Under the Mistletoe with the Viscount (Unlikely Lords #6)

Chapter 18

L ord and Lady Robertson sat in the family parlor of their London townhome, enjoying a cup of tea. They’d been married for four wonderful months after a shaky start to their romance in June, which had almost ended in disaster.

“My love, would you care for a carriage ride through Hyde Park today?” Robertson asked.

“That would be lovely, my dear. We must take advantage of this lovely October weather before it turns colder,” Olivia said.

“My thoughts as well.”

Their conversation was interrupted when Griffin knocked and entered the room.

“My lord, this letter has just arrived for you,” the butler said, holding out a silver salver.

Robertson took the letter and broke the seal, and his brow soon furrowed as he read the contents.

“My darling, whatever is the matter? You wear such a frown on your face,” Olivia said.

“I’m afraid the news is quite grim,” he said, handing the letter to his wife.

She took the letter and read it. “Oh no, what distressing news. How tragic for Mr. Hughes… I mean, Lord Harrison now.”

“It is indeed. He adored his uncle and cousin. I’m sure he feels adrift with all the new responsibilities of being viscount while trying to cope with the loss of his family.”

“I’m sure he could use your wise counsel on a number of matters,” Olivia said.

“Yes, I’m sure he will need that,” Robertson said.

“When should we leave?” she asked.

“How about in three days’ time? There are a few things I need to take care of here first.”

“Of course, my darling. That would be perfect. I was thinking that perhaps I’ll take a trip to visit Bett while we’re in Oxfordshire. I haven’t seen her since our wedding.”

“That’s a good idea, my darling, although Albury will be at least a three or four-day carriage ride from Harrison Manor.”

“I understand, but it will be well worth it to see my friend again. I shall write to Bett and let her know of our plans to journey to Oxfordshire.”

Bett walked into the family parlor to find a crying baby and a distraught sister-in-law.

Cecily looked up when she came into the room. “Oh, Bett. Thank heavens you’re here. Stephen won’t stop crying. I’m at a loss for what to do. I’ve just fed him, but still, he cries.”

“Give him to me,” Bett said, holding out her arms.

Cecily seemed almost eager to pass the child over. Bett took the infant from Cecily and cradled him in her arms, cooing to him softly. “Stephen, my darling, there’s no need to fuss,” she said, rocking him gently as she paced the floor. The baby soon calmed down and closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep.

Nursing her child was taking a heavy toll on Cecily. Instead of settling into motherhood, she seemed more and more anxious every day. Bett hoped her sister-in-law would now be amendable to Peter’s suggestion that they hire a wet nurse. Dark circles were readily visible under Cecily’s eyes these days, and her energy level was quite low. There were no leisurely walks in the garden anymore, even though the weather was still pleasant. Cecily needed rest to fully recover from the birth, and there was no way she was getting enough trying to nurse the baby every few hours.

“Bett, you’re so good with him,” Cecily said. “I can never seem to calm him like you do.”

She handed Cecily the sleeping baby. “You’re good with him as well, although I fear taking care of Stephen all alone is taking too much of a toll on you. When you’re tense, the baby is as well. Would you reconsider hiring a wet nurse so you may get some much-needed rest?”

“But I wanted to be the one to feed Stephen. It’s what good mothers do, isn’t it?”

“Cecily, believe me, you are a good mother, but the strain of taking care of the baby is making you miserable. You need to think of your own health as well because a child needs its mother. We don’t want you falling ill. That wouldn’t be ideal for anyone, especially the baby.”

“I know, but I wanted to prove to Peter that I could do it,” Cecily said as a tear rolled down her cheek. “He’ll think I’m a failure if I can’t feed my own child.”

“You will never be a failure in my eyes, my darling,” Peter said, walking into the room. “Where on earth did you get that idea?”

“Peter, I wanted you to be proud of me.”

Peter sat on the sofa next to his wife and sleeping child. “My darling, I’m always proud of you. You’re the most important person in the world to me, and now you’ve given me a son. I shall cherish both of you always.” He kissed her forehead before doing the same to Stephen.

Cecily smiled at her husband. “Thank you, my darling. Bett and I were just talking, and she agrees with you that perhaps it’s time to hire a wet nurse for Stephen. Do you think that would be best now?”

Peter turned toward Bett. “Thank you, Bett, for convincing my wife a wet nurse would be beneficial for both her and the child.”

