by Jenna Brandt
Pulling her around, he ordered, “Not so fast. You need to explain yourself.”
The woman narrowed her eyes as she spat out, “Take your hands off me this instant.” When he did not comply, she added, “Before I scream.”
“I will let you go if you promise not to run off. I am not angry; I just need to understand what is going on, and why you brought this child here claiming she is related to me.”
She nodded her head. William released his grip on her arm.
“Will you please come inside?” William invited.
“Embarrassed to be seen with the likes of me, are you?” the woman asked sarcastically.
William did worry what his neighbors might think if they happened past and saw the woman fighting with him. He did not want; however, to make a tenuous situation worse by admitting it to her. “I simply would like to speak with you somewhere more private than in the front entrance of the estate.”
She pushed past him, dragging the girl behind her. She glanced around the entryway. “Then get to it and show me the way. I don’t have all day.”
William highly doubted she had any plans keeping her from staying, but remained mute on the point.
The butler looked at him with concern and William shook his head, dismissing him. “It is fine, Wilbur. Please make sure we are not disturbed.”
With a resigned nod, the butler hurried off and left them alone. William led the woman to his study. He opened the door and let her pass by before following her into the room.
“Please take a seat,” William said as he gestured towards the chairs in front of his desk.
The woman flopped down and pulled the child into her lap. William walked around the desk and sat in his plush leather chair. He leveled his gaze across the desk at the woman and waited for several seconds. When she did not speak, he stated, “I feel at a disadvantage. You know who I am, but you have not introduced yourself.”
“I’m Dora Michaelson.”
“Now that we have that out of the way, why did you state this child is related to me?” William inquired.
“Because even though she is my niece, she is also your kin.”
“How is that possible?” William asked with disbelief.
With a heavy sigh, the woman shook her head. “I didn’t think this through when I came here; how hard it would be talking about what happened. But when the money stopped coming, I tried to find out why through the lawyer who set everything up. At first, he was too busy to see me, then as I became more persistent, he outright refused to see me. Without any proof, I tried to take care of her myself. We were scraping by until I got too sick to work.”
“Proof of what exactly?” William inquired.
She shifted in her seat and glanced off into the distance before answering. “My sister, Jane, met both your brother and father at the bordello on Marbourough Street where we both worked. My sister had a special way with men; she was able to impress the most influential types without even trying. She was so good at her job she was able to get set up as a courtesan. For women like us, it was practically unheard of to obtain such prestige, but she did. Then she became pregnant with my niece here,” the woman stated as she ruffled the blonde curls of the toddler on her lap. “By that point, she only had a select few clients including your father and brother. Because of the timing, she was certain the father was one of the two of them. Once she had the baby, your father agreed to take care of the child, set the whole thing up through a lawyer. One year ago, my sister got sick, real sick and—” the woman’s eyes fell to the ground as she paused briefly, “—she didn’t recover.”
“I am sorry to hear about your sister,” William stated. He glanced at the small girl sitting on the woman’s lap. Her traits did resemble the Almonbury family features from her blonde hair to her blue eyes and fair skin. Could the woman be telling the truth?
“You mentioned the payments stopped coming. When did that happen exactly?”
“Five months ago.”
The timeframe fit with when his brother and father got sick. It was plausible if his mother was trying to deal with the business affairs, she found out about the payments and stopped them.
“I will look into the matter at once. In the meantime, I want to make sure both of you are taken care of while I sort all of this out.”
Should he offer to have them stay in the guest wing? He was certain his mother would throw a fit, not to mention how Debbey might react. What should he do? Having them stay elsewhere was probably the best solution.
“I will make arrangements for you to stay at an inn nearby where they can provide meals for you as well.” He opened a desk drawer and pulled out money. “I also want you to take this. Get some new clothes for both of you.”
She paused for a moment and looked at him skeptically. “Why are you doing all of this?”
“Because even if you are not telling the truth, I would never turn away a child in need. That little girl needs someone to look out for her. It is my Christian duty to help where I can.”
She nodded her head and took the money. “When will I hear from you?”
“I will get back to you by tomorrow afternoon.”
Chapter 23
Debbey entered the study where William and his mother were already present, sitting in chairs on either side of his desk. Debbey noticed William had a stern look on his face while Lady Almonbury looked nervous. Neither of them were making eye contact.
William glanced up and gave a forced smile to his wife. “Debbey, thank you for joining us. I want you to be present while we discuss a new situation which has come to my attention.”
Confused, Debbey inquired, “What are you talking about, William?”
“A woman was here earlier, and she had an interesting story to tell me. One involving my brother, my father, and a woman named. . .” He looked directly at his mother and stated with emphasis, “Jane.”
Lady Almonbury’s eyes met William’s and grew round with recognition. Quickly, she tried to mask her reaction, but the damage was done.
