On the third level of the boarding house, they stopped at a badly battered door.
Ewan knocked.
He was about to knock for the third time when the door opened and a young woman's face appeared. She looked from Ewan to the Hastings.
'Thank the Lord,' she muttered.
All three of the traveling party stepped into the boarding house room. Apart from a small bed, and a table with two chairs there was no other furniture. A ragged green curtain covered the single window. No sunlight warmed the room.
'I take it you are the lady’s maid who wrote to me. If so, I've come about the baby,' Ewan announced.
The maid's eyes grew wide with fear.
'Hush, I beg of you. I've only just managed to get him to sleep,' she replied.
She pointed to a tiny lump wrapped up in a gold shawl laying on the bed. Caroline recognized the shawl as one of Beatrice’s favorites.
Caroline rushed past both of them and went to the bed. For a moment she stood silent, staring at the bundle, before bending down and gently picking it up.
The bundle made a squeak and the maid whimpered.
Caroline turned to them and held up the bundle. Ewan caught first sight of his sleeping son.
All the anger and regret he had let boil inside for the past months instantly dissipated. Here was a defenseless child. An innocent in this whole domestic disaster. He was a father and this child was now his responsibility.
'Hannah, you have done magnificently. How can we ever thank you enough?' said Caroline.
Hannah burst promptly into tears. Lord Hastings finally stirred from his emotional stupor and stepping forward, put a comforting arm around her.
'It will be alright soon young miss. We shall have you and my grandson home at Hastings Hall and away from this place,' he said.
Ewan held his tongue. Now was not the time to argue over the future of the infant. Caroline meanwhile was cooing gently to the baby she held in her arms. Her natural mothering instincts evident.
'Did his mother give him a name?'
Hannah shook her head.
'No. Lady Beatrice passed away not long after she birthed him. I took to calling him David because he looks like my cousin David.'
David. Scotland had been ruled by kings named David. The name fitted well with being the son of a duke. Ewan approved of Hannah’s choice.
It was fitting and just, that the woman who had seen the boy through the perilous early days of his life, should be the one to name him.
'Then David it is,' announced Ewan.
Chapter Six
The rest of their short stay in Manchester was spent arranging a suitable headstone for Beatrice's at present unmarked grave. At some point, her body would be exhumed and removed to Hastings Hall in Kent where it would be interred in the family crypt.
Caroline and Hannah went to the local draper’s shop and bought some basic baby clothes, blankets, and a warm travel shawl. By day's end, they had quit the boarding house and taken up residence at the hotel.
David cried on and off all day, fraying Caroline's nerves. Hannah, she noticed, seemed to have developed the ability to ignore the infant's constant crying.
After returning to the hotel, Caroline and Hannah went up to the room they were to share. Hannah ordered a jug of fresh milk and a spoon from the hotel kitchen.
'So, this is how you have had to feed him this whole time?' Caroline asked as she watched Hannah patiently attempt to feed David. She knew enough about babies to know that women of her class often employed the services of a wet nurse. Hannah had made no mention of such a woman.
'I got a wet nurse for the first few days, but when she discovered that he had been born out of wedlock, she wanted more money. I realized I would run out of money very quickly if I did that, so I started getting milk from a lady a few streets over who has a cow in her garden. I’ve had to make do with a bottle and spoon. He seems to like it, but it does take a long time. He is constantly crying for food. I'm sure with a wet nurse he would thrive.'
Caroline made a mental note to secure the services of a wet nurse as soon as they reached Hastings Hall.
Now that David had been found and rescued. Caroline had had time to consider the events of the past weeks in Manchester. Beatrice had been dead for nigh on a month, yet Hannah had only now written to Ewan and told him of the birth of his son.
Things didn't make sense.
Once David had settled to sleep in the basket she had purchased that afternoon, Caroline decided it was time to talk to Hannah.
'Come let us sit, we should talk,' she said.
Hannah nodded. From the way she sat on the edge of the chair, it was clear she had been waiting for this moment. Soon she had revealed the whole tale of how Beatrice had fled London in pursuit of a naval officer whom she had in mind to marry.
'He told her she should go back to Lord Strathmore and marry him. Then when she said no, he told her to have the baby and give it up. Only then would he come for her,' said Hannah.
She began to cry.
'Lady Beatrice was so angry. She wanted to be rid of the babe, so she took some poison hoping to kill it. Only, it made her very sick.'
A chill rippled through Caroline. Beatrice had tried to kill her own child rather than go back to Ewan and marry him. She reached out and took Hannah's hand.
'Then what happened?'
'When the officer discovered what she had done, he called a wicked, evil woman. He said he would never marry her. That she was eternally damned. We never saw him again.'
Hannah went to Beatrice’s travel trunk which they had retrieved from the boarding house and opened it. She returned to Caroline bearing a letter in her hand.
'She wrote this a week before she died. Said I was to send it to Lord Hastings if anything happened to her. She was very weak all through her confinement, the poison had hurt her and I think she knew she wouldn't survive the birth.
