chapter Nine
‘Miss Prentess. Good day to you.’
Jasper made his bow, his brain reeling. Whatever he had expected, it was not this. He had seen Susannah’s horrified look when he had appeared, but she recovered quickly.
‘Lord Markham.’ She hesitated and glanced down at the sleeping baby. ‘Will you not come in, sir?’
He could see behind her a comfortable parlour with a cheerful fire.
‘I would be delighted, madam, but first I must look after the horses, I do not like to leave them standing in this weather.’
He let the words hang and watched her expression carefully. She would like to send him to the rightabout but she knew he would not go quietly. Her gaze shifted to the housemaid still hovering by the door.
‘Bessie, direct my lord’s groom to the stables, if you please.’
‘Thank you.’ Jasper followed her into the parlour and shut the door.
As soon as they were alone she turned on him.
‘What are you doing here?’
‘I followed you.’ He stripped off his gloves, surprised to find his hands were shaking slightly. ‘I am curious to know what you are about.’ There was an odd lightness in his chest, but he dare not ask the question that was now uppermost in his mind. He must be patient. Now he was here she would tell him everything. She must.
She was looking uncertain and his surprise and anger gave way to concern. He said gently, ‘Will you not sit down?
She did so, gently settling the baby more comfortably in her arms before fixing her eyes upon him once more.
‘My lord, why do you persist in this? I can assure you this has nothing to do with you, or your cousin. Is that not enough for you?’
‘No. I want to know what is this place, and why you are here. I will not leave until I have answers.’
With a sigh she sank back in the chair.
‘Very well. You are in Florence House, sir. A home for...distressed gentlewomen.’
‘And the child in your arms?’
‘The son of one of our...guests. He is only a few weeks old. His mother is very tired and the babe was crying so I brought him downstairs to see if I could settle him.’
Jasper realised he had been holding his breath until that moment.
‘But why have you kept this so secret?’
Her lip curled.
‘You were in Royal Crescent when the Magdalen Hospital was discussed with Amelia Bulstrode and Mrs Farthing. I am sure you overhead the whole. It is considered quite...improper for an unmarried lady to have any interest in such matters. That I have strong views about it is considered shocking enough. If they knew the extent of my involvement—’
‘And what is the extent of it, Miss Prentess?’
She put up her chin and looked at him defiantly.
‘This is my house, one of the properties my uncle left me in his will. When I came to Bath last year I met up again with Mrs Logan. During one of our conversations it emerged that a young lady she knew was with child. She had eloped, left her home and her friends to run off with a man who had sworn to marry her, but later he abandoned her. She could not go back to her family, and fortunately Kate—Mrs Logan—came upon her and took her in. When she told me of it, I too was keen to help the poor girl, and others like her, so we decided to open up this house to give them refuge.
‘At first we had no idea other than to take them in and give them somewhere safe to stay until the baby was born, but it soon became clear that more was needed. These are gently bred girls, they are not educated to be anything other than a gentleman’s wife. They need more skills than that before we can turn them out into the world again. We teach them housekeeping—some are good with a needle and can earn their living as a seamstress, others have a talent for lacemaking.’ She raised her eyes to his. ‘We give these young ladies hope, my lord, and the opportunity to be independent.’
‘And their families, their parents?’
‘Most of these girls have been abandoned by their kin—some are in danger of being packed off to an asylum, as if...as if their predicament is some kind of mental affliction. When they come to us they are assured of anonymity. They come here and we treat them as guests, not inmates to be punished. At present only those involved in Florence House know of its existence, and I need that to continue for now, until I have control of my inheritance and can set up a trust fund to support it.’
‘But if that is the case, how do those young ladies in need know where to find you?’
‘We find them,’ said Susannah. ‘After that first unfortunate case, Mrs Logan heard of two more. And household servants gossip a great deal. A maid will know her mistress’s situation almost as soon as the lady herself. My own maid is always ready to listen to the gossip, and if a young lady’s family is not prepared to support her, then she offers an alternative. We have already helped about a dozen young women.’
‘I did not know Bath had so many.’
‘Word spreads, my lord. Some of them come from surrounding villages.’