William pounced on her response. “So, you do know who Jane was, which means you also know about her daughter, Matilda.” He stood up and marched around the desk until he was standing in front of his mother. “You were the one who stopped the payments to take care of the child; admit it,” William demanded.
Lady Almonbury narrowed her eyes to slits and glared at her son. “With pride. That woman was able to guilt your father into taking care of that child, but once I found out about what was going on, I knew it was my responsibility to this family to end the farce of the arrangement.”
He leaned forward, placing his hands on either side of her on the arms of the chair, and stopped only inches from her face. “Let me be perfectly clear, Mother. It was not your decision to make. As the Viscount Braybridge, I decide when, why, and how the family fortune will be spent. If I decide to give every penny we have to the poor, that is my choice. If I decide to give away every penny of your allowance to make up for your lack of compassion, that is my choice. If I decide to dole out mercy and allow you to continue to live under my roof after all the duplicitous stunts you have pulled, that is also my choice. That little girl almost starved to death because you decided to go behind my father’s back, and then my back, because you were angry over the way she was conceived. You may not like it, but she is my family and I will take care of her. You have no choice in the matter. Do I make myself clear?”
Lady Almonbury seemed to shrink in her seat. She nodded adamantly in agreement.
William pushed away from his mother and leaned back against his desk, crossing his arms. “Good. I want you to get out of my sight. I cannot bare to look at you presently.”
Jumping to her feet, Lady Almonbury retreated from the room. Once she was gone, Debbey made her way over to her husband and gently placed her hand on his shoulder.
“William, I’m not sure what is going on, but whatever it is, we will get through it together.”
He placed hi
s own hand over hers and patted it. “Thank you, my love. I will explain everything. We need to decide together what we will do about the child.”
Debbey listened as William told the story of the secret Almonbury love child. She made sure to only ask questions when absolutely necessary, and refrained from reacting out of respect.
“What do you think we should do?” William asked.
“First thing tomorrow, we should have the doctor find out how sick Dora is and what can be done. We can’t make any decisions until we know with what we are dealing.”
“I agree. I will send word to Doctor Billings to meet us at the inn after the morning meal.”
Chapter 24
The Belmont Inn was only a few minutes away from Holston House. As William and Debbey entered the lobby, the grey-haired Doctor Billings was waiting for them.
He greeted them as he adjusted his glasses over his brown eyes. “Good morning, my Lord.”
“Thank you for meeting us, Doctor,” William said.
With a nod of the head, the doctor stated, “I am always here for the Almonbury family; whatever you need.”
“Follow me.” William headed towards the hallway to the left where the rooms were located. “I appreciate your discretion in this matter. The woman’s connection to the family is of a delicate matter.”
“Certainly.”
They arrived outside Dora’s room. William knocked on the door. A few moments later, the door swung open to reveal Dora, free from the previous day’s grime, and wearing a new dress. She must have gone straight away to the dressmaker after their meeting.
“Come in,” she stated and moved to the side to let them enter.
As William made his way into the suite, he noticed that Matilda was on the floor of the sitting room playing with a new doll. Her appearance was also significantly improved. Gone was the dirty, sullen child from the previous day. The little girl not only wore a new dress, but a smile upon her face. He was glad to see that Dora had followed his instructions, and used the money for its purpose.
“Miss Michaelson, may I introduce Doctor Billings. You mentioned you were sick. I brought him here to see if he can help with what ails you.”
She arched an eyebrow, then shrugged. “Suit yourself, but I can tell you it’s a lost cause. They finally figured out which client was responsible and banned him from frequenting the establishment, but not before he managed to give several of the women, including me, a parting gift. The bordello’s doctor informed me I have syphilis.”
Doctor Billings gestured to the other room. “If you do not mind, miss, I would like to examine you in the other room to make sure the diagnosis is accurate.”
Dora followed the doctor into the other room. William split his attention between glancing towards the other closed door, and watching Debbey play with Matilda on the floor. His wife seemed at home with the little girl. It was as if she had been around a hundred children and it was second nature.
“What’s your doll’s name?” Debbey inquired.
“Susie,” the little girl whispered.
“I like that name. It’s a good name. I had a doll when I was your age and her name was Bernie, but I think Susie is a much better choice.” She winked at Matilda. “If I’m to be honest, Bernie sounds like a boy’s name.”
The little girl giggled with a nod. “Uh-huh.”
A few moments later, the doctor, followed by Dora, came from the room with a solemn look on his face which confirmed her story.
William pulled the doctor aside. “Is there anything we can do?”
With a shake of the head, he stated, “All we can do is make her comfortable. She has a rash over her entire body, along with a fever and muscle pains. She doesn’t have abscesses yet, but it’s only a matter of time. To be honest, I’m surprised she is still moving around and not on bed rest.”
“How long does she have?” William inquired.