Made me promise to send the babe to a foundling hospital. She didn’t want its father to have it. I even took David as far as the front door, but I couldn't do it. It wasn’t right. That’s when I finally wrote to Lord Strathmore. Reasoned that if he didn't want David, then I would bring him to your father.'
Caroline took the letter and placed it unopened into her travel bag. David was her priority, the letter from Beatrice could wait.
‘Why didn’t you just pack up everything and bring David to London? My father would have taken you both in.’
Hannah put her hand into her skirt pocket and pulled out a handful of coins.
‘With the money that had to go to pay for Lady Beatrice’s burial, I didn’t have enough to buy a ticket back to London.’
Caroline’s heart sunk. The poor girl had been left with barely any means to support herself and David.
‘I did consider trying to sell what was left of Lady Beatrice’s things, but there isn’t much I could sell without running the risk of being arrested. Your sister sold most of her gowns and nice things in the past few months.’
Caroline rose from her seat and went to her sister’s travel trunk. There were a few odd pieces of clothing, but all of Beatrice’s fine gowns and silk slippers were gone.
At the bottom of the trunk, she spied a familiar blue velvet box. With heart racing, she opened it.
Inside was a beloved family heirloom, she had lost all hope of ever seeing it again.
The Hastings family pearl and gold tiara glistened in the light as she lifted it out of the box. Beatrice had held out to the very end and not sold the priceless piece of jewelry.
Hannah had been right not to try and sell the tiara. A lady’s maid found in possession of such an item would likely be charged with theft and be hung for such a crime.
Caroline came and took hold of Hannah’s hand.
‘You have done so much for our family. I promise we shall take care of your every need from this day forward.’
Chapter Seven
'Now make sure you have his blanket firmly wrapped,
and his feet are covered up well. He doesn't like it when his toes get cold.'
She bent down and placed a tender kiss on David's forehead, before handing him over to the nursemaid.
The nursemaid Ewan had managed to secure in Manchester gave a huff of disgust.
'This isn't the first babe I have managed my lady, they are all the same. Treat them with a firm hand and they will soon learn who is in charge.'
With David held in her arms, the nursemaid climbed up into the Strathmore travel coach and closed the door behind her.
Standing alongside her father, Caroline watched as the various trunks and boxes were loaded up onto the top of the coach. Though she was physically present, she felt as if she was witnessing matters from a great distance. Lord Hastings had hold of her arm, but she felt no sensation. The expected tears did not threaten.
She was numb.
While she had been making plans and preparations to take David home to Hastings Hall, her father and Ewan had decided on another course of action. Ewan would exert full parental rights over his son and take him home to Scotland.
David Radley, as he was to be called would be raised by his father alongside any other children Ewan Radley would sire in the future. While he would never be his father’s heir, David would enjoy the full benefits of being the son of a duke.
Caroline’s plan to become David’s mother by proxy had been knocked sideways.
Soon Ewan and the last living trace of her sister would be gone. Fear spoke to her heart that it would be a long time before she saw either of them again.
Ewan stepped out from the hotel. He rubbed his hands together and muttered something inaudible to himself. Caroline knew enough of him to know that Ewan was in an apprehensive mood. He was about to embark on the journey of fatherhood without the benefit of a wife.
The recent days they had spent together had seen emotions stir within her once more. A longing for Ewan which she had until now convinced herself was buried deep in the past.
The way he moved, his manner of speech. He held her attention like a magnificent multifaceted diamond glistening in the sun. A bright perfection which she coveted with her whole being.
'Strathmore, all set?' her father asked.
Ewan walked over to where Caroline and Lord Hastings stood. He shook hands with the earl.
'Thank you for all that you have done for me. I cannot begin to tell you how much I appreciate it. I know this is a difficult time for you and your family, and I admire you for having put your mourning to one side to assist in the safe retrieval of my son. I shall not forget your kindness. Nor yours Lady Caroline.'
He offered her his hand. For a moment Caroline simply stared at Ewan's outstretched hand, unable to offer her own.
Take it. Say goodbye; and then let this all be at an end.
'Godspeed your Grace. I hope the journey home is a safe one,' she finally replied, offering him her gloved hand.
The crowded Manchester street provided her with the social limitations of not offering Ewan anything more than a mere handshake, and for that she was grateful. The temptation to reach out and run her fingers over his soft, inviting lips was intense.
She forced herself to pull her hand away. Ewan tipped the lid of his hat and scrambled aboard the coach.
Caroline stepped back and watched as the door emblazoned with the Strathmore family crest of a prancing horse over a set of three, four-pointed stars, closed behind him.
The driver flicked his whip over the horses and the coach pulled away from the side of the street. Within a matter of minutes, it had turned the corner and was lost from sight.
Caroline closed her eyes and gritted her teeth.
He was gone.
Lord Hastings squeezed her hand. 'Come, my dear, it’s time we collected our things and made the journey home to Kent, there is nothing left here for us now.'
They had barely made it back to their hotel room before there was a loud rap on the door. As soon as Lord Hastings opened the door, Ewan strode inside.
In his arms, he held a wailing David. Both father and son were red-faced with rage.