‘All very laudable,’ he remarked. ‘And how successful are you at finding employment for your, ah, guests?’
‘Very. That first young lady had a remarkable eye for fashion. Kate and I purchased a house in Henrietta Street. She is now able to pay her rent and is quickly becoming established as a modiste.’
‘Ah, would that be Madame Odesse?’
She nodded, smiling a little. ‘The very same. I wear her gowns and the fashionable of Bath flock to copy me, but of course that will only continue as long as I maintain my place in Bath society. Odesse employs several of our young ladies as milliners and seamstresses, and she purchases lace from a little group we have established in another little house in Bath. They all earn enough to make a modest living.’
He looked about him.
‘But a house like this does not come cheap.’
‘No, indeed. And it is in need of repair. We have made a start, but much more is required. Once I have control of my uncle’s fortune I will be able to do more, but for now...’
There was a knock at the door and Morton looked in.
‘Beggin’ yer pardon, m’lord, but it’s started to snow again, and the wind is picking up. We had best be going.’
‘Yes, very well.’ Jasper looked at Susannah. ‘Shall I order your carriage to be prepared?’
‘I cannot leave.’
Jasper looked at the window. For the first time he noticed the howling wind rattling the frame and the soft white flakes swirling around outside.
‘You must, I think, or risk being stuck here, possibly for days.’
She shook her head.
‘There is no one here to look after the girls. Mrs Gifford, the housekeeper, was obliged to go away on Tuesday to nurse her sick sister. We engaged a temporary housekeeper, but I am afraid we were sadly deceived in her. When I arrived this morning I learned that she had packed her bags and left yesterday, as soon as the weather began to turn.’
‘But you cannot stay—surely that was not your intention when you came here today?’
‘No, I planned to visit with Mrs Logan.’ She frowned a little. ‘Only when I called for her I was told she was not at home. These young ladies—girls—are my responsibility, my lord. There are only three of them in the house. The eldest is but nineteen. I cannot abandon them.’
‘What of the other servants?’
‘There is Bessie, the scullery maid who opened the door to you.’
‘That is all, no manservant?’
‘Only old Daniel, who lives next to the stables and does a little of the outside work. We decided that the girls would feel more at ease if there were no other menservants in the house.’ She glanced at the window. ‘You had best be gone, my lord. I would not have you snowbound on my account.’
* * *
Susannah shifted in her seat, no longer facing him. She had enough to think about without the viscount being here to distract her. The defection of Mrs Jennings was a blow and she had arrived at Florence House to find the household all on end. Jane had opened the door to her, looking desperately tired. She explained that Lizzie and Violet were too frightened to sleep in their own rooms, so they had spent the night huddled together in one big bed, with Lizzie’s baby in its cot beside them. Susannah had helped Bessie to prepare a simple breakfast for them all before sending the girls back upstairs to rest and bringing the baby downstairs to make sure Lizzie’s sleep was not disturbed. She had been walking up and down the little parlour, trying to decide what to do next, when she heard the imperious knocking on the front door and looked out to find Lord Markham standing in the hall, his broad shoulders made even wider by the many-caped driving coat so that he appeared to fill the small space.
For one dizzy, heart-stopping moment she thought he had come to rescue her, before common sense reasserted itself. She did not need rescuing, and Lord Markham was more her nemesis than a knight in shining armour. The sooner he left the better, then she could concentrate on the problem of what to do here.
‘If you are staying, then so, too, am I.’
‘Nay, my lord!’
‘You cannot do that!’
Susannah’s voice and the groom’s protests were immediate but had no apparent effect upon the viscount.
‘Morton, go back to the stables and make sure the horses are bedded down for the night. I take it there is space for my groom to sleep somewhere?’
He addressed this last question to Susannah, who answered distractedly, ‘Yes...yes, there is plenty of sleeping space above the stables—my coachman will show him where to find straw to make a comfortable bed—and Daniel will arrange to feed him, too, but...my lord, I cannot, cannot put you up here.’
He dismissed his groom before turning back to her.
‘You have no choice.’ He looked faintly amused at her consternation. ‘Pray do not look so alarmed. I am not expecting you to wait upon me.’
‘But, last night—’
‘We will forget that, for now.’
