Chapter 1

 

Grafton Hall, Millcastle. 1842

 

Just one more step…

Ruby turned into the wind and stumbled forward, the distant lights of the house appearing and disappearing through the trees as she navigated the treacherously icy grounds. The skirts of her gown were soaked and dragging her down, her boots were worn through, and the weight of her burdens felt as insurmountable as the relentless rain. She kept moving, her gaze on the promise of warmth and security. Not love—she couldn’t expect that—but at least she’d survive.

Her feet hit the graveled surface of the drive, and she went toward the huge oak-fronted door. With the last of her strength, she lifted the brass knocker and hammered on the door.

A confusion of noise—dogs barking, people shouting, and suddenly, a familiar voice that made her sink to her knees, weak with relief.

“Caroline…” she whispered as the darkness threatened to overcome her. “Help my daughter.”

 

The next time she woke up was to sunlight shining through half-opened curtains. The brightness made her eyes hurt. Her older sister sat beside her bed reading a book.

“Where’s Nora?” Ruby whispered.

“She’s in the nursery.” Caroline hesitated. “Nurse is watching over her. She seems overly warm, as do you.”

“I want her with me.”

“Then I will fetch her.” Caroline stood up. “You both have a fever. I have asked Dr. Nash to come and see you when he returns from Millcastle.”

A shudder ran through Ruby. “I can’t afford a doctor,” she murmured as she shifted restlessly against the sheets. “And they can’t do anything anyway.”

“Dr. Nash would disagree with you. He considers himself very competent, indeed.” Caroline paused to stroke Ruby’s lank hair away from her face. “Try and sleep. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Ruby forced herself to stay awake until Caroline returned with Nora and tucked the bairn in beside her. She desperately wanted to rest but was terrified that Nora was barely conscious and very hot.

“Don’t let her die,” she whispered. “She’s all I have left.”

“We’ll do our very best,” Caroline reassured her. There was a murmur of voices and the door opened. “Dr. Nash has just arrived.” She turned her head. “Good evening, doctor. This is my sister Ruby and her daughter Nora. They are both feverish.”

“Ma’am.” Dr. Nash—tall, dark, and unsmiling—nodded as he removed his coat and rolled up his sleeves. “May I attend to the baby first?”

“Don’t hurt her.” Ruby reluctantly released Nora into his large, capable hands.

“I’m a trained physician, ma’am. My calling in life bids me do no harm,” he said, his upper-class accent becoming more pronounced. “How old is Nora?” He set Nora on his knee and listened to her breathing.

“Almost one.”

“Have either of you been in contact with anyone who has recently been unwell?”

Ruby tried to smile. “We lived in a crowded tenement, sir. Someone was always sick.”

“Any other symptoms? Bloody flux, coughing, retching, stomach spasms, disordered bowels?”

“It’s not cholera, if that’s what you’re asking.” Ruby was aware of Caroline’s involuntary gasp. “I’d not bring that to my sister’s house.”

“I don’t think it is, either.” The doctor turned to Caroline. “Can you hold the child while I exam the mother?”

After washing his hands, he came toward the bed. Ruby was suddenly aware of the stink of her unwashed body and clothing and the coal dust that constantly clung to her skin. He listened to her rasping breath, felt her forehead, and took her pulse with a calm efficiency that was somehow soothing.

“Do you know what afflicts them, Dr. Nash?” Caroline asked in a low tone as she gave Nora back to Ruby.

“Nothing I can put a name to, but that’s not unusual when dealing with illnesses in crowded, badly ventilated spaces.” Dr. Nash’s gaze lingered on Nora. “We need to bring their temperatures down and feed them plain victuals. They should drink plenty of water that’s been boiled to prevent infection. I suspect a few days of good food, rest, and your staff’s attention will do wonders.”

Even as she struggled to concentrate, Ruby was aware of something in the doctor’s voice. Was he angry because he’d been asked to treat her? Did he consider the working class beneath him?

“I will care for my sister, myself, Doctor Nash,” Caroline said. “And there is no need to take that tone with me. I didn’t cause any of this.”

Ruby’s gaze flew to the doctor’s face.

Grimacing, he said, “I apologize, my lady, I meant no disrespect. It simply annoys me that people are forced to live in such conditions.” He put his coat back on and took a brown glass bottle out of his bag. “If your sister becomes feverish again, administer a teaspoon of this in water. Don’t give it to the child.”

“Thank you.”

He nodded and came back to the bed to look down at Ruby. “You should be feeling a lot better in a day or two, but please ask for me if you experience any other symptoms.”

Ruby nodded.

His expression softened as he said, “Good morning, ma’am.”

He left the room and Caroline let out a huff of breath. “He really is the most infuriating man.”

“He was kind to me.” Ruby gazed at Nora’s flushed face.

