3. Chapter Three

CHAPTER THREE

R uby awaited her family in the drawing room. She wore Caroline's castoffs—a dress, underthings, and stockings—and her hair was pulled back into a severe bun at the nape of her neck. Still, she was not prepared for the inevitable confrontation ahead.

" Maman." Ruby smiled as her mother came rushing toward her, rose to her feet, and accepted her embrace.

Her mother drew back to study Ruby's face. "You are too thin. What on earth have you been doing to yourself?"

"Trying to survive." Ruby eased out of her mother's arms and sat down. "You know how that goes."

"True. I have had my share of trials and tribulations," her mother acknowledged. "But none of them have been of my own choosing."

Caroline cleared her throat. "I've ordered some tea. It should be here shortly."

"Thank you." Her mother sat as well, smoothing the skirts of her silk gown. "Ivy will be here in a moment. She wanted to speak to Francis."

"He's just arrived back from London," Caroline said. "He might not be in a very receptive mood."

"Is he ever? I think Ivy wants him to invest in her husband's proposed publishing venture." Mrs. Delisle took off her gloves and set them on the side table.

"I hadn't heard about that." Caroline frowned.

"Then thank the lord that you don't live with them, because I have heard nothing else for the past week." Her mother sighed. "If Alice had done her duty and stayed with Ivy instead of marrying that railway navvy, I wouldn't have to put up with it."

"At one point we all thought Alice was going to marry Ian, maman ," Caroline reminded her. "It's hardly likely she'd wish to live with the woman who took her place."

"Francis should have told Alice to do her duty to her family. She should've showed more gratitude, considering her tenuous social position."

"Regardless of the circumstances of her birth, Francis considers Alice his true sister," Caroline snapped back. "And as she is very happy with her extremely rich and successful husband, I suspect he would consider he made the correct decision to support her choices."

"About what?" Ivy came into the room. "What did I miss?"

"Nothing in particular." Caroline smiled as she went to embrace her younger sister. " Maman just mentioned that Ian is considering setting up a publishing company,"

Ivy came over to hug Ruby, her expression full of sweetness. "I am so glad you have returned to us. I have missed you so much."

Ruby hugged her sister back. They'd been inseparable for years—Ruby the fierce protector and Ivy the shrinking violet—but things had changed. Despite adversity, Ivy had grown into a strong woman, leaving Ruby floundering in the mire behind her.

Ivy moved her chair as close to Ruby's as possible and reached over to take her hand. "How is Nora?"

"She is doing very well." Ruby glanced over at Caroline who nodded.

Her mother sniffed. "And where exactly is your husband, Ruby?"

"I'm not sure whom you are referring to, maman , because I do not have one," Ruby said steadily.

"Then if you aren't married, your child is a bastard."

"My child is loved and wanted." Ruby held her mother's gaze. "And you are her grandmother, whether you choose to acknowledge that relationship or not."

Mrs. Delisle tossed her head. "I am not one to speak ill of my own family in public, but I will tell you privately that I do not approve of such irresponsible behavior. Your reputation is ruined."

"I am well aware of that," Ruby said. "But as I have no intention of reentering society or marrying it doesn't matter to me."

"What about your sisters and me?"

"Caroline and Ivy are already married, and their reputations, along with yours, are unlikely to be sullied by mine."

"If you have no husband, how are you going to support yourself and your child?" her mother demanded. "Do you intend to live off your relatives for the rest of your life?"

Her mother had squandered her own inheritance and lived off her daughters. Ruby felt an old spark come to life, urging her to remind her mother of this fact, but she tamped it down. She was too exhausted to start another fight.

Ivy squeezed her hand. "Ruby will always have a home with me, and I know Caroline feels the same."

"Absolutely." Caroline looked up as the butler and parlor maid came in bringing the tea tray and a collection of cakes. "Thank you." She started pouring the tea and Ivy got up to pass the cups around. "Make sure Ruby has some cake."

"She should." Ivy winked at Ruby as she set the cup down. "Caroline's cook is the best in the county."

"Thank you." Ruby accepted both the tea and the pile of cakes on her plate. She found most of the food too rich and struggled to enjoy it.

After making sure everyone was settled, Caroline turned to Ivy. "What is this publishing lark all about?"