His smile grew, and with it her embarrassment. The baby stirred in her arms and she got up, murmuring that she must take him back to his mother. The viscount opened the door for her and with a mutter of thanks she fled from the room. The young ladies were gathered in the upstairs sitting room, but Bessie had informed them of the viscount’s arrival and they looked anxiously to Susannah for an explanation.
‘Who is he, Miss Prentess?’ asked Lizzie as Susannah gently handed over the baby. ‘Has he come to fetch you away?’
‘He s-spoke to me at the ball once.’ Violet Anstruther’s voice quavered. ‘Perhaps Papa sent him to fetch me...’
‘You may all be easy, the viscount has not come to take anyone away. He is an acquaintance of mine and a perfect gentleman.’ Should she have crossed her fingers against the lie? Despite all that had happened between them it felt like the truth. ‘He is stranded here in the snow, as are we all now.’ She hoped she sounded suitably reassuring. ‘You are at liberty to come downstairs and join us, if you wish.’
This suggestion was quickly rejected, the girls declaring that they would prefer to remain above stairs.
‘Very well, I believe there is a little soup left, so I will ask Bessie to heat it through and bring it up for you. I will ask her to bring more coal upstairs, too, so that you may keep the fire built up in here. Then we must think what we can do for dinner tonight.’ She looked at the three girls. Lizzie was confined to her bed and had her baby to nurse. Jane was leaning back in her chair, her hands rubbing over her extended stomach. Only Violet Anstruther looked fit enough to help with the cooking, but when Susannah suggested it, she immediately shook her head and admitted that she did not know how to do anything more than boil a small kettle to make tea. She looked so frightened at the prospect of venturing into the kitchen that Susannah did not press her.
‘I will help,’ offered Jane, ‘when my back has stopped aching.’
‘No, you must stay here,’ said Susannah quickly. ‘Bessie and I will manage.’
‘At least the larder is full,’ observed Jane. ‘I made sure Mrs Jennings sent Daniel for the supplies yesterday before she left the house.’
‘I cannot forgive the woman for leaving you all in such a way,’ declared Susannah. ‘As soon as I can get back to Bath I will make arrangements for another housekeeper to come in to look after you until Mrs Gifford returns.’
She went downstairs to find that the viscount had built up the fire in the parlour. A patch of melting snow near the hearth caught her eye.
‘Did you send Bessie out to find my footman? I meant to do it before I went upstairs, and charge him with bringing in coal for the fire.’
‘No, I brought it in myself.’ He laughed at her shocked countenance. ‘As Gerald told you, Miss Prentess, I am not at all high in the instep.’ He pointed to a tray on the side table. ‘I also found the coffee pot, so I have made some. I thought we might sit by the fire and take a cup together.’
‘Why, thank you, sir. But I should really be looking out what we can eat for dinner...’
‘There will be time for that presently. Sit down and talk to me.’
She allowed herself to be escorted to a chair and handed a steaming cup. She had to admit that after the trials of the morning it was pleasant just to sit, even if she was determined it could not be for long.
‘I have been thinking about the cost of running this house,’ he began. ‘I take it Mrs Wilby’s card parties help to pay for it.’
‘Yes.’
‘And you encourage the gentlemen of your acquaintance to attend, upon your aunt’s invitation, of course.’
She shot him a defiant look.
‘And why not? It is the gentlemen who have made this place necessary.’
Jasper sat back, surprised.
‘Is that what you really think?’
‘Of course. They court the young ladies, flatter and cajole them into allowing them to...’ She paused to put down her cup, using the moment to gather her thoughts before continuing. ‘These are young, innocent girls who have fallen for a seducer’s lies, heedless of the consequences.’ A dull flush coloured her cheeks as she remembered her own weakness. ‘It is too easily done, I fear.’
‘So you invite the men to your drawing room and fleece them.’
‘I do not cheat, sir. It is merely that we—Aunt Maude, Mrs Logan and I—we are all better at cards than most of our guests. And we never take more than fifty guineas at any one sitting.’
He ran a hand through his hair.
‘Susannah, it does not matter if it is fifty guineas or five thousand, you are still taking money off these people.’