“Maybe two months at best, but most likely, a few weeks. It will become much worse towards the end I’m afraid.”
William felt bad for the woman. Despite their first meeting, she seemed to be a decent person, and from the care she gave Matilda, a good aunt when she had the opportunity. He would not wish that type of death on anyone.
“There are sanitariums equipped to help people with syphilis. You could send the woman there,” Doctor Billings suggested.
“My family owes her more than just sending her off to die alone. We will bring her to our home, and have a nurse care for her there.”
William approached Dora. and as he sat in a chair next to her, she stated, “From your face, I can tell you finally believe me. Are you willing to take Matilda now?”
He nodded. “We will make sure she is well provided for.”
A smile curved her lips. “It does me good to hear it. She is a sweet girl and you will be glad you decided to take her in.”
“I never said we would take her in.”
“What do you plan to do with her? Ship her off somewhere to keep her a secret? Who will raise her? What will become of her?” Dora asked with concern.
“The matter of where she will stay has not been discussed with the family,” William explained.
Debbey made her way over to stand beside them. “What are you talking about, William? Of course, Matilda will come to live with us. She’s family.”
William glanced up at his wife and saw the compassion in her eyes. Debbey did not understand the ramifications of the decision; how they would have to concoct a cover story to keep the truth from being discovered. Yet, he knew she was right. The child was either his sister or niece, and in either case, she was family.
“Apparently, a decision has been made. Matilda will come live with us,” William informed the group.
Dora relaxed against the chair. “It is a relief my niece will have a home once I’m gone. One far better than I could have ever hoped for her. Jane would be grateful as well.” She looked at them for a moment, and she glanced down at her hands as she twisted them in her lap. “I have one more favor to ask. I haven’t the money to go to one of the sanitariums. I was hoping you might be charitable enough to give me the funds to obtain a bed in one of them.”
William reached out and placed his hand on the side of her arm. “Miss Michaelson—”
She interrupted, stating with a smile, “I think under the circumstances, you can call me Dora.”
“You won’t be staying at a sanitarium, Dora—”
She interrupted again, this time with fear in her eyes, “But if I don’t obtain a bed in one, I will be forced to stay on the streets. I’m not saying I deserve much better, but—”
William raised his hand in the air. She immediately stopped talking. “If you had let me finish, you would have heard the reason you won’t be staying at a sanitarium. You will be coming to stay with us. I will provide a nurse to take care of your every need, and you will be able to see Matilda.”
Her eyes darted up to meet his as tears formed in the corners. “You’re going to take me in? You’re going to take both of us in?” she questioned with disbelief.
Debbey knelt down next to Dora. “If you are Matilda’s family, you are by extension, our family, and family takes care of their own.”
This time, the tears slipped down Dora’s cheeks as she choked out between sobs, “Thank you. Thank you so much.”
Chapter 25
“We are going to do what?” Lady Almonbury shrieked out with angry incredulity.
“You heard me; we are going to allow Dora Michaelson to stay here for the remainder of her days. The child, Matilda, will become a permanent member of the household.”
“William, do you have any idea what this will do to the family’s reputation if the truth ever comes out?” Lady Almonbury asked with frustration.
Debbey addressed her concern. “We’ve already come up with a plausible story to explain why she has become William’s ward. He will inform everyone Matilda is a distant relative that has recently become orphaned.”
“Which relative? We do not have many family members from which to choose.”
“We can say it’s one of the cousins from Germany on Father’s side,” William explained.
Lady Almonbury shook her head and stated, “William, you can simply send the child away to an orphanage, or if you feel some misguided obligation to her, you can have her put somewhere with a governess and stipend. There is no need to keep her with us as part of the family.”
“She is either my sister or my niece, both of which does make her my family. Debbey and I want to raise her as our ward. The decision is final.”
Resolving herself to the decision about the child, Lady Almonbury protested the other part. “You can at least send the woman away. There are sanitariums for people with her condition.”
Debbey shook her head. “Matilda doesn’t know any of us. She needs her aunt nearby while she adjusts to her new environment.”
“Besides, considering what you did by cutting off the funds they depended on, we owe her at least a comfortable place to spend her final days,” William added.
Lady Almonbury grumbled something under her breath and headed towards the door of the study. “I am going to my rooms. I need to lay down after all this abhorrent business.”
Clara had been sitting silently in one of the chairs the entire time. Once her mother was out of the room, she looked first at William and then Debbey. “Despite the concerns Mother raised, I think you are making the right decision. Matilda is family and we need to take care of her. I for one think it will be splendid to have a child’s joy around to brighten the place.” She stood from her chair and headed towards the door. “I will go check on Mother.”
Once she was out of the room, William turned his attention to his wife. “Thank you for not only helping me make the right decision, but also standing by my side against my mother.”
Debbey nodded. “I will always stand with you.”