper.”

There was a crunch of rapid footsteps on the gravel path. “What’s goin’ on here?” Jasper barked. “Get on to the ’ouse, boys.”

Alexander stepped in front of David and Eli, his height and bearing giving him a distinct advantage over the incensed sweep. “The two youngest will not be returning to your house, Mr. Stanley.”

The man’s face turned purple. “Who are you, and what do you mean by dictating what these boys will or will not do?”

“My name is Alexander Allerton, Earl of Bloxley,” Alexander said. “And I am here to ensure that the law of the land is upheld.

“In case you were unaware, the Chimney Sweepers Act went into effect last week. It states, in part, that no child under the age of eight can be bonded to a sweep or sent up chimneys.” Alexander took a small step forward. “Added to that is the small matter of how these young boys came to be in your keeping. I should not need to remind you that selling another woman’s child is a crime, buying that same child is a crime, and falsifying his death further compounds the said crime.” He raised one eyebrow. “Need I go on, or should I wait until your brother is present? Then again, I daresay the director of the Foundling Hospital would also wish to be involved in our discussion.”

Jasper Stanley’s face had gone from puce to ashen. “You can prove nothing.”

“Incorrect, Mr. Stanley,” Alexander said. “I can prove everything, and I will be sharing that information with the local magistrate first thing next week.”

There was a faint moan from behind Jasper, and Toole stepped forward in time to catch Mrs. Stanley as her legs crumpled.

“Francis,” Alexander said. “Assist Mr. Toole in helping Mrs. Stanley back to the house, if you would.” He spared a glance at the stone-faced sweep. “I daresay Mr. Stanley can make it there on his own.”

The boy swallowed hard and hurried to do the earl’s bidding.

“David and Eli, you will come with me.”

With fear in his eyes, Elijah reached up to grab David’s shirtsleeve. David gave him a reassuring nod. “It’s all right, Eli. We’ll go together.”

“Where?” he whispered. “Where are we going?”

“Somewhere where there’s no chimneys to climb,” David said, taking the smaller boy’s hand.

Alexander gave him a brief smile before turning to Francis once more. “Grow up to be an honest, hard-working sweep, lad. England could use more of them.”

Francis lifted his chin a fraction higher. “Yes, m’lord.”

With his arm still supporting a weeping Mrs. Stanley, Toole gave him a brief nod. The Bow Street Runner could manage things from here.

“This way, boys,” Alexander said. It was time for him to take David and Elijah back to where they belonged.

Chapter 23

Jane heard the knock on the door of her bedchamber, but she chose to ignore it. Having cried more tears over the last twenty-four hours than she’d done after her accident, it had been easy enough to excuse herself from attending church this morning. Her head hurt, her eyes were raw, and her face was puffy. She was quite assuredly indisposed. Her mother and Phoebe had each stopped by her room twice, but Jane had feigned sleep every time. She had no desire to explain her distress until she had it more firmly under control.

Last evening when the rest of the family had been at dinner, she had slipped out of her room to visit Asher in the nursery. Holding him close for a few short minutes had brought her comfort and given her much needed strength. The sweet boy had patted her swollen face and told her not to be sad. She, in turn, had patted his face and told him to pick up his blocks. He’d giggled and run off to build another tower.

He was a light in her life, and as she’d watched him playing by the fire, she’d come to a startling realization. She could not lose him. Not after losing Alexander. She knew that being raised by a single woman was far from the ideal, but she had to believe that she could give him a better life than he would have if he were to return to the Foundling Hospital. The inheritance she would receive from her father could, in time, be passed on to him. He would be raised as a gentleman and be the son she had always longed for.

Overnight, the idea to formally adopt Asher had grown from a tiny seed to a plant firmly rooted in her conviction that it was the right thing to do. She needed only to shore up her courage, confront her parents, and persuade them to her way of thinking. She had no delusions that it would be easy, but it was yet another battle she was determined to win.

The knock sounded again. “Jane, I do not intend to leave until you open this door.”

It was Aunt Millward. Jane had spent her entire life being told that she and her aunt shared the same propensity for being tenacious, and she knew full well that the older lady would see through any excuse she offered to prevent her from entering.

“I believe I shall sing while I wait,” Aunt Millward said through the door. “I should warn you, though, my singing is considerably worse than Miss Pinnock’s.” She warbled a terribly off-key scale, and Jane groaned. Her aunt was completely incorrigible, and unless Jane wanted to draw the attention of the entire household to her bedchamber, she would have to let her in.