‘It is not illegal.’
‘No, but it is not right. You are in effect running a gaming house.’
She crossed her arms, as if in defence.
‘It is for a good cause.’
‘Then tell your guests what you are about. Let them choose whether they want to support you.’
She gave a bitter laugh.
‘Support a house for fallen women? You have seen the reaction when one mentions such a subject. They would not give so much as a sou.’
‘You should set up a committee, get some of the Bath tabbies on your side.’
‘No. I prefer to do it my way.’
Jasper sat forwards, frowning.
‘But why? Why do you want to punish the young men so? Not all of them are wild and reckless, you know. Gerald Barnabus, for example.’ He saw the flash of consternation in her eyes, before the lashes swept down to veil them and a new suspicion hit him. ‘Does Gerald know about this place?’
There was a brief hesitation before she replied.
‘Yes. I let something slip and was obliged to tell him. He has been very helpful.’
‘And that is why you took two hundred guineas from him last year.’
‘Yes. We needed extra funds urgently, to set up the house for Odesse.’
He kept his eyes on her face.
‘Why was he escorting you to the jewellers the other day? You may as well tell me. If you do not I shall find out from Gerald when I get back to Bath.’
She was twisting her hands together in her lap and he remained silent, waiting for her to speak.
‘I needed money to pay the builder. I asked Gerald to come with me to the jewellers, to sell some of my aunt’s jewels.’
‘Your inheritance.’
She hung her head.
‘I thought the money could be better spent here.’
‘And just what did you sell?’
‘An emerald set, necklace, ear-drops, aigrette—totally unsuited to me.’
‘While you are single, yes.’ Jasper imagined how well the stones would look against her creamy skin, accentuating the green flecks in her eyes, and nestled amongst those glowing curls. ‘Once you are married—’
‘I shall never marry.’
The words were uttered with such force, such conviction, that Jasper’s brows snapped together.
‘That is a bold statement.’
‘It is true, nevertheless.’ She rose, shaking out her skirts. ‘I have seen how men treat women. It shall never happen to me. Now if you will excuse me—’
‘No, I will not.’ He jumped up and caught her arm. ‘You are very harsh upon our sex.’
‘And with some reason, my lord. Witness your own behaviour last night!’
‘No,’ he said slowly. ‘I think it goes beyond that.’
She looked alarmed and tried to free her arm.
‘Can you wonder if I am harsh, when the girls here tell me such tales? Now let me go, sir.’
‘Not until you tell me.’ He pulled her round to face him. ‘I saw it in your eyes last night. You were terrified.’
Her eyes flashed.
‘You flatter yourself!’
‘Not of me, but something has occurred. Something in your past.’ She stopped struggling and turned her head away, her lip trembling. He said gently, ‘Will you not tell me? Susannah—’
He was interrupted by a hasty knock on the door and he released her arm just as Bessie rushed in. She did not appear to notice them stepping apart, too caught up in her own news which she uttered in a scared, breathless voice.
‘I beg your pardon, Miss Prentess, but—Miss Jane sent me. She says...she says the baby is coming!’
Susannah did not exclaim or cry out. She stood for a moment, hands pressed to her cheeks as she dragged her thoughts to what the maid was saying.
‘We must send for the midwife.’ She went to the window. ‘At least we must try.’
Bessie peered over her shoulder.
‘But the snow is very thick, ma’am, and ’tis drifting.’
‘My footman, Lucas, should go. He is young and strong.’
‘It would be safer if there were two,’ said Jasper. ‘Morton shall go with him. Give me the midwife’s direction and I will go out to the stables and tell them.’
Susannah did not hesitate. Instructions were given and even before the viscount had left the house she ran upstairs. Jane was leaning against the wall, clutching at her stomach.
‘Mrs Gifford told me these pains would come,’ she gasped. ‘Slowly at first, but then more frequently.’
‘And how do they seem to you?’ asked Susannah.
Jane gave her a strained smile. ‘They are coming very quickly. I hope we can wait for the midwife.’
‘Oh my heavens, what shall we do?’