"Oh! Ian thinks he should stay at home for a year or so and compile his notebooks, diaries, and botanical drawings into a series of published books." Ivy ate a cake. "I suspect part of his reasoning is to keep an eye on me so that I don't abandon him and our child again, but it is something he is genuinely interested in pursuing."

"He should stay home," Mrs. Delisle said. "He's too old to be gallivanting around the world while his child is so young, and he needs an heir."

Ruby noticed Ivy's shudder. Her sister had fallen into a great melancholy after the birth of her first child and at one point had left her at home and run away to Leeds, which had caused a host of complications in Ruby's life before Francis had arrived to take Ivy home. She wished she had the energy to defend Ivy against her mother but that part of her, the defiant flicker of rage that had propelled her into leaving Millcastle in the first place, had been extinguished long before Sidney left her.

Luckily, Caroline was made of sterner stuff and was quite happy to engage with her mother and set her straight.

"Ivy and Ian have years ahead of them to have more children, maman, and with all due respect, it is none of your business."

"I do live there," her mother objected. "I am a part of the household."

"And a very valued part, I'm sure," Caroline replied.

"Yes, indeed," Ivy added. "I don't know how we would get on without you."

For a moment, Ruby wondered whether all was well with Ivy's marriage if she still needed her mother to live with her. Was maman her companion or her watchdog? If she could find the energy, she'd ask Caroline about it later.

She abruptly stood up. "I need to feed Nora."

Her mother looked scandalized. "I thought Caroline said she'd brought in a wet nurse so that you could recover your strength and not worry about such things."

Ruby looked over at Caroline. "Will you excuse me, please?"

"Of course," Caroline said, even though she knew full well that Ruby still couldn't feed Nora. "I will be going out in an hour or so to visit Alice, if you wish to accompany me?"

"I suspect I'll be asleep." Ruby tried to smile. "But thank you for the invitation."

"Why are you visiting Alice?" Mrs. Delisle demanded.

"Why would I not?" Caroline raised an eyebrow. "I am extremely fond of her."

"She coveted Ivy's husband!"

" Maman ." Ivy sighed. "Alice had every right to assume Ian was going to propose to her because he fully intended to. You know that better than anyone."

Ruby headed to the door as a headache crept up the back of her neck. She couldn't deal with her mother at the best of times, and this wasn't one of them. The argument continued as she quietly closed the door behind her. She went up the stairs, her energy disappearing through the leaden soles of her feet, making each step an effort.

The curtains in her room were open, but she didn't bother to close them. At least she'd done her duty and met her mother again, which was enough for now. She took off her borrowed shoes, climbed into bed, and fell asleep the moment her head touched the pillow.

* * *

An hour later, she was wide awake, her body simply not used to the luxury of being able to sleep whenever she felt like it. She went up to the nursery, but Nora had just been put down for her nap and was sleeping peacefully in her cradle with a nurserymaid sitting beside her in case she needed anything.

At a loss for something to do and unwilling to return to her bedchamber and the darkness of her own thoughts, Ruby went down into the hall where she discovered Caroline just putting on her bonnet.

"Ruby!"

"Do you think Alice would object to my presence if I accompanied you?" Ruby asked.

"Not at all. She is part of our family, and I trust her implicitly." Caroline helped Ruby find her new cloak and bonnet. "And it will do you good to get some fresh air. You haven't been out in almost a week."

Ruby allowed the footman to help her into the carriage. She marveled again at how some women were treated as helpless ornaments, while other toiled in factories for lower wages than the men. Factory owners thought women were more docile and less likely to rebel because of their need to provide for their children.

The luxury that surrounded her now felt as unreal as her other life, and she wondered if she'd ever be able to reconcile the two. Shaking off her sense of unreality, she focused her gaze on the scenery, all too aware of the smoking chimneys behind them in Millcastle and the ugly scar of the railway dissecting the hills surrounding the valley.

To her surprise, Alice's house was a square, stone-built Georgian building with a sweeping drive and established gardens flowing down toward the local river.

"I assumed Mr. Hepworth would require something far larger and more modern," Ruby said as the carriage stopped at the front door. "This is charming."

