***
Damn, damn, damn! Well, this was certainly his lucky night. A boring dinner followed by a loathsome woman sneaking into his carriage, and rounded off with a robbery. How bloody coincidental, after hearing about the damned highwayman from Lord Culver all night.
Well, at least no one was harmed. Though one wouldn’t be so sure if they heard the wails and cries coming from his carriage right now.
“I say, are you quite finished, madam?” he asked of Lady Beecham. He was still reeling from the fact that she’d snuck into his carriage. He was in no mood to make nice with her now, despite her histrionics.
“Oh, Lord Leyburn, how can you remain so calm? We were nearly killed!” she cried.
Fin rolled his eyes. “Yes, well, we weren’t, were we?”
“But the thought of it!”
“Don’t think about it, then.”
There was silence and Fin hoped he’d finally shut her up.
“You are so cruel to toy with my emotions, Finny, darling.”
“It’s Lord Leyburn to you, and I’ve never done any such thing as to toy with your emotions. To toy with someone’s emotions would indicate that I bore some liking to them—at least enough to be in their presence long enough to do said toying—but you, Lady Beecham, mean nothing to me.” He could hear her sharp intake of breath, but thankfully couldn’t see her stricken face. “Once our five minutes is up, I will deliver you back into the hands of your husband and you will leave me alone once and for all. Is that understood?”
Silence reigned again, until the woman finally answered, her voice choked with fake tears. “Completely.”
Six
Victoria awoke the next morning, after a night of tossing and turning, to a light knock on her door. She groaned, reluctant to see or speak with anyone this morning. There was one person in particular she hoped to avoid for all eternity.
Pushing Fin from her mind for the hundredth time since last night, she called out a feeble, “Come in!” and then nestled into her pillows again.
“Mornin’, miss. ‘tis an urgent letter for you.” Lily held out the note that bore Sarah’s handwriting.
“Thank you, Lily,” she said, sitting up to grab the letter. “Could you fetch my toast and tea, please?” Lily started to leave, but Victoria stopped her. “No, I’ve changed my mind. Bring me coffee instead.” She was going to need more than weak tea to get her through this day, she was certain.
She opened the letter, nervous for what she might find. It was never good news when Sarah sent an urgent letter—or any letter, for that matter.
Molly is sick. Need help.
Damn and blast, but this was not good. Molly was the other nurse. No doubt she would have to take up residence at the hospital to avoid spreading whatever she had to her children and husband. So there would be an extra patient while being short one pair of hands.
Which meant Victoria was going to have to come up with a lot more excuses over the coming days. She just hoped it wouldn’t turn into weeks.
She ate her breakfast while Lily prepared her for the day. The coffee was a welcome change to her morning routine. Just the thing she needed to shake off her sleepless night.
Her mother sat at the breakfast table with Tom when Victoria arrived downstairs. “Good morning, Mother,” she greeted. “Tom. I’m off to visit Lady Hartswell.”
“You were there not two days ago, Victoria.” Her mother’s sharp tone grated on Victoria this early in the morning.
“What can I say?” Victoria replied flippantly. “The woman has requested my company, and I would hate to disappoint.”
“Your brother will go with you.”
How very infuriating. She didn’t need an escort wherever she went. It wasn’t as if she were seventeen and fresh on the market. At twenty-four no one even looked twice at her anymore—they barely even looked once—so why the devil would she need a constant chaperone?
Tom turned to her, the same desperation in his eyes that she knew was in her own. He didn’t care to be tethered to her this morning, either.
“Mother, that’s ridiculous. Lady Hartswell is only a few blocks away.”
“Yes, and I have an appointment, Mother. I couldn’t possibly accompany Vickie this morning.”
“Your sister’s name is Victoria.”
Victoria rolled her eyes. Mother never complained when Finny called her Vickie.
Oh, dear. Finny. The sick feeling in her stomach returned at the thought of him. Why in the world was she so distraught over the events of last night? He didn’t know it was her that robbed them, and he certainly had enough money that he could part with a bit of coin.
