Page 41 of Pursued Beyond Treachery
“Absolutely.” She rose to her feet and he stood. “Oh, and Miss Wayland, Sir Nathaniel has been looking for you. Something about Lady Stanford not feeling well.”
Johnathan frowned. They’d been in the room a full ten minutes at least and she was just now delivering the message?
“I will help you locate them.” Mr. Wallace offered Susannah his arm and she took it with a smile.
Blast the man. First he had ruined the one dance Johnathan had set his heart on, and now he was leading Susannah away, probably to leave the ball if Melior felt particularly puny.
“Are you ready?” Miss Wallace asked as he watched Susannah walk away.
No. This was supposed to be Susannah’s dance. But he was a gentleman and so he led Miss Wallace back to the court room.
Only a few steps into the main room, Mr. Kendall approached Susannah, his lips turned down.
“There you are. I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news but we need to cut our evening short.”
“Lady Stanford?”
He gave a curt nod, his blue eyes not quite meeting her gaze. “Mr. Wallace, forgive me for taking Miss Wayland from your company, but my sister is already waiting for us in the carriage.”
“By all means. And I wish Lady Stanford a speedy recovery.”
“Thank you.”
Mr. Kendall put a hand to Susannah’s back and propelled her out the doors she’d just entered.
“Is it that bad?” she whispered.
“Nate has already sent for a doctor to meet us at the house.”
She asked no more questions, putting her focus into making sure she did not fall down the many steps on their way out.
Susannah did not know what she had expected when entering the conveyance, but it was not a very calm and collected Lady Stanford—a wince every now and then was the only sign she was unwell.
No one spoke on the ride. The silence suited her. Consumed with John’s revelation about his painting, she’d not have been up to conversation anyway. Who was this woman that had brought so much light to his countenance? She’d never seen him so proud of a painting, nor heard him so complimentary of another woman.
At the house Lady Stanford refused Sir Nathaniel’s offer to carry her and walked slowly up the steps. Susannah carried on to the parlor with Mr. Kendall, but after a quarter hour of stilted conversation they both lapsed into silence.
What was happening upstairs? Was Lady Stanford’s condition serious? Only the ticking of the infernal clock met her questions. After the physician had come and gone, nearly an hour afterthey’d returned home, she realized she may never know. Lady Stanford had not confided in her about her pregnancy and it was not her place to ask.
When the clock struck one, she decided she might as well get some rest. Bidding Mr. Kendall a goodnight, she climbed the stairs to her room.
Maybe the problem had not been a serious one and tomorrow Lady Stanford would inform her of the situation. Thoughts of her own mother’s travail when Michael came into the world chased her into bed.
It had been a hard labor and she’d been confined to bed for months afterward. Memories of Mama’s insistence that even with all the pain she would have done it again if it meant bringing such wonderful children into the world made Susannah’s heart ache. She wished for one more conversation, one more hug, one more word of wisdom from her beloved mother, and for the first time in weeks she cried herself to sleep.
Chapter 14
To Susannah’s complete surprise, Lady Stanford was in the breakfast parlor the next morning.
“Are you well?” she asked hesitantly, glancing at the men in the room.
Sir Nathaniel frowned, but Lady Stanford smiled. “The physician tells me it is normal to have a bit of discomfort and other symptoms when one is increasing.”
Since Mr. Kendall did not appear surprised, she assumed he already knew.
“Congratulations. I must say that I’ve suspected all week.”
“I knew I’d not be able to hide it from you much longer. My symptoms have been far too obvious and have lasted a great deal longer than my mother-in-law says hers did, but the physician says it is normal to still be ill.”
