The Great Estate

by Sherri Browning

  “Later. We’ll discuss it more later.” Suddenly she wore that polite little smile that she always wore for guests. He didn’t like that smile. He wanted to be greeted with the real one. The genuine smile made an appearance not a second later when one of the maids came out carrying a hiccuping infant, flanked by Dr. Pederson and Aunt Agatha. “You can hand him to me, Jane. Ah, and how is he, Doctor?”

  The maid handed the baby to Sophia and went back to her duties.

  “Perfect.” Agatha clapped her hands. “As I predicted. I couldn’t get too close to him without Miss Puss becoming jealous though.”

  “He’s in very good health, Lady Averford,” the doctor said, casting a glance at Agatha. “No apparent problems, but he isn’t taking well to cow’s milk.”

  “I’m looking for a wet nurse.” Sophia looked natural with the child, putting him to her shoulder and patting his back as if she’d been his mother for years. How did that natural affinity for babies come over women so easily? Gabriel was certain he might drop or squish the child should she hand him over to him.

  “A good idea,” Pederson acknowledged. “I know a woman in the village who could be of service. I’ll stop in with her and ask if she can come help you out. He’s about two months’ old, I would say, give or take a week.”

  Sophia nodded. “As I suspected.”

  The infant clung fast to Sophia as certainly as she had taken to the infant. Gabriel felt suddenly unnecessary in his own home.

  “Thank you, Dr. Pederson, for your help and for coming out so quickly to have a look,” Sophia said.

  “I’ll come back and have a look at him in two weeks, if he’s still with you.”

  “He will be,” Sophia said assuredly. “Mr. Finch will see you out.”

  “I should be going too,” Reilly said. “I think I have everything I need. No one saw anyone, as far as you know. I’ll interview a few of the servants to be sure. I got a good look at the basket. Do you mind if I keep the note? Handwriting sometimes helps in tracking a culprit down.”

  “The culprit here being the child’s actual mother?” Gabriel stroked his chin.

  “Exactly.” Reilly pointed a finger. “We might find her, we might not. But if we find her, we’ll have a better idea of the baby’s background. I’ll be in touch. I can see myself out.” Mr. Reilly waved at Gabriel. Sophia paid no attention.

  “I’ll walk you out, Mr. Reilly,” Agatha offered. “I’m headed that way.”

  “Just like that, we have a baby?” Gabriel ran a hand through his hair once they were alone. “Someone else’s child left in our care.”

  “Your child, Gabriel. Have a look at him. Is there something you want to tell me?” She turned the infant around her in arms, holding him with a protective arm about his waist. The baby, a chubby-cheeked little fellow, chewed on one of his own fists.

  Gabriel looked him over, downy hair, dark blue eyes. “I’ve no idea what you mean. He looks a bit like Marcus’s girls, doesn’t he?” That’s when he realized what she was getting at. But she couldn’t believe he’d been unfaithful. “You couldn’t possibly imagine I had anything to do with this baby.”

  “You’re suggesting your brother did instead?” She tapped a foot under her skirts.

  “Absolutely not. You know how much he loves Eve. They must have been having Freddie right around the same time.”

  Sophia nibbled her lip. “And I know all about your brother’s libido when it comes to pregnant women. He doesn’t stop loving his wife just because she’s enceinte.”

  “Stop. I don’t need to know that.” Gabriel recoiled. “Come to think of it, we might have that in common. I also found you very desirable in that condition. But I think we can both agree it’s not his child.”

  “On that, we can agree.” She tilted her head. “You found me desirable even then?”

  He saw his chance and he wouldn’t let it slip by him. He stepped forward so that he was close enough to take her in his arms if there wasn’t a baby in between them. “Even then. Now. All the time. You’re the only woman I’ve ever desired, Sophia, ever since I had my first glimpse of you in that ballroom.”

  “The only one?” She arched a thin, black brow. “There was never anyone else?”

  “There’s no one else for me in all the world.”

  “Then why here? Why did the note say that Teddy belonged here?”