"Despite what you might think, Mr. Hepworth is completely under his wife's thumb," Caroline said. "Alice loved this house, so he bought it for her. He also gave her carte blanche to furnish and decorate it, which for a man who knows exactly how many nails are needed to build a station platform, was quite a concession."

"Lucky Alice." Ruby stepped out of the carriage into the weak sunshine and appreciated the silence settling around them.

"I do believe she had a lucky escape from Ian. Ivy's intervention was good for all of them."

"Even Ivy?" Ruby looked at her sister. "Is she truly happy?"

"I think she has the capacity to be happy," Caroline said carefully. "But it might take time for her and Ian to trust each other completely again."

"Understandable when she ran away from him."

"Some women struggle after giving birth. If you'd been here?—"

Ruby interrupted her sister. "You don't have to explain. I saw how she was when she arrived in Leeds and threw herself on my mercy. I am not criticizing her."

Caroline touched her sleeve. "Alice had a very difficult birth, and she and her daughter still seem quite fragile."

Ruby raised her chin. "Thank you for the warning. I'll try not to say anything insensitive."

Caroline rolled her eyes as she knocked on the door. "I can't decide if I'm glad to see you being prickly again or offended that you'd think I didn't know you'd be kind."

"You don't know me very well anymore, sister. And, in truth, as I don't know myself, I appreciate your warning."

The door was opened by a parlor maid who bobbed a curtsy and invited them into the spacious hall. "Sorry, my lady. It's the butler's afternoon off and Mrs. Hepworth was just up in the nursery." She smiled as she took their cloaks and gloves. "She's in the drawing room now, and I was just about to fetch her some tea."

"Thank you." Caroline was always so gracious one might think she'd been born a viscountess. "There's no need to announce us. We'll go and find her while you get on."

"Thank you, my lady."

Ruby followed her sister into a sunlit drawing room decorated in subtle cream and blue. The room was dominated by a large portrait hanging over the mantel of Mr. Hepworth scowling ferociously. She was already regretting her decision to accompany Caroline, a feeling that didn't abate when she realized their hostess was already entertaining another guest.

Dr. Nash rose to his feet and bowed to them both.

"Viscountess Grafton-Wesley. Ma'am. I didn't realize you intended to visit Mrs. Hepworth this afternoon. I was with Mr. Hepworth, and he brought me here for lunch and then had to leave rather suddenly. I can go if you prefer to enjoy your visit in peace?"

"It is of no matter," Caroline said easily. "In fact, we can take you back to Grafton Hall when we leave, if you wish."

"I would appreciate that." Dr. Nash nodded his thanks.

Ruby went over to greet Alice. "You probably don't remember me, Mrs. Hepworth, but I was at Ivy and Ian's wedding,"

"I remember you very well." Alice, who was as blond and dainty as spun glass, smiled warmly at Ruby. "You were one of the few guests my future husband approved of."

"He was something of an anomaly at that wedding," Ruby acknowledged. "A self-made man and proud of it."

Alice gestured for them all to sit down. "He is proud of his background. And why shouldn't he be? Not many men can build railways and bring them in on time and at a profit."

"Hear, hear." Dr. Nash's aristocratic drawl was always surprising considering the company he kept. For the first time Ruby wondered what had brought him to Millcastle and whether he intended to stay.

Was he one of those younger sons of the aristocracy who had no chance of inheriting a title and frittered his life away in society? She studied him covertly. Perhaps that was unfair. He had trained in a respectable profession.

Although he was currently residing at the hall, she'd barely seen him. He spent his days either attending Mr. Hepworth in Millcastle or dealing with his patients. He came over to sit beside her as Caroline and Alice discussed the weather.

"You are looking much better, ma'am."

"Thank you." Ruby risked a cautious smile. "Nora is also thriving."

"I know. I visit her in the nursery every morning and speak to her nurse."

"I was unaware of that." Ruby wasn't sure how she felt about Dr. Nash checking on her child. "I can assure you that I would ask for your assistance if I thought she needed it."

His sudden grin caught her unawares. "There's no need to glare at me, Mrs.…" He frowned. "I'm not sure I know your last name."

"It's Miss Delisle." Ruby held his gaze. "And I would appreciate it if you spoke to me about my child rather than to her nurse."

