Page 76 of Pursued Beyond Treachery
Miss Harris answered by linking arms with Susannah and turning to the door.
The last thing Susannah saw before leaving was Melior’s dark head of hair, stringy with sweat, leaning on Lady Braithwaite’s delicate shoulder as the other woman gently ushered her bent form toward the tub of steaming water.
Her heart ached for the pain and sorrow her friend must be experiencing. It must be agonizing to lose a child. Then fear crept in. Not all women made it through childbirth.
John stood by the window watching the sun peek up over the buildings. They’d all stayed in the drawing room throughout the night, Nate and Eddie alternately pacing, Al making certain they did not run into each other at the center of the room.
For once Al and Javenia made no snide remarks at each other, working as a team to calm everyone while still checking on the situation upstairs.
The duke had arrived shortly after one, but had been so angry with the doctor’s negligence that he’d left to track the man down. John had no doubt that the man of medicine would be hard pressed to find work after crossing His Grace.
Susannah had been the only one to say next to nothing all evening. She stared at the fire for the first couple of hours, then fell asleep somewhere near four in the morning, her head lulling against the side of the sofa. No one disturbed her nor asked if she’d like to retire.
John turned to look at her. She seemed so peaceful in light of the chaos that still played around her. He moved closer and noticed goosebumps on her arm. Moving to the chest in the corner, he removed a soft throw.
Gently he laid it over her, careful not to disturb her slumber. The way the morning light played off her lashes drew his attention and he leaned in for a better look. He drew so close that he could feel her breath on his neck. A wild urge to kiss her cheek overcame him and he would have followed through had Eddie not passed behind him on one of his many circuits of the room.
Instead he opted for sitting next to her. Perhaps it was too close for propriety, but no one would object, not with the turmoil they were all going through. To his surprise she readjusted, her head coming to rest on his shoulder. He stiffened.
It was not the first time Susannah had laid her head against him, but it had been years since they’d shared such intimacies.She was no longer a little girl and he was no longer a young man starving for a family.
He glanced around the room. Thiswashis family. If his life had been in peril like Melior’s, every last person in this room would be there for him too. Javenia had opened the idea to his mind weeks ago, but it had not taken root in his heart until this moment.
The door opened and a very haggard Mrs. Clark stepped in. “My lady is asking for you, Sir Nathaniel.”
Nate bolted for the door with no more incentive. They all watched him go, then returned their attention to the housekeeper.
“Is she well?” Eddie asked.
“As well as can be expected.”
“And the baby?” Javenia asked.
The housekeeper dropped her gaze to the floor. “She didn’t make it, poor mite.”
She. John’s mind caught on the word. The baby had been a girl.
Al gravitated toward Javenia as the housekeeper left the room.
Javenia’s arms were wrapped about her middle, head down, shoulders slumped. She turned away from the rest of the room. As much as she tried to hide it, no one missed the way her shoulders shook.
Al placed a gentle arm about her shoulders and she turned into his coat.
A quiet voice came from right by his ear. “We should leave them alone,” Susannah whispered, her head still on his shoulder.
He saw the wisdom in it. Javenia never cried in front of them all, she’d likely be embarrassed to have them witness it. Eddie must have had the same idea, because he, too, quietly left.
Susannah rose and he followed, entering the hall and trailing behind her all the way to the music room. He glanced about, lost on why she’d chosen this place, then her hands gravitated to the keys of the grand piano. Of course. Music was to Susannah as water was to fish, at least it had been back in Maidstone. He’d had little chance to hear her play since coming to London.
A mournful tune filled the room, tugging at memories long since buried with his parents. Death was no respecter of persons, not young or old. It tore at all seams of Society.
When tears trickled down Susannah’s cheeks, he moved to sit by her on the bench. He said nothing because there were no words sufficient enough. The song ended. She leaned into him and quietly wept. He placed a tentative arm about her. When she did not object, he pulled her close, hoping to offer a bit of comfort. A quarter hour passed in this way until her tears dried up, but she did not move.
For a moment he wondered if she’d fallen asleep tucked up against him, but when Eddie entered, she straightened. John lamented the loss of her warmth and the way she fit so perfectly in his arms. If only Eddie had chosen someone else to pester with his worries.
Quickly he silenced his uncharitable and selfish thoughts. Eddie was one of his dearest friends. He would mourn with him in his time of grief.
Susannah rose and he cast a glance at her, worried the Susannah he’d always known would disappear again behind the mask she’d worn these last few weeks. The tremulous smile she bestowed upon him soothed his soul. Maybe he still held a little corner of her heart. One could only hope.