  “Because we’re wealthy, privileged. If a mother was having trouble caring for her own child and had to give him up, wouldn’t she choose to leave him at the best house in the area, if not at the church? Admittedly, the church makes more sense. But it’s an obvious assumption that we could give the child a good life.”

  Teresa bounded into the room, interrupting their discussion. “The cherub is awake and not fussing. Pass him to Nonna.”

  “Nonna?” Gabriel pulled a face.

  “You can’t expect me to call myself ‘Grandmother.’ I’m far too young. I’ll use the Italian for grandmother. It’s more discreet, plus it’s easy to say. Nonna.” She took the baby from Sophia, who was surprisingly yielding. “Mind if I take him for a little walk? I won’t go far.”

  “I need to go up and change my clothes anyway,” Sophia said. “I won’t be long. Thank you, Teresa.”

  “It’s my pleasure.” Gabriel’s mother bounced off down the hall with a spring in her step and the baby in her arms.

  Gabriel shook his head. “And the two of you seem to be getting along. I go away for one night, and the world turns upside down.”

  “Perhaps it was turning before you even left,” Sophia said. “You just didn’t notice.”

  With that, she turned on her heel and headed for the stairs. Was he supposed to follow? He had no idea. He hadn’t a clue what to make of her or what to expect next. Just when he thought he had everything under control! He left Sophia alone and went after his mother and the baby instead. If this baby was going to be a part of their lives, he had better try to get to know him.

  Fifteen

  Gabriel found Mother in the conservatory with the baby.

  “His name is Teddy, I understand?” he asked, holding his arms out.

  “Yes, it is. I brought him in here to see my lemon trees. They’re thriving, aren’t they?” She handed him the baby. “I took him to try to give you some time alone with Sophia, and here you’ve followed me instead of your wife. I’m not sure you’re making much of a success out of your grand plan to win her back.”

  “I’m not sure she wants to see me right now. Every time I think I’m making progress, a new obstacle crops up in my way.” He cradled the baby under his bottom, so that the child was nearly sitting in the crook of his arm. “He is a handsome one, isn’t he?”

  “Theodore, it said in the note, actually. And to call him ‘Teddy.’ Then there was something about him belonging here. In infancy, you were a fair-haired, chubby little fellow too.” She twisted her mouth into the moue she made when suspicious.

  “Oh, not you too. Sophia asked me if I’d been unfaithful.”

  Mother shrugged. “There is a resemblance.”

  “Lots of babies are blond and plump. I would guess quite a number of them.”

  “Your eyes were that same shade of blue before they turned brown.”

  “Next, you’ll notice that we both have two arms, two legs… He’s a baby, Mother. They all look a certain way.”

  “Hmph.” Clearly, she wasn’t satisfied. “You’re a natural with him.”

  “I guess I’m more comfortable with a baby in my arms than I imagined I would be. As long as he’s in a good mood.” The baby still sucked at his own hand. Once he realized there would be more satisfaction in a bottle than his fist, he would probably start fussing again.

  Mother sighed and changed the subject. “I know I arrived at an inopportune time. I’m sorry. I couldn’t face staying in Italy after all that hap
pened.”

  “With Conte Miralini?”

  “The man was carrying on with my maid behind my back! After having been married to your father, you’d think I would have developed keener senses about such things. It shouldn’t have taken me by surprise. With you leaving, it made sense to leave with you. After Paris, I planned to take my time at the London house before moving on, but I ran into Charles and he was speaking of coming here. I’ve always liked Charles.”

  “Lord Markham has always liked you too, from what I understand.” Instinctively, Gabriel didn’t stand still with the baby in his arms, but rocked gently back and forth.

  “He was in love with me once, before your father came along. I probably should have married him. And now we find ourselves at a certain time in our lives, both of us alone. It makes sense, doesn’t it?”

  “You pursuing Lord Markham? I guess it does. But he’s vulnerable after his divorce. Have a care with the man, Mother.”

