The woman wore a coat, so Gideon couldn’t really judge if she was pregnant or not, but as they watched, Kellogg emerged from the remnants of the crowd and hurried toward her. He still wore his bedraggled uniform, and when he would have thrown his arms around the woman, she stopped him with a gesture and held out the bundle for him to see.
“That’s a baby,” Gideon realized.
“Good heavens, so it is,” Elizabeth said.
Logan sighed. “And Kellogg hasn’t even known her for six months.”
“Come on,” Elizabeth said. “Let’s see what they have to say for themselves.”
* * *
—
Elizabeth had to admit the plan had been clever, if poorly executed. As they approached, she could hear the woman speaking to Kellogg in French. She didn’t understand the words, but she recognized the tone. The woman was cajoling him, charming him, trying to convince him to be excited about the child who appeared to be sleeping inside his bundle of dingy rags.
“Kellogg,” Logan said sharply, and Kellogg almost snapped to attention. They both turned in surprise. “What is the meaning of this?”
Kellogg, bless him, refused to be cowed. He straightened his shoulders and faced his angry captain with anger of his own. “This is my fiancée, Mademoiselle Segal. You will remember her, I’m sure, Captain.”
To his credit, Logan ignored the sarcastic tone and tipped his hat. “Miss Segal, welcome to America.” He sounded only a little sarcastic in return.
“No thanks to you, Captain,” Miss Segal said.
“And this is your child, I assume,” Logan said.
“My son,” Kellogg said as if he really believed it. Perhaps he did.
“Congratulations,” Elizabeth said, deciding to take charge before this became a masculine battle of wills that no one would win. “Miss Segal, welcome to America.”
“And who are you?” Miss Segal asked with a suspicious frown but in nearly perfect English.
Logan cleared his throat. “May I introduce my friend, Gideon Bates, although Kellogg has already met him, and his fiancée, Miss Elizabeth Miles.”
“Nice to meet you,” Kellogg said to Elizabeth without much enthusiasm and turned back to Miss Segal. “Oriel, let’s go.”
“Where are you going?” Elizabeth asked, still smiling cheerfully, although her cheeks were feeling a bit tight.
Kellogg just stared back at her uncertainly, but Miss Segal said, “Phillipe is taking me to his home.”
Elizabeth had already noted that Kellogg was still wearing his uniform a month after he had been discharged from the army. It was a bit worse for wear and none too clean, as if he had worn it every day out of necessity. She had also been reading the newspapers, so she knew enough about the plight of returning soldiers to guess his situation. “Sergeant Kellogg, is your home a suitable place for a woman and a new baby?”
“I . . .” He looked at each of them in turn, carefully avoiding meeting Miss Segal’s eye. “I have a room.”
“In a rooming house?” Elizabeth said, keeping all judgment from her tone. “Does your landlady know Miss Segal and the baby will be sharing it with you?”
“A room?” Miss Segal said. She was not happy. “Just one room?”
“I haven’t been able to find a job,” Kellogg said, suddenly furious.
“And that’s why you had to lie to Mr. Carstens and steal money from him to pay Miss Segal’s fare,” Gideon said. Elizabeth was proud that he’d managed to say it without the slightest trace of criticism.
“I didn’t have any choice, and it’s all your fault, Captain Carstens,” Kellogg said. “If you’d let me marry Oriel in France, the army would have brought her over when I came.”
“I see,” Logan said mildly. “So that’s why you felt justified in stealing from me.”
“You owed me.”
“Just for curiosity,” Elizabeth said, “whose idea was it to ask the captain for the money?”
Kellogg was obviously new at this business, and he gave himself away—or rather he gave Oriel away—by glancing at her.
“Please,” Miss Segal said quickly, managing to sound a little pathetic. “The cold, it is not good for the bébé.”
“May I make a suggestion?” Elizabeth said.
Everyone looked at her as if she were crazy, even Gideon. She’d have to speak to him about that later.
Hearing no objections, she said, “Since you and Miss Segal are not yet married, it seems unlikely your landlady will welcome her and her child.” Judging from his frown, Kellogg had already considered this, but he had no alternative to offer. “Forgive me for being so forward, but are you in a position to make other living arrangements for Miss Segal, Mr. Kellogg?”
“I told you, I don’t have a job,” Kellogg said grudgingly.
“Then may I offer to take Miss Segal home with me as my guest? Miss Segal, I live with my aunt and her friend in a large house. You and your baby would have your own room to sleep in and the use of the rest of the house. You’ll probably only need to stay for a few days, until Sergeant Kellogg can make other arrangements and you can marry and move in with him. What do you think?”
Plainly, she thought a lot of things, but she knew a good offer when she heard one. “You are very kind.”
“Not at all. You and Sergeant Kellogg may not deserve consideration after you cheated Mr. Carstens, but there is no reason your innocent baby should suffer.”
Kellogg had stiffened at this, but Miss Segal merely smiled. She plainly thought Elizabeth was a gullible do-gooder who would be a pushover.
That was just fine with Elizabeth.