“No one denies that he is an excellent doctor,” Caroline said. “It’s just that he can be rather abrasive. He obviously thinks I have failed in my duty toward you. Would you like me to bathe Nora while you take a nap?”

“If you bathe her where I can see you.”

“Of course.” Caroline rang the bell and a maid appeared like magic.

Ruby had almost forgotten what it was like to have other people caring for your needs. Within minutes a small bath filled with lukewarm water was set on the chest of drawers.

After Caroline gently undressed the baby, she glanced over at Ruby. “There are several items of clothing my children have outgrown that might be suitable for Nora. May I fetch some of them?”

“You may dress her how you please, sister.” Ruby was too tired to argue about stupid things. “I’d like to see her looking well.”

Caroline gently lowered the baby into the water and scooped water over her body.

“Goodness! Her hair is fair.”

Ruby had a vivid memory of Sidney holding his daughter and exclaiming over the same thing. After he’d gone, keeping Nora clean enough to maintain the brightness of her hair had become less important than surviving.

Guilt flooded Ruby. “You mean she’s filthy and that I should be ashamed of myself.”

“Ruby…” Caroline wrapped Nora in a soft towel and brought her back to the bed. “I know how hard it is to get clean water when you’re living in a tenement. We all lived like that once.”

Ruby cuddled her daughter and inhaled the sweet scent of the lemon soap Caroline had used in the bathwater.

“She’ll need feeding. I… don’t have enough milk.”

“Then I’ll find someone who does.” Caroline swooped in and picked up Nora again. “You need to sleep. I will take Nora up to the nursery, find her some new clothing, and consult with Nurse.”

Ruby began to protest but Caroline held up her finger. “Do you trust me, sister?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Then allow me to do this for you.” Caroline held her gaze. Ruby often forgot that her older sister was formidable in her own way. “I promise I will take care of her and bring her back very promptly.”

After Ruby nodded, Caroline smiled and walked away the baby cradled in her arms.

It took less than a minute for Ruby to fall into a deep, and thankfully dreamless, sleep.

 

 

“Nash? Come and have a drink with me.”

Charles paused at the bottom of the stairs and looked inquiringly over at his host, Francis, Viscount Grafton-Wesley. The viscount beckoned impatiently from the doorway of his study.

“I was intending to speak to your esteemed wife,” Charles said.

“She’s upstairs in the nursery and will join us in a moment.” The viscount stepped back and held the door open wide. “Come along.”

Charles, who was considered brusque himself, had nothing on the viscount. He meekly did as he was told.

“How is Ruby?” Grafton asked as he poured them both a brandy.

“She’s feverish, malnourished, and needs a good bath,” Charles said bluntly as he took the offered brandy. “But I don’t believe she has anything that can be caught by other members of your household, so you may rest easy.”

“I’m not worried about that. I’ve seen worse; so have you.” The viscount offered him a cigar, which he declined.

“I sometimes forget you were also in India.” Charles sipped the excellent brandy.

“It was an experience I will never forget. I was lucky to survive.” Grafton’s expression turned inward. “I’ve seen cholera and yellow fever rage through whole villages and forts. I’ve had both.”

“Then you will be pleased to hear that your sister-in-law has neither.”

“And the child?”

“Very much the same as the mother, but as she is so young, she will need to be carefully watched.”

The viscount took a moment to light a cigar. “A damned bad business all around,” he said. “We weren’t even aware that Ruby had a child. The last time I saw Ruby was when Ivy went to stay with her after the birth of Rose. She must have been pregnant then, but she didn’t mention it.”

Charles tactfully didn’t bring up that scandal, as Lady Ivy Grovedale had since returned home and was considered an exemplary wife to her husband and child.

“And before you ask, we have no idea if Ruby is married or who the father of her child is. Ruby has always been a law unto herself—much to my wife’s consternation.” Viscount Grafton fixed him with a hard stare. “I only mention these matters to help with your treatments.”

“I did wonder why the sister of a viscountess had been brought so low,” Charles acknowledged.

“Ruby chose that life. She left home with a man who agitated at one of the local mills to further the cause of voting rights. Caroline tried to stop her, but I told her to let her leave.”

“Why?”

The viscount raised an eyebrow. “Because some people only learn by experience. You know that yourself, as do I.”

“The only reason I was able to become a physician was because my godmother left me money, which paid for my training and allowed me to sell out my commission in the army. If she hadn’t done so, I would’ve been trapped, regardless of my inclinations or wishes. If I might be blunt, one might assume from her condition that your sister-in-law was cast out without a penny.”

“Then you’d assume wrong. I continued to pay her an allowance. It’s not my fault if she chose to use it for purposes other than caring for herself and her daughter.”

“Such as?”

“Politics,” Grafton said bluntly. “Supporting the cause of universal suffrage.”

“And you allowed that?”

Grafton raised a dark eyebrow. “Ruby is an intelligent and independent woman. Why would I curtail her freedom to live as she wishes?”