  She waved off his concern with a flick of her wrist. “I’m always careful. Of course, it would help if we could ever be alone without that Agatha woman tagging along. Do you know she even has the servants calling her ‘Aunt’? She says I have a red aura, whatever that is.”

  Gabriel could only laugh at that. Mother, careful? It didn’t quite fit. “She’s eccentric, but I think you’ll come to appreciate Agatha. You’re about the same age. It would be good for you to have a friend. Marcus has a red aura, too, by the way. Be grateful you’re not a beige.”

  “There are beige auras?” Mother shuddered. “No one would have the nerve to accuse me of being beige.”

  The baby began to fuss a bit until Gabriel turned him around to face him. A tiny hand reached out to touch Gabriel’s face and managed to effect an emotional tug deep in his gut as well. “Hello, little man.”

  “So much like you.” Mother shook her head. “It’s not so far-fetched to think you might have strayed. Men do it all the time.”

  “Conte Miralini might have. Father did. I saw what it did to you, Mother. How could you even imagine I would hurt the woman I loved?”

  “He never thought of it as hurting me.” Even after all these years, a teardrop glistened from the corner of Mother’s eye. “I never knew you noticed. I tried to shield you and your brother from my pain.”

  “We were aware of everything, between the two of us. Unintentional or not, Father did hurt you. I’m not like him. Not in that way. Believe me, this baby is not my son. Not by birth, anyway. Sophia seems determined to keep him.”

  “I’m with her on that. He’s a doll. My grandson!”

  “How quickly you both became attached to him. I never thought you would be so determined to be a grandmother.” Again. He didn’t add the “again.” But he shouldn’t have been surprised by her interest in the baby. When Edward was born, she had practically knocked Gabriel out of the way to try to hold the baby first. And later, she’d insisted Gabriel get some sleep so that she could watch over Edward.

  Still, he would have expected her to be focused on legitimacy, a true Thorne. But this baby’s birth, though an intriguing mystery, didn’t seem to matter to her. She loved him. As Sophia did. Both of them had fallen fast. What would it do to them if they were to lose him now? But perhaps better now than later, after more solid bonds could form.

  “A nonna,” she corrected.

  “Still. You didn’t exactly rush home to see Marcus’s daughters. They’re home now, you know. At Markham House. Marcus and Eve came back with me from London.”

  “What if I don’t like her?” Mother bit her lip. “Or she doesn’t like me? It’s not the little girls I’m avoiding. I’m eager to meet Marcus’s babies. I’m just hesitant when it comes to meeting his wife. I haven’t been much of a success as a mother-in-law.”

  “You can work on that. Sophia isn’t any more of an ogre than you are a dragon.”

  “I get to be the dragon? Thank you. That might be one the nicest things you’ve said to your old mother recently.” She smiled and patted his hand, then reached to stroke the baby’s forehead. Teddy was falling asleep on Gabriel’s shoulder.

  “You’re not all that old, not that you need reminding.” Gabriel rolled his eyes. “Eve is nothing like Sophia. They’re friends, but they’re very different sorts of women. I think you’re worried for nothing. At any rate, you can’t put off meeting her much longer. They mean to invite you to spend a few days with them. And Lord Markham too. They thought he might enjoy seeing his house again.”

  “If he goes, I will go. It would be easier to have him there with me, an ally, not to mention the appeal of getting him away from Agatha.”

  Gabriel rolled his eyes. “I begin to think you enjoy making enemies, Mother. How would you live without the drama of being dreaded wherever you go?”

  “Am I dreaded then? You have a point. I could feel the animosity rolling off Sophia from the second she first saw me. To her credit, she never panics on sight like some women might. She’s a most worthy adversary, always up for a challenge. You married well, my dear. But I suppose it’s time I try to make peace. We’re both on the same side now, as far as loving this baby and being determined to keep him. Can you imagine the power we’ll exude working together after we’ve been such forces working against each other?”

  “I’m not sure the world will bear it.” He wasn’t sure he would bear it, the two of them both fixed on the same goal.