“You are welcome. Cecily needs her rest, and little Stephen is a hungry little boy, wanting to eat every two or three hours. Shall I contact the midwife for suggestions?”

“Yes. That would be most helpful,” Peter said. “The last thing I want is for my wife to be fatigued and fall ill.”

“Of course. I shall attend to it now,” Bett said, leaving the happy family to bask in the joy of holding their child.

As she walked to her bedchamber, she couldn’t help but wonder if she’d ever have such a happy scene in her future, and it made her wonder how Noah was faring. It had been weeks since Mr. Walker told her of his family’s tragedy.

Was she destined to be alone for the rest of her life?

If you’d asked her that question after the Fleming house party, her answer would have been different than it was now. Her heart ached for Noah, and she wanted nothing more than to comfort him in his grief, but she was powerless to do anything until she heard from him. She could only hope a note would be arriving soon.

Before Bett reached her room, she saw Cecily’s lady’s maid. “Fitzwilliam, a word, please,” she called out.

The maid turned and walked to her. “My lady, may I help you?”

“Yes, but it’s not I who needs help. Lady Williams would like to hire a wet nurse for baby Stephen.”

“Mrs. Wrentham will certainly know of suitable candidates. She lives on the outskirts of Albury. Thomas knows where she lives and can take a note to her.”

“Thank you, Fitzwilliam. I will write to Mrs. Wrentham now.”

“My lady?” the maid said, hesitating.

“Yes? Is something amiss?”

Fitzwilliam shook her head. “No, it’s merely that I wish to thank you for convincing my mistress she needs help with the child. I’ve seen her health deteriorate greatly since the babe was born.”

“My thoughts exactly,” Bett said, continuing on to her room. Once inside, she pulled out a sheet of paper and wrote a quick note to the midwife. She hoped Mrs. Wrentham would be able to suggest a suitable candidate quickly because she feared Cecily’s health would continue to decline if she didn’t get relief from nursing Stephen soon.

After handing off the note to Thomas to deliver to the midwife, Bett made her way to the garden. Puffy white clouds dotted the blue sky, and there was a gentle breeze blowing. It was a perfect October day. Well, almost perfect. Without Noah by her side, her outlook on her life had dimmed, and she didn’t know if she’d ever be able to move on without him.

How could she ever entertain having another man court her when her heart cried out for Noah?

Peter watched Bett in the garden from his study window after he’d escorted his wife upstairs for a much-deserved nap while the baby slept. He would be forever grateful for Bett’s assistance with Cecily, so much so that he wanted to do everything within his power to keep her living at Crenshaw Manor for the foreseeable future. She was such a calming influence on his wife, and he didn’t know how Cecily would react if Bett were to marry and move away.

He couldn’t let that happen.

There was a knock on the door, and Adams entered his study. “My lord, these letters just arrived. Shall I deliver it to the dowager directly?”

Peter took the letters. “No. I shall give them to her. She’s out in the garden at the moment.”

“Very good, sir,” Adams said, exiting the study.

Peter studied the first letter. It was definitely a woman’s handwriting, but he didn’t recognize it. He had no qualms about breaking the seal and reading the contents.

Dearest Bett,

We have just learned the tragic news and are heading to Oxfordshire. While Robertson helps Lord Harrison, I would very much like a chance to visit with you. It’s been too long since we’ve seen each other.

I will send a note when we arrive at Harrison Manor.

In loving friendship,

Olivia

Peter refolded the letter and put it at the bottom of the pile of other letters on his desk. He hadn’t yet decided whether or not he would give the note to Bett. He knew Olivia was a dear friend of his sister-in-law and had recently married a wealthy earl, but Cecily needed Bett here more. He didn’t know who Lord Harrison was, and he certainly didn’t want Bett to go visiting with Olivia, especially now that Cecily had finally agreed to hire a wet nurse. He needed to keep the household as calm as possible so his wife could recover her health.

He saw the seal on the second letter and didn’t recognize the crest. It didn’t matter because he had decided he wouldn’t give Bett this letter either, but he didn’t break the seal to read the contents. Whoever it was from would be waiting a long time for an answer. Peter shoved this letter at the bottom of the pile as well.

He would go to any lengths necessary to ensure his wife’s happiness, even if it meant denying Bett hers. He felt a momentary pang of guilt for keeping the letters from her, but he pushed the feeling away. His priority was clear.

Cecily needed Bett more.