"Noted, Miss Delisle." He paused. "Although I must say in my own defense that I've been reluctant to wake you up that early in the morning merely to hear what a very competent nursery nurse can tell me to my face."

"As you can see, I am quite recovered now. Perhaps you could speak to me at breakfast if you have any further concerns?"

"If you are up and about at six then I shall certainly do so." He inclined his head. "I understand that your appetite has improved considerably."

"You've been keeping an eye on me as well, have you?"

He raised his eyebrows. "I'm a doctor, Miss Delisle, and you are a patient under my care."

"Then I willingly release you from that duty," Ruby said. "I am completely recovered."

He studied her for a long moment. "As you wish."

"Thank you." Ruby looked past him toward the door where the parlor maid was bringing in the tea. She raised her voice so that her hostess could hear her. "I do hope to meet your new daughter, Mrs. Hepworth. Caroline tells me she is of a similar age to my Nora."

"I'd be delighted to take you up to the nursery after we've finished our tea, and please call me Alice. We are practically family." She looked at Dr. Nash. "Will you take Ruby's tea to her, please?"

Dr. Nash rose to his feet and brought the delicate cup of tea back to Ruby.

"Thank you."

"You are most welcome." He returned for his own cup and somehow managed to juggle two plates along with his tea, one of which he set in front of Ruby.

"I didn't ask for any further refreshments," Ruby said.

"You need your strength."

"I thought we just agreed that my medical concerns were no longer any of your business?"

"Force of habit?" He ignored his cake but drank his tea in two gulps before rising to his feet. "If you'll excuse me for a moment, Mrs. Hepworth, I'll take a turn around the garden." He looked at Caroline. "I'll make sure to be back by the time you are ready to depart."

The three ladies watched him stroll out of one of the French windows, his hand already reaching into his coat pocket for his cigar case. Ruby realized that Alice and Caroline were staring at her.

"I wasn't aware that you and Dr. Nash didn't get along." Caroline was the first to speak.

"Neither was I," Alice said. "Or I wouldn't have encouraged him to stay while you were visiting me."

"I'm not sure what you are talking about," Ruby said. "We were simply having a frank discussion about the limits of a physician's care."

"Oh, is that all?" Caroline asked. "Because it looked as if you were arguing, and as I've never heard Dr. Nash raise his voice to anyone, it was something of a surprise."

"I asked him not to continue to treat me as his patient, and that if he wished to discuss Nora's care, he should speak to me directly and not to her nurse."

Caroline grimaced. "That was my fault. You desperately needed your rest. When Dr. Nash asked me what he should do about Nora, I took it upon myself to suggest he speak to me or the nurse if you were not present."

"Oh." Ruby paused. "He didn't mention that part."

In truth, he'd accepted he was at fault and not blamed anyone except himself. For some reason, that didn't make Ruby feel any better about their encounter. While Caroline told Alice what Francis had been doing in London, Ruby busied herself drinking her tea and ate the slice of angel cake Dr. Nash had set beside her.

Eventually, after she'd eaten both her cake and Dr. Nash's, Ruby rose to her feet to accompany her sister and Alice up to the nursery. She was vaguely aware that Mr. Hepworth had other children but there was no sign of them.

"Is Dan at school?" Caroline asked as they reached the nursery door.

"He's out with his tutor in Millcastle learning how the cloth trade works at the piece hall, and then he's having tea with his father to celebrate his birthday." Alice smiled. "He has no interest in going away to boarding school and would prefer to work his way up in the world like his father. Elijah thinks it will be the making of him."

"Good for Dan," Caroline said. "I have still not asked Francis whether he believes Joseph should be sent to Harrow when he is seven."

"It seems cruel to send them away when they are so young," Alice said. "I am glad Dan will stay home with me and Amelia."

"Crueler to put them to work in a mill," Ruby said before she could stop herself.

"We are aware of that, Ruby," Caroline said gently. "And we're both actively campaigning to force parliament to pass legislation to improve child labor laws."

"I'd be glad to help with that," Ruby said. "It is a cause close to my heart."

"Then when you are feeling better, I'll introduce you to our local committee. Your opinion would be most welcome."

