“Yes, m’lady. I would like that.”
With Pawl’s help, Olympia got into the crowded carriage and settled Henry on her lap. She studied the three boys who were Brant’s half brothers and almost smiled. It was as if she was looking at Brant at various stages of his life. Ned actually had gray eyes and she had to think they had come from his mother for Brant’s father had had blue eyes, which Peter had. Ned and Peter looked bruised and she suspected they had never ceased to fight. Poor Noah looked absolutely terrified and sat as close to Brant as he could.
“I need to ask this,” Brant said, his reluctance clear to hear in his voice. “Who took you there?”
“That bastard Wilkins took us,” said Ned and then blushed and looked at Olympia. “Pardon, m’lady.”
“Quite all right,” she murmured as she stroked Henry’s back.
Ned looked back at Brant. “Wilkins found us in the village and he had brought along those two brutes from London. There was not much of a fight, sad to say, and next me and Peter knew we was tossed into that evil place.”
Peter was barely at the age of puberty, Olympia guessed, and he was, in a word, very pretty with his soft blond hair an unruly whirl of waves and curls and his big blue eyes. Ned had more of a rough edge and his black hair was straight and a bit too long, but he, too, was not yet of an age to be considered even close to being a man. Little Noah had soft, green eyes and the same color hair as Brant. An angelic-looking little boy, she hoped he had not been at Dobbin House long enough to suffer much.
“Noah?” Brant prodded. “You have not told us how you got there.”
“Her ladyship came to me whilst I was pulling weeds in the garden. She had Holt the footman with her and he just reached out and grabbed me, slapping a hand over my mouth so I could not call for help. They brought me to that place and got a lot of money for me. She told me she was cleaning house and I did not understand. I do not go into the main house at all so how could I make it dirty? When I asked she just laughed at me and said I was born dirty and I would die dirty but at least she would not have to feed me anymore.”
“You will stay with me and never have to see her again.”
“Good but I would like to see my sister.”
“I will see what I can do about that.”
“Will you be sending us back to Fieldgate, m’lord?” asked Peter.
“I can if that is where you wish to go. Get some rest tonight, soothe Thomas’s concerns, and we can talk about it in the morning.”
Brant looked at her and there was such fury in his eyes she had to fight down an instinctive flash of fear. He had spoken so calmly to the boys, had stayed calmly within the carriage, that she had not really understood how much this was angering him. Beneath that anger was pain, however. A lot of pain and, she feared, a lot of guilt.
She looked down at Henry, who was watching Brant with wary eyes. “Henry, can you tell us how you got to that place?”
“I told you my mother took me and they gave her some money,” Henry said.
“I know. I was just making certain that I had heard exactly what you had said. What is your mother’s name?”
“Polly. That is what Papa called her. His Sweet Polly, he always said.”
“Do you know what your father’s name is?”
“Gerald.”
“I need a little more than that, my darling boy.” She brushed the curls back from his face. “Gerald what? Gerald the Baker? Gerald the Butcher?” She was delighted when he grinned and hoped it meant he had not suffered too badly while trapped in Dobbin House.
“Gerald the Marquis.” He nodded. “Gerald Humphrey Thomas William Understone the fifth Marquis of Understone Hill.” He smiled after the careful recitation of his father’s name. “He made me remember that and said he would teach me all his titles when I turned six.”
“Your father is the Marquis of Understone Hill?” asked Brant, shock making his voice somewhat hoarse.
“But I call him Papa,” said Henry.
“But your mother sold you to Dobbin House?”
“She said she did not like me anymore and that she was mad at Papa. Said this would make him love her again instead of giving me all his love.” His bottom lip trembled. “I did not take it all. Just a little.”
Olympia held the child close and stroked his hair. “Of course you did not take it all. Papas are supposed to love their little boys. You did no wrong.”
“But he did not come to find me.”
“That does not mean he is not looking for you. We just found you first.” Olympia prayed she was right about that. “Now, one last question. The lady with the eyes like his lordship’s? Did she see you?”