Death of a Duchess by Nellie Steele (the beginning after the end novel read TXT) 📗

Henry poured himself a drink from the sitting area’s bar. “Quite a surprising day,” he noted as he sat across from me near the fireplace. “How tragic to have lost your friend, but how extraordinary to have gained a son.”

“Indeed,” I agreed. “Poor Tilly. I never suspected when I saw her only two months ago it would be our last meeting.”

“She would be pleased you are caring for her child, I am sure,” Henry said.

“Yes,” I confirmed. “And I am pleased to do it. Though surprised. Robert suggested it. I had thought to place him for adoption. Robert’s kindness flabbergasts me at times.”

“You expect him to be disagreeable?” Henry inquired.

“No. Though I do not often expect him to be as agreeable as he always proves. It is quite something for a man to agree to raise another’s child.”

“Couples adopt often.”

“Yes, couples who desire a child, who have planned for a child.”

“Robert has always desired a family. You have provided him with one, whether or not you intended to.”

“I hope it brings him happiness.”

“It will,” Henry assured me. “Have you given the child’s name any thought? No rush, though I would like to begin the paperwork posthaste.”

I gazed down at the child in my arms. “Yes,” I said with a smile. “Yes, I have a name.”

Chapter 16

I stared down at the sleeping baby next to me on the bed. His soft rhythmic breathing soothed me. After his feeding, he had gone to sleep shortly after a bit of rocking. With no bassinet, I laid him on the bed for a nap. Here he had slept for over an hour. I was content to read my book as he napped.

The outer door to our suite opened and shut. I assumed it signaled Robert’s return. Not wishing to disturb the child, I remained on the bed. A light knock sounded at the door. “Come in!” I called just above a whisper.

The door opened a crack and Ella stuck her head inside. “I hope I am not disturbing you, Your Grace, but I wanted to inform you of my return.”

“Oh, Sinclair! Welcome back! Come in. How was your visit with your mother?”

Sinclair slipped in the door, closing it behind her. “It went very well, Your Grace. Thank you for asking. Mother wished me to pass along her gratitude for allowing me the day off to visit. We …” Her voice trailed off mid-sentence. An odd expression crossed her face. Her mouth gaped open as she stared wide-eyed at the bed. “Is that a…” Her voice dropped off again as she motioned toward the baby.

“A baby, yes,” I confirmed. “We have had some… developments on our end.” I motioned for her to approach the bed.

Ella neared the bed. “Meet the newest Fletcher,” I said.

“He is a beautiful child,” she answered. “But…how?”

I patted the bed, encouraging her to sit. “It is rather a long, scandalous tale, but I shall explain.”

“Oh, not if you do not wish to, Your Grace,” Ella replied.

“I do not mind. I am only forewarning you, so you are not shocked by some of the more salacious details.”

I explained to her about Tilly’s circumstances, beginning with her departure from the orphanage to her untimely end. “I could not leave the child behind,” I expounded. “I took him with the intention of finding a placement for him. It stunned me when Duke Blackmoore suggested we adopt him. Though I confess I am thrilled.”

Ella smiled at me, grasping my hand in hers. “I cannot imagine better parents for the child. I am certain your classmate would be elated by the prospect.”

I returned her smile, squeezing her hand. “Thank you.”

“May I hold him?”

“Of course!” I exclaimed.

Ella scooped him up into her arms. The baby cooed, stretching his tiny arms before settling back into sleep. “What a precious child,” she breathed. “What will you name him?”

I rubbed his cheek. “If you do not mind, I should like to discuss it with Duke Blackmoore first before I reveal the name. I have told Mr. Langford, only so that he may begin the paperwork for his adoption.”

“Of course, Your Grace.”

Ella patted the baby’s bottom gently as she held him. I gazed over her shoulder, smiling down at the tiny form. “Duke Blackmoore has gone to make arrangements for Tilly’s funeral,” I explained. “We shall have to delay our return to the castle until after she has been laid to rest.”

“I am terribly sorry for your loss, Your Grace. I hope the funeral is not too trying for you. If you would prefer, I can care for the child while you attend.”

“Thank you, Sinclair. Though if the weather holds out, I would like to take him. Perhaps you could attend as well. Then if the child becomes too fussy, you could assist with his care?”

“I should be most happy to, Your Grace,” Ella agreed as she smiled down at the child. “He is a darling boy.”

“I am quite smitten with him myself,” I admitted with a chuckle.

“What an excellent mother you shall make, Your Grace,” Ella said.

I smiled at the compliment. It would mark the first time I would tend an infant I was not expected to give away at a moment’s notice. My previous experience at the orphanage prepared me well for the moment, though it wounded my heart on several occasions to hand a child I had cared for over to another.

As I gazed down at my child, I recalled the most recent of these incidents. Eighteen months before my departure from the orphanage, a newborn baby girl was left on our front steps. One of the teachers discovered the wailing child on her way into the building. The poor baby, stuffed in a basket without a stitch of clothing on, came with a simple note: Please take care of her, I cannot.

Newborn children require a great deal of care. The novelty of baby care wore off most girls after the first sleepless night. The baby, colicky from start, wailed most