* * *
—
Since Logan had driven his father’s motorcar to the docks, he offered to drive everyone to Elizabeth’s house in Greenwich Village. Gideon could have returned to his office—he probably had work to do—but Elizabeth was pleased to note he chose to accompany them as well. He was obviously much too curious about Elizabeth’s motives to be left out now.
Gideon sat up front with Logan while Kellogg sat in the back with the women and the baby. Logan, Elizabeth was happy to see, seemed to be taking this whole thing rather well. He hadn’t even expressed dismay at not finding Noelle on the ship, but oddly, he hadn’t expressed any anger over being cheated, either. In Elizabeth’s experience, this wasn’t natural, so she’d ask Gideon to deal with Logan later.
Oriel spent most of the trip babbling in French to Kellogg and trying to get him to admire the baby. Plainly, he didn’t want to show any emotion in front of Gideon and Logan, but he was slowly softening.
Oriel seemed very pleased at the accommodations and equally willing to stay as long as it took Kellogg to make whatever arrangements an unemployed ex-soldier could be expected to make. She was in America with a roof over her head, which was more than she had any right to expect from her luck so far in life, so she was satisfied.
Elizabeth left her and Kellogg alone in the parlor while she showed Logan and Gideon out. She closed the doors to give the couple some privacy.
“Are you sure you want that woman here?” Gideon whispered with some concern when they were in the foyer. Logan seemed equally confounded.
“Don’t worry about a thing. I think Miss Segal and I will get along famously.”
Gideon looked determined to worry anyway, which probably wouldn’t hurt him. Then he turned to Logan. “What about you? Are you going to turn them into the police?”
But Logan shook his head. “I’m afraid Kellogg is right, this really was all my fault.”
“But you did what you thought was right,” Gideon said.
“And who am I to decide what’s right for other people? I can’t even decide that for myself. So no, I’m not going to report them to the police. They’ll have enough problems without that. I’ll consider the money a wedding present to them and a l
esson to me.”
“You are very kind,” Elizabeth said in a fake French accent, making both men laugh. “But don’t tell Kellogg just yet. Let him stew for a few days, which will be a lesson to him.”
She sent the men on their way, and then went to the kitchen to make some sandwiches. Kellogg and Miss Segal would probably be wanting lunch, and that would also give her something to do while she allowed the two lovers some time to discuss their situation. She hoped Kellogg would make that situation very clear to her, because it would make Elizabeth’s job so much easier.
After a surprisingly short time, she heard the baby begin to fuss and then the front door opened and closed. Moments later, the baby abruptly silenced, and Elizabeth went into the parlor to find Oriel alone and nursing the baby.
“Is Sergeant Kellogg gone?” Elizabeth asked.
“He is eager to find a place for us to live,” she said.
“I’m making some sandwiches. I can bring one out here to you, if you’re hungry.”
“I am always hungry. This little one must eat constantly. Mostly, I am thirsty, though. Can you also bring me a drink?”
Elizabeth prepared a tray with a sandwich, a pot of tea and a glass of water. Oriel drank the water gratefully, using her free hand while she held the baby to her breast with the other, then started nibbling at the sandwich.
“Is that really Sergeant Kellogg’s baby?” Elizabeth asked after a companionable silence.
“He is now,” Oriel said without a trace of shame.
Elizabeth smiled. “It was a clever plan, but you should have just asked for the five thousand dollars.”
“Ah, Phillipe, he is so stupide. He was supposed to show that letter only. I explained everything and wrote the letter for him before he even leaves France. But he is worry, so I write the other letter, for a smaller money, in case the captain refuses because it is too much money. I mail them both so they look like they come from that other woman, but I mail them at the same time, you know?”
“Yes,” Elizabeth said because she did know. “And Kellogg was afraid to ask for so much money the first time, so he gave the captain the other letter. But mentioning a baby was a mistake. You see, the captain knew he couldn’t have fathered a child with Noelle.”
Oriel sighed as only French women can sigh. “Merde. Now I am here, at least, but he has no money at all. I thought all Americans are rich.”
“Even so, you’re better off here than in France, I imagine.”
“Oh yes. Things are very bad there.”
“And I think a woman of your talents will do very well in America. In fact, I think I can help you make some money to get yourself started. Do you by any chance speak German?”
* * *
—
Percy Hyde-Langdon was finding New York society incredibly boring. How many games of cards (where the stakes were so low) could one play without losing one’s mind? How many vapid debutantes could one charm without losing interest in the entire sex? How many times could one flirt with Rosemary Westerly without becoming physically ill? He tried to remind himself it was for a good cause, but he’d never been very concerned with good causes, so he’d fallen back on duty. Duty was a cruel mistress, he was learning. Perhaps it would build character.
If only he were really interested in improving his character.
“Is it true that you’re looking for a bride, Lord Percy?” the young woman sitting to his left at the card table asked. What was her name again?
How many young women had asked him that question in the two and a half weeks since Rosemary had set out to introduce him to New York society? “One mustn’t believe everything one reads in the newspapers,” he said with a teasing grin.
“Then you aren’t interested in finding a bride?” she pressed, her disappointment obvious.