“Because she is part of your family?”

“And I choose to treat her in the same way as I would if she were a man.” Grafton blew out a long stream of smoke. “As someone capable of making her own decisions about her own life and finances. I’m surprised that a man such as yourself would consider that unreasonable.”

Charles was about to reply when the door opened, and Lady Caroline came in. “Ruby has gone to sleep,” she said. “I have taken Nora up to the nursery where she is currently being fed.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” Grafton looked at his wife and poured her a brandy. “Nash here thinks terribly badly of us for letting Ruby get into such a state.”

“So I noticed.” Lady Caroline gave Charles a severe look. “I hope you were able to articulate our position to him in rather more respectful terms than I was tempted to use when he looked down his nose at me.”

“I apologize if I gave offense.” Charles inclined his head. “It was something of a surprise.”

“To see my sister dressed like a coalminer’s wife?” Caroline sighed. “I must confess that she looked far more prosperous last time Francis saw her. I suspect something has gone wrong.”

“Well, obviously, my love, or she wouldn’t have found her way back here,” Grafton said. “She would be far too proud to ask for help unless she was desperate.”

“I suspect Nora’s father abandoned them,” Caroline said. “And, if she had no one to bring in a wage, she wouldn’t be able to pay rent.” She shuddered. “Having been in a similar situation I know how frightening it can be.”

Charles studied Caroline Grafton’s face. She didn’t look like a woman who had suffered any hardship, but there was something in her voice that made him believe differently.

She glanced over at him. “After my first husband died, I had to provide for my mother and two sisters. We worked at the dressmakers in Millcastle and rented two rooms in Three Coins.”

“From me,” Grafton added. “Which is how we met.” He exchanged a remarkably intimate smile with his wife. “Poor Ruby has not had the same luck.”

“But she is in a much better place now.” Unused to seeing such blatant lust in a marriage, Charles set down his glass and rose to his feet. “I have a meeting with Mr. Hepworth in town this evening, but I’ll be back to check on my patients.”

“I suspect Ruby will sleep through until the morning,” Caroline said. “And we can easily care for Nora in the nursery until her mother awakens.”

“What does Hepworth want?” Grafton asked.

“He’s offered to set me up in a medical practice in town.”

“Is that something that appeals to you?”

“Yes. I’m tired of London. The workload at the hospital was overwhelming.” There were other reasons why it was necessary for him to get out of the city, but they were none of the Graftons’ concern.

“He’ll want something in return,” Francis warned Charles as he walked him into the hall.

“I’m well aware of that. He needs a physician for his navvies and their families. I’m more than willing to assist him, which will leave me time to gather my own private patient list in town.”

“I’d be happy to assist you financially if I could also call on your services for my own family and staff,” Grafton said.

Charles raised an eyebrow. “Are you quite certain your wife would agree to that? She was not impressed with me today.”

“Ruby’s unexpected appearance and current condition were bound to raise questions in anyone’s mind. Caroline is far too intelligent to take offense over something so minor when she’s already seen you do so much good.” Grafton patted him on the shoulder. “Speak to Hepworth and let me know what you decide.”

Before Charles could leave, the butler called out to him. “Dr. Nash? A letter has been delivered for you.”

“Thank you.” Charles grimaced as he recognized the handwriting of his father’s secretary. He stuffed the missive in his pocket.

The butler coughed gently. “The man who brought it is awaiting an immediate reply, sir.”

“Can you keep him well fed and content until I return from town? I have an appointment I cannot afford to miss.”

“Yes, of course, Dr. Nash.” The butler bowed. “We’ll look after him in the kitchen.”

“Thank you.”

Charles walked out of the side door and took the path toward the stables at the rear of the house. His steps slowed and with a muttered curse, he took out the letter, broke the seal imprinted with his father’s signet ring, and began to read.

“Damnation.”

Dread stirred in his gut. The news about his retreat from London had traveled farther than he’d anticipated, and the scoundrels had dared to contact his father and demand financial reparations directly. He’d been summoned home, and this time there was no excuse in the world that would get him out of the hole he’d dug for himself.

He looked up, his gaze unfocused as he folded the letter with shaking hands and replaced it in his pocket.

There was something he could salvage—a steady income and a clean start in Millcastle with people who still respected him and his work with his patients. He took a deep, steadying breath and set off for the stables. It was important that he continued to make a good impression on Mr. Hepworth, who wasn’t the kind of man to tolerate failure, especially on his own financial projects.

Charles could set up a medical practice and work in Millcastle far away from the temptations of the city and make a good life for himself—if his father let him, and if he didn’t end up in a debtor’s prison with no hope of ever being set free.

Charles did what he usually did and pushed all the unpleasantness to one side. Millcastle needed physicians and he was very well qualified. That was all Mr. Hepworth needed to know.

 

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