Chapter 7

Olivia entered Westbrook House feeling refreshed after having a good night’s sleep. After Lord Clermont had been given his son, she’d enjoyed a pleasant conversation with Dr. Valentine, her sister and even Dr. Sinclair.

She nearly laughed. Olivia never considered the possibility that she and Dr. Sinclair would one day have a pleasant conversation. His observations had been correct, for as soon as the child was placed in Clermont’s arms, the man nearly cried. Any anger he had been carrying when he marched into Westbrook House melted away.

Olivia should not be surprised about Sinclair’s predictions. In his profession, Dr. Sinclair scrutinized people and their behavior as it served in his analysis of the mind. He was able to recognize what she had not, and Olivia was actually happy that Dr. Sinclair had been present, otherwise, she would have been afraid to hand over the child.

Clermont had admitted that he would claim that his wife gave birth to twins and the son would be treated as her own, thus Clermont would finally have his heir. Valentine had no issue with him doing so and would say nothing. Sinclair was bothered, as it was a requirement that heirs be born of a marriage, and he found it difficult to believe that Society would not learn the truth but would also say nothing. As for Victoria and Olivia, it was none of their concern what Clermont announced. He was still the father of the son, a bloodline, and the child should not have to suffer or be denied because of the actions of the parents.

She found that she also enjoyed Dr. Sinclair’s company and some of the admiration she once held for him returned. Of course, he had not condescended to her, nor had he been autocratic. He’d been friendly and an entertaining companion. Certainly, an improvement on last year.

“Six more children are ill, Lady Olivia,” Fern advised her.

She was surprised that there weren’t more. “I will check on them shortly. I assume you have made them as comfortable as possible.”

“Yes, I have. Did you want me to separate them from the others?”

“I no longer believe that is necessary. Everyone has likely been exposed so we simply need to prepare for the illnesses.”

“Very good. I will see to their care.”

Olivia then made her way to the kitchen where she requested a pot of tea and returned to her office where she intended to begin work. However, a knock on the door caused her to pause in her destination. As she knew the other women were busy in the late morning hours, she answered herself. On the other side stood Dr. Valentine and surprisingly, Dr. Sinclair. She was not at all irritated to see that he returned, unlike yesterday, but she did wonder why.

“I have come to check on the children to see if their condition has improved,” Dr. Valentine said as she opened the door wider so that he could enter.

Olivia hitched a brow and looked at Dr. Sinclair. “Are you still observing, Dr. Sinclair?”

There was no chill in her tone any longer, but she could not help but be curious.

“I believe I am attempting to be of assistance.” He chuckled.

Olivia paused. Had she ever heard Dr. Sinclair laugh?

“I find that I am intrigued by the duties of a surgeon, which I had only learned about in school but never practiced. I wish to learn more.”

“The son of an Earl cannot be a surgeon.” It just was not done.

“Yes, well not all of us fear sullying our hands.”

Olivia wasn’t certain what to make of Dr. Sinclair, but if he wanted to be more useful, she would not begrudge him the opportunity. Though, she also hoped that he didn’t put his other area of study aside. Despite their differences in how to treat amnesia, he had brilliant insight and so much more needed to be learned about the mind, which could only be accomplished by doctors like him.

“Six more children are ill enough to remain in bed,” she informed them.

“We shall check on them first, then the others from yesterday, and possibly examine the remainder of the children for signs of further illness,” Dr. Valentine informed her as he headed up the stairs.

“Please let me know if there is anything else you need,” Olivia said as she returned to her office.

She had not expected to see Dr. Sinclair again. At least not within the walls of Westbrook House. At a ball perhaps, but not here.

What was he about?

She knew that it could not be as he claimed—that he was assisting Dr. Valentine, so it must be something else. Yet she could not imagine what it would be. Unless he wished to question the children to determine the health of their minds while Dr. Valentine determined the health of their bodies. If so, then she could hardly see the harm in him doing so. She just wished he would ask first.

Olivia had only been working at her desk for little over an hour when Dr. Valentine and Dr. Sinclair emerged from above stairs. She looked up when they paused at the open door to her office.

“More are showing symptoms than those who have taken to their bed,” Dr. Valentine advised. “Given their symptoms, my diagnosis is that of an epidemic cold and it will likely strike every child in this building.”

“Is it not odd that they are suffering from such in the spring? Does that not usually occur in the winter?” The question came from Dr. Sinclair.

“Such is usually the case, but not always. These children have suffered from the same in the middle of summer. All it takes is one to become ill, and when they live so closely together, the condition spreads as quickly as fire to a dry field of grass.”

Dr. Sinclair simply nodded.