'What?' Caroline stammered.
Ewan deposited David into her arms.
'The nurse slapped him the second he began to fuss. When she attempted to hit him a second time, I took her firmly by the throat. It goes without saying that her employment has been terminated,' he roared.
Caroline began to pace the room. She patted David's back, in an effort to calm the offended infant.
After what seemed like an eternity, David's cries of indignation eventually died down and softened into a pitiful sob. Caroline cooed gently in his ear and his tears finally ceased.
Ewan meanwhile, stood with his gloves in his hands, slapping them hard on the side of his leg, his gaze never once leaving her.
'I need Lady Caroline to accompany me to Scotland,' he finally announced.
'Yes.'
She didn't wait for her father to register his protest; her mind was made up in an instant. Lord Hastings could muster all the arguments he wished against her going unaccompanied to Scotland, but she was determined to go.
'What of your reputation? If London society discovers where you have gone and why you will be forever ruined,' said her father.
She came to his side. A now calm David held in her arms.
'No one need ever know. We left London in secret. If anyone asks, you can tell them that I am in mourning at Hastings Hall. Besides, Papa, I won't be gone all that long. I just need to see David settled at his new home, and then I shall return.'
Ewan picked up on the theme.
'My mother and Aunt Maude are in residence at Strathmore Castle. I am sure once they have taken David under their wing, Lady Caroline will be free to return home. At most it will be a matter of a few weeks,' he added.
The panic in his voice took her by surprise. Ewan was normally a man in control of his emotions, or at least outwardly so. To see him otherwise, gave her pause.
Her father reached down and ran his fingertips through the brush of dark hair on David's head. It was exactly the same shade as Beatrice’s. As he withdrew his hand, it was shaking.
'This goes against all my better judgment. But, as you are both clearly set on this course, I doubt there is little I could say at this moment to change either of your minds. My grandson's wellbeing is what is paramount here, and as such I shall acquiesce to your request. But Caroline must travel incognito, and she must take the maid Hannah with her.'
Ewan's hands dropped to his sides. His posture relaxed in relief.
'Agreed. Thank you, Lord Hastings. I promise I shall do everything in my power to protect Lady Caroline and her reputation. The last thing I would ever wish to do would be to cause more distress to your family.'
A little over an hour later, Ewan joined Caroline, David and the maid Hannah on board the Strathmore coach. Ewan sat back in his seat and looked out the window. He dared not meet anyone's gaze until they were well clear of the city.
It had been a bold move and he was still a little in shock that he had managed to pull it off. The shock of having seen the nursemaid slap his infant son had spurred him into action. Against all hope, he had both his son and Caroline on board the coach and they were now headed for Strathmore Castle in Scotland.
The extent of his plan did not reach any further at this point, he simply knew he needed Caroline to be with him. Nothing more.
Only when the coach finally made it out onto the Great North Road, did Ewan allow himself to relax. As the horses’ heads turned northward, toward Scotland, he began to formulate a plan.
Chapter Eight
Fortunately for the traveling party, David spent a great deal of the five-day journey northward to Scotland fast asleep. With Caroline, Hannah and occasionally Ewan holding him, he was content. Unfortunately for Caroline, David rarely fully settled with the others, so she was left to shoulder the bulk of the workload.
She was fast gaining an understanding and appreciation
of the toll that being a new mother had on a woman. While she had been spared the nine months of pregnancy and then childbirth, she still found herself exhausted by days end. How women got up from the labor of birth and then looked after a family was something she found unfathomable.
A good night’s sleep at Strathmore Castle was top of her list for journey’s end.
A few hours outside of Falkirk, Scotland the coach departed from the Great North Road and onto a side road. Ewan took a sleeping David from a grateful Caroline and wrapped his tiny son up in his arms.
'Get some sleep, we shall be at the castle before nightfall. You will need to be somewhat refreshed when you meet with my mother and Aunt Maude. I expect they will have one or two questions for the both of us,' he said.
Caroline accepted his offer without hesitation. She was bone weary and after five long days in the coach, her back was stiff and sore. She pulled her woolen blanket up around her shoulders and closed her eyes. She would deal with the Dowager Duchess of Strathmore and Aunt Maude when the time came.
When she finally awoke several hours later, she was greeted by the sight of Ewan holding his infant son up to the window of the travel coach.
'There it is my wee laddie. Home.'
Caroline sat up in her seat and pressed her face to the glass.
Out of the coach window, she caught her first glimpse of Strathmore Castle.
A towering Norman era structure loomed large over the landscape and the village below. It wasn't the elegant gothic style castle of lower England that Caroline had seen during her lifetime. Rather, this heavy stone behemoth had been built to withstand attack from a large army. Its dense walls looked nigh on impenetrable.
'It’s huge,' she muttered.
Ewan looked over at her and smiled.
'Never been taken. Has withstood countless attacks and sieges for over five hundred years,' he replied. The pride in his voice evident at his family's long-held achievement.
A Scottish Duke for Christmas (The Duke of Strathmore Book 4) Page 2