  “Just you wait and see.” Mother threw back her head and cackled like a fairy-tale witch, causing Teddy to shift a little in Gabriel’s arms. “You get to know your new son. I’m going to go talk with your wife.”

  “Good luck, Mother.” When dealing with Sophia, she was certainly going to need it.

  * * *

  Sophia was at her dressing table, putting the finishing touch, her favorite diamond comb, in her hair when she heard a knock on her door.

  “Come in,” she called out, expecting it to be Gabriel. Jenks wouldn’t knock, and Sophia had already dismissed her to manage on her own. She tried not to show the slightest hint of alarm when her mother-in-law walked in and closed the door quietly behind her.

  “I thought we could use a moment together. We haven’t spoken much since I’ve been here, but your idea to throw a party together has emboldened me.”

  Sophia turned and stood, indicating for Teresa to follow her over to the sitting area. “The party might have to wait.”

  “I understand.”

  “I’m not sure we have much else to discuss—besides Teddy, of course. You seem to have fallen in love with him almost as much as I have.”

  “Almost? It’s always a competition with you, isn’t it?” Teresa smiled and took a seat on the pink taffeta divan. “I don’t mind. I welcome our unique parlance. I believe I am every bit as much in love with that baby as you are. Amazing how it happens so fast, isn’t it?”

  Sophia nodded and settled in the armchair. “I’m astonished. It was only last night that I found him out there, and now I can’t imagine life without him. It felt like he belonged with me from the moment I first held him.”

  “It was like that for me with Marcus too. Not so with Gabriel, if I’m being completely honest. The first few weeks, I had no idea how I was going to be a mother. I felt like such a failure. I dreaded the very sight of him every time they brought him in to nurse. It’s that look of his, like he’s measuring you up and you’re about to fall short.”

  “He’s had that look since birth? You didn’t have a nursemaid?” Sophia tried not to sound too surprised. She never liked Gabriel’s mother to think she’d managed to fluster her.

  “Since the moment I first held him.” Teresa shook her head. “Having a nurse would have felt too much like admitting defeat. Keep in mind that it was woefully out of style to nurse one’s own children back then. But I’ve always embraced the avant-garde, as you know. I enjoy making people talk.”
>
  “I know.”

  “We’re not the kind of women to be wallpaper. What’s the point of being in a room if you’re not the centerpiece? I know you share my opinion on that. It’s one of the reasons we’ve never gotten along. Neither of us is content to let the other one shine brighter. I’ve always suspected it’s at the heart of your dislike for London as well. A countess has to take a step back when a duchess enters the room.”

  “It’s not like that.” Entirely. She knew Teresa had a point. She preferred to be at the heart of their small social circle in Yorkshire instead of fighting for attention in London. “I know you won’t believe me, but I’m also shy in new company. And everyone in London feels new to me. They all know each other so well, and there I am at a loss, hardly hearing any names I recognize. It’s awkward. I don’t like to feel awkward.”

  “I had no idea.” Teresa looked surprised. “I’ve never imagined you to be shy. You’ve always stood up to me easily enough, and that takes some backbone.”

  “Disliking crowds doesn’t make me a coward, Teresa. I recognize when it’s necessary to be on my guard.”

  “That you do. But back to me. You see? I can’t help but steal the attention. As I was saying, I didn’t know what to make of Gabriel as an infant. Then one day, when he was about a month old, he grabbed on to my hair and wouldn’t let go. I was nursing him, resentful to be awakened, I suppose, and this little fist grabbed on to my braid and pulled. He would not let go. And when I glanced down, he was laughing. I’ll never forget the look in his eyes. It finally looked like I’d won his approval. From that day forward, I was all love for him. With some, it’s instant. With others, it takes time.”

  “It was instant with Teddy.”

  “For me too. He’s a charmer. It runs in the family.”

  Sophia’s eyes widened. “But he’s not ours by birth, of course. You’re not suggesting…”

  “Only that he fits right in. I admit that I did wonder. A baby shows up unexpectedly. The note says he belongs here. But Gabriel swears he has never touched another woman.”