Caroline went into the nursery and Ruby followed her. Did she really want to get involved with politics again? The last few frantic years had almost broken her, but she still had a clear sense of the injustices of life, and having lived through some of the worst of them, she did have valuable experience to contribute. Whether the well-meaning ladies of Millcastle would listen to her was another thing entirely…

"This is my daughter, Amelia." Alice came toward Ruby, holding a little girl. "She is quite shy."

Amelia was fair-haired like her parents and had cornflower-blue eyes that peeked shyly at Ruby over her mother's shoulder.

"Hello, Amelia," Ruby spoke softly. "What a very pretty dress you are wearing."

The little girl immediately turned her head into her mother's neck and held on even tighter.

Alice smiled. "She was the same with Dr. Nash until he coaxed her out of her shyness by being extremely silly."

"I can't imagine him lowering himself to be silly," Ruby said.

"You'd be surprised what he'll do for his patients." Caroline sat by the fire and Ruby and Alice joined her. "He is an exemplary physician."

Alice nodded as she settled Amelia on her lap. "He saved our lives. At one point during the birth, Elijah thought he would have to choose which one of us to save, but Dr. Nash made sure that he didn't have to make such an awful decision."

"I'm glad about that," Caroline said.

"Dr. Nash said he just happened to come to lunch today because he was working with Elijah close by," Alice said. "But I am fairly certain my husband asked him to come and see how we are doing. He is a terrible worrier."

Ruby couldn't imagine Mr. Hepworth worrying about anything but had to take his wife's word for it. Perhaps beneath his blustering exterior he was a soft-hearted man.

"And are you both well?" Caroline asked.

"I have recovered completely," Alice said. "Amelia seems…" She sighed. "She isn't talking at all yet, and her appetite is very uncertain."

Ruby glanced at the little girl who was sitting on her mother's lap, her gaze on the light streaming through the window.

"Not all children progress at the same rate," Ruby reminded her hostess. "My Nora doesn't speak much, either."

Ruby blamed herself for that. Just getting through each day and providing warmth, food, and somewhere to sleep had exhausted her so much that she'd had little time to play with her child. And Nora seemed to have been born knowing she needed to be quiet, because a constantly screaming baby in a tenement might provoke someone to violence.

"They are of a similar age," Caroline agreed. "Perhaps they might enjoy each other's company and learn together?"

Alice smiled at Ruby. "I think that is a delightful idea, don't you?"

"Yes, indeed. Nora would probably enjoy that."

For some reason, Ruby felt more comfortable in the Hepworth home than Francis's mansion. The idea of having Alice as a friend appealed to her. She had her sisters and mother in her life, but sometimes she felt as if she didn't fit in anymore. They'd all decided who she was and what she deserved years ago, and nothing she said would change that. She felt guilty even thinking such a thing when everyone had been so kind to her, but it was the truth.

Caroline went over to the window and looked down into the garden.

"I can see a trail of smoke but no sign of Dr. Nash."

"Perhaps he has left?" Alice suggested.

"Not if he wishes to accompany us back to the hall," Caroline said. "The clouds are gathering again. I do hope he hasn't decided to walk."

Alice handed her daughter over to the nurse. "Perhaps we should go and find our errant guest so that you can all be on your way."

Ruby stood and followed her sister and Alice down the stairs to the hall where Dr. Nash awaited them. He looked pensive in his dark coat, his medical bag in his hand, and smelled faintly of smoke.

"I do hope you are still willing to give me a seat in your carriage, my lady." His voice rose toward them as they descended. "Otherwise, I am destined for a soaking."

"You are most welcome to join us," Caroline said as she reached his side.

"Then I will ask for your carriage to be brought round." Alice headed for the kitchen.

Dr. Nash's gaze fell on Ruby. "When I passed through the drawing room, I noticed you'd eaten all the cake."

"Perhaps it was my sister." Ruby met his gaze. "Or one of the maids."

A small smile tugged at the side of his mouth, making him look far more attractive. "I'm sure a true gentleman would agree with you and not mention that you have a dab of white icing on your cheek."

Her fingers flew to her face, and he offered her his handkerchief. "Just to the right of your nose, if that helps."

"Thank you." Ruby scrubbed at the spot and risked a glance at her companion. "It was very good cake."