Furthermore, there was no doubt in Victoria’s mind that if he knew the money was being used for a good cause, he’d be happy about it. Wouldn’t he?
Then why wouldn’t that damned sick feeling go away?
She shook her head free of the thoughts. She didn’t want to think about that anymore. There were much more important issues at hand, and the most important one right now was convincing her mother she didn’t need an escort to Lady Hartswell’s this morning.
“Mother, really, I’ll be fine. I’ve never needed an escort to Lady Hartswell’s before, there’s no reason to start now just because Tom is home. Besides, he has a life of his own and, I’m sure, much to do now that he’s back. He has been gone for two years, after all.”
“Exactly,” Tom said, rising from his seat. “And with that said, I shall take my leave.” He bowed to Mother and then to Victoria before leaving the room.
“I shall be home shortly,” Victoria said, backing out of the room on Tom’s heels. “Goodbye, Mother.”
She didn’t wait for a response, and as soon as she was out of the room, she hastened to gather her things: Pelisse, bonnet, parasol, gloves, reticule. Good heavens, she didn’t have time for all this today. She’d already been delayed too long and she still had to walk almost to Lady Hartswell’s, where Gil would be waiting for her.
One of these days she would actually have to visit Lady Hartswell, lest the woman ever go out in society again and find herself engaged in conversation with Lady Grantham. However, today was not the day for that. The hospital needed her.
And they needed her more than she ever could have imagined. Poor Sarah looked as if she hadn’t slept in a week, but still she scurried in and out of the rooms as if someone had lit her bum on fire.
“Molly’s fever spiked early this morning. I’ve had to quarantine her in that room.” She pointed toward the room they typically reserved for the patients who had passed on and were waiting for their families to claim them . . . or the undertaker if there was no family.
“I also admitted a young girl last night. She’s been in labor since yesterday afternoon, but things aren’t progressing well.”
Oh, goodness. “Sarah, we ought to call in a doctor for her.”
“We haven’t the money, miss. I’ve spent all we had on medicine and supplies.”
“I have a bit more. It ought to be enough, but Sarah, you know we can’t deliver a baby without Molly.”
Sarah looked as if she were going to cry, so Victoria grabbed her by the shoulders and gave her a little shake. “I know you’re tired, Sarah, but I’m here now. I’m not leaving until everything is under control and you’ve had the opportunity to take a little rest.” She turned Sarah in the direction of the room where Molly waited. “Now, you go look after Molly. We must bring her fever down and get her back in good health as quickly as possibly. I’ll tend to everyone else and check in on our soon-to-be mama.”
With that, she gave Sarah a little shove and then set to work tending to the other patients. Most were in stable condition with healing wounds or chronic coughs—they simply needed a bit of tending to. It was the laboring mother who needed the most help, and Victoria worried they wouldn’t be able to help her in the end.
“What’s your name, sweetheart?” she asked of the girl, for really she could
not have been more than sixteen years old.
“Anna,” she said, her voice weak.
“How close are your pains, Anna?”
There was a minute of silence while the girl grunted and clung to her stomach in obvious discomfort. When it subsided, she said, “I don’t know for sure, ma’am. Maybe a minute or two.”
A minute or two. There wasn’t much time. They needed a doctor.
“I’ll be back, Anna. I’m going to find you a doctor.”
“A doctor?” Anna’s eyes grew round and almost wild with fear. “No, ma’am. A midwife, please.”
Victoria stared at the girl, wondering how she could possibly find the strength to be choosy in this situation. “But a doctor—a real doctor—will be able to help you better. Besides, I haven’t any idea where to find a midwife.”
“Mrs. Potts.” The girl winced through another pain. They were getting closer together. “Great Guildford Street at the corner of Southwark.”
Victoria didn’t bother to ask how Anna knew of this woman or why she just didn’t go to her in the first place. Time was too precious to care. “I’ll find her, Anna. Just hold on, all right?”
Anna nodded as another pain began. “I’ll try, ma’am.”