“Why do you care, Cecily?” the young man sitting to Percy’s right asked. He sounded resentful, and Percy couldn’t blame him.
Cecily blushed. “I only care because everyone is interested in Lord Percy.”
“Only because Englishmen were so scarce during the war, I imagine,” Percy said modestly.
“You underestimate your appeal, Lord Percy,” Rosemary said archly. “And if you were to look for a bride in this country, I’m sure you would have your pick.”
Percy bestowed his most charming smile upon her. “I suppose most men would find that information gratifying, but alas, I am only interested in one American lady, and her affections are otherwise engaged.”
Cecily and the young man—Robert? Rodney? Who cares?—were deliciously scandalized by this revelation, and Rosemary blushed becomingly.
“Really, Lord Percy, you are such a tease,” Rosemary claimed, taking her turn to distract everyone.
But the seed was planted. Now Percy only had to wait to see if it took root.
He didn’t need to wait very long. Since they were gathered at Rosemary’s parents’ home, it only took another hour for Cecily and Roger—that was his name—to decide their evening was complete when yet another game of cards had concluded. Rosemary saw them out while Percy gathered the cards and shuffled them unnecessarily.
“I suppose I should be on my way as well,” he said perfunctorily when she returned.
“Heavens no,” Rosemary said. “Come and sit with me awhile. We hardly ever get a moment alone.”
Indeed, they had not. Rosemary’s parents saw to it that she was always properly chaperoned, and she also managed to never be quite alone with him even when she did succeed in escaping their observation. Tonight, however, her parents seemed to have retired for the night and she had closed the parlor doors when she returned from seeing out her other guests.
She sat down on a love seat situated close to the fire, which had died down to a flicker. Percy stopped to throw a couple logs onto it before sitting down beside her. She had left only enough room for him, so they were quite close. She smelled of roses, which he supposed was appropriate.
“What you said tonight,” Rosemary began, staring into the fire, which was surging to life around the added fuel. “Did you mean it?”
“I said many things tonight,” Percy said with a noncommittal smile. “If you’re asking about the compliments I paid Cecily, I’m afraid they were not all completely sincere.”
She smiled a little at that, still looking at the flames. “No, I mean . . . what you said about your interest in one American lady.”
Percy sighed. “Oh yes, that. I realized at once that I had been too forthcoming.”
“Then you really are interested in an American lady. May I ask her name?” This time, Rosemary turned to him, her gaze as sharp as a knife, although her words were smooth as silk.
“You must know already to whom I referred.” His tone, he was happy to note, was just a shade tragic. “You have led me on unmercifully.”
“Then why haven’t you said anything?”
“Do you have to ask? It is, as I said, impossible because you are engaged to another man.”
Plainly, this fact annoyed her as much as it did him. “And if I were no longer engaged to Logan?”
He sighed again. “Rosemary, my dear, I could not possibly expect you to do such a thing. What kind of a man would even ask it of you?”
“A man who was in love,” she said quite confidently.
“Does love excuse bad behavior in America?”
She smiled at that. “Love excuses every kind of behavior in America, but you are probably correct that it isn’t really proper to ask a lady to break her engagement. Let me ask you a different question. If I had not been engaged when we first met, would you have behaved differently?”
“Now that is a question I can answer honestly. I would certainly have behaved differently. I would have sought you out and courted you, as is proper and correct. I have thoroughly enjoyed the time I have spent with you since I ar
rived in New York, but it has, I must confess, been an exquisite form of torture to be with you while knowing nothing can ever come of it.”
“And if I had not already been engaged, would something have come of it?” Rosemary asked with shocking frankness.
He smiled sadly. “My dear Rosemary, that would have depended entirely on you, since a man can only ask. The woman makes the final decision, after all.”
“Does that mean you would ask, if I were free?”
He reached for her hand but stopped himself, because he had no right to touch her. “You are a cruel woman to tease me like this.”
“But I’m not teasing, Percy,” she said, dropping his title to show that she was serious. “I have long since regretted my decision to accept Logan’s proposal. The war has changed him. He’s always so serious now.”
Percy wasn’t sure how she would know that Logan was changed, since she’d spent precious little time with him, but he had to agree that Carstens did seem rather serious. “And one does so hate to cause a soldier distress after what they all went through in the war.”
Plainly, that was not what Rosemary wanted to hear.
“But,” he continued seamlessly, “it would be wrong to marry out of duty rather than affection.”
“That is exactly what I was thinking,” Rosemary said. “How much better it would be for us—for all three of us, I mean—if I were to end my engagement with Logan.”
Percy gazed at her with genuine admiration. He seldom met a woman so practical and also so self-serving. “I can’t think of anything that would make me happier.”
“Then I shall take the earliest opportunity to speak with Logan,” she said. “You may kiss me now.”
Percy managed to hide his surprise at her boldness. “I would like nothing better, my darling, but I have no right to even touch your hand as long as you are promised to another. Rest assured, however, that I will kiss you thoroughly and make my offer for your hand with the utmost dispatch as soon as I return from England.”
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