Susannah turned at the anguished cry to find Violet Anstruther standing in the doorway. Quickly she ushered the girl out of the room, telling her to look after Lizzie and her baby, then she turned her attention back to Jane, who was pacing up and down, her face very pale.
She calculated that the midwife could not be here for at least another hour and she busied herself with preparing the room, bringing in a crib and blankets and clothes for the new baby, then she helped Jane out of her gown. All the time she kept up a cheerful dialogue which was punctuated by Jane’s gasps each time the contractions took hold.
* * *
The heavy cloud had brought an early dusk and Susannah had given orders for the lamps to be lit. It was with relief that she heard the thud of the outer door and the low rumble of voices in the hall. She ran down the stairs. The chill of the air as she descended confirmed that the front door had been opened, but there were only three figures in the hall: the viscount, his groom and Lucas, her footman.
The two servants were covered in snow.
‘I beg your pardon, miss, but we didn’t make it.’ Lucas blew on his hands and his teeth chattered when he spoke. ‘The snow is breast high across the road and we couldn’t get through. And we daren’t risk crossing the fields for the snow is falling so thick ’tis impossible to see more than an arm’s length in front of you and we wouldn’t have known which direction we should go.’
Susannah tried hard not to let her disappointment show.
‘Very well, thank you for your efforts. If you go into the kitchen Bessie will find you something hot to drink.’
‘If you don’t mind, miss, we’ll head back to the stables,’ put in Morton. ‘The old man said he would keep a good fire and have a kettle of something ready when we got back.’
‘Yes, yes, you had best go then, and get yourselves warm.’ The viscount waved them away and turned to look at Susannah. ‘This is bad news,’ he murmured, drawing her into the warmth of the parlour. ‘What will you do now?’
‘I must go back upstairs, I fear Jane is very near her time.’
‘Is there anything I can do?’ His readiness to help was comforting, but she shook her head.
‘Not unless you are a man-midwife.’
‘I regret I cannot help you there, my only experience of such things is when my favourite pointer whelped at Markham.’
Despite her anxiety she smiled at that.
‘Then you know less than I do. I was here last year when one of the girls was in labour. She was very frightened and the midwife asked me to sit with her, to calm her.’
‘So you are not totally inexperienced.’
Susannah clasped her hands together.
‘On that occasion the midwife had very little to do. The baby came into the world quite easily. If Jane’s birth is like that then there is nothing to worry about, but if not—’
She broke off, the horrors of what might happen crowding in on her. The viscount took her hands; the steady strength of his fingers around hers was oddly calming.
‘We have no choice but to try our best.’ A faint cry from above made him lift his head. He squeezed her hands. ‘Do you feel up to this?’
She met his eyes.
‘As you have said, there is no option. I must do what I can.’
‘Then go back upstairs. If you need me you only have to call.’
* * *
The hours ticked by. Susannah sat with Jane while the contractions continued. She had heard that sometimes these pains could die away, and the baby might not come for days. For a while she hoped that perhaps this would be the case and they would be able to send again for the midwife in the morning, but as the evening wore on Jane grew more restless and the pains more frequent. Susannah fetched a bowl of warm water to bathe Jane’s face and hands, and later Bessie came up with a tray, saying the viscount had ordered her to bring up tea and bread and butter for them both.
Susannah did not touch the food but she sipped gratefully at the tea, while Jane refused everything. She shifted uncomfortably on the bed, becoming more and more restless until eventually she was gasping and straining. Susannah knew the crisis must be very near now and she held Jane’s hand tightly, praying that nothing would go wrong.
The birth, when it came, was mercifully brief. Jane was crying out with the pain while Susannah stood by her, feeling helpless as she could do nothing but wipe her brow and murmur inadequate words of comfort. Jane’s anguish was growing by the moment and Susannah was on the point of calling for help when she saw with a mix of terror and delight that the baby was coming. Tentatively she reached out to cradle the head while she continued to encourage Jane. She watched, entranced, as the little body gradually emerged and she found herself crying with relief. The tiny form looked perfect and its angry cries were oddly reassuring. With infinite care she wiped the baby and wrapped it in a soft cloth before lifting it into its mother’s arms.
‘Look, Jane,’ she whispered, her voice hushed with awe and wonder. ‘You have a little girl.’