“There”s nothing more you can do except to keep them warm and make certain they receive plenty of rest.”

Olivia rose from her desk. “Thank you for coming.”

“If any of them worsen, please send for me.”

Olivia escorted them to the door only to be interrupted by Fern.

“Lady Olivia it is time for you to leave.”

Olivia checked the timepiece she always kept with her. The funeral would begin in a short time. “Thank you, Fern. Please have the carriage brought around to take me to the cemetery.”

“Cemetery?” Dr. Valentine asked.

“Yes, Eve is to be buried today and I thought someone should be by her graveside.”

It was odd that Eve had not been buried yesterday, but the undertaker already had bodies that he needed to get into the ground, so Eve had to wait.

While Dr. Valentine nodded in understanding, Dr. Sinclair puckered his brow. It was likely he did not approve, as it was often frowned upon for women to attend funerals. It was a rule she did not truly understand because the loss was just as great for a woman as it would be for a man. Or perhaps it was because so many gentlemen thought women to be more fragile and subject to emotional outbursts.

It was all quite ridiculous, but she did not care to argue the matter.

“Would you mind if I accompanied you?”

Olivia pulled back in surprise. “Are you certain, Dr. Sinclair?”

“Yes. Miss Eve should have someone by her graveside.”

Olivia stared at him for a moment. Such a conundrum of a gentleman. “You may accompany me, Dr. Sinclair. I only need to retrieve my pelisse and we will be on our way.”

Xavier had been to only one funeral in his life. The one for his mother and father. He had been thirteen years old and the memory of standing by their graves had been branded in his memory. It had been a rainy day and he stood silently by his older brother as the vicar read scripture. Their graves had been side-by-side in the family cemetery that dated back generations. Nothing like the pauper cemetery in which Xavier now stood.

It was just him, Lady Olivia, and a vicar who had not known Miss Eve. The pine box had already been lowered into the ground, a single resting place, which he was certain Lady Olivia had paid for and in contrast to the large pit dug not far away. That was for those who had no money for a solitary resting place. Those poor souls were tied up with burlap and from what he understood, six to eight people would share the grave before they were covered.

Lady Olivia had also hired someone to sit by Miss Eve’s grave to deter resurrectionists. What was to keep them from claiming bodies from a currently open grave?

It was a question he could not answer, and Xavier tried to put it out of his mind.

Looking around the bleak cemetery with very few grave markings made him realize that not only were the poor lacking in life, but also in death.

Xavier had always known there were poor and starving people in London, but how bleak had that life been that led them to this final end? This cemetery was so different than the family one back home with its crypts and neat graves and carved headstones.

After the vicar said the final prayer and the grave diggers began to toss the dirt back onto the pine box, Lady Olivia turned and walked away with Xavier following. He had no words to say and even though he had only met Miss Eve right before her death, his heart felt heavy at the loss.

A part of him had expected to see Lord Clermont at the funeral, given he had seemed to care for his former mistress, but he also was not surprised that he was absent since it would have raised speculation as to why he was here if seen. Xavier had no concerns that anyone would remark on his presence and even if they did, he did not care.

“How many of these funerals have you attended?”

“Enough,” Lady Olivia answered quietly.

“Do you always pay so that they can be buried alone?”

“Yes.”

“It is very generous of you.” Xavier paused by the carriage where footmen opened the door. Xavier offered his hand and Lady Olivia stepped into the carriage and then he followed her inside.

“Have you lost many at Westbrook House?”

“Not nearly as many as a foundling hospital.”

Children should not die. He knew that they did but Xavier couldn”t help but feel that it was wrong.

“We had not started as a home for children, but for women in difficult situations. But we also couldn’t turn the children away that came to us, which is why we house both.” Lady Olivia glanced out the window. “Too often children have been brought to us after having lived in the rookeries for years. Their health is already poor as they have not been able to eat nutritional meals very often. Some had only seen fruit when they swiped an orange in the marketplace. Too often, by the time they arrived here, they were already in such a weakened state that there was nothing I could do to save them. Not the healthiest broth or soups or a warm bed. Those were the children we lost.”

“And the ones that survived continue to thrive today,” Xavier reminded her.

“I intend to keep each of them alive so they can live into adulthood and have a profession that they can be proud of that is also legal.”

“They get training?”

“Those who are thirteen and fourteen have received additional instruction in being a kitchen maid, household maid, girl of all work, stable hand, and footman,” she answered. “Westbrook House has not existed so long that we have had children leave upon reaching an adult status. However, we hope that they find positions.”

Xavier feared that perhaps Lady Olivia was being too optimistic about the future of her charges. “Do you think anyone in Society would hire somebody from Westbrook House?”

“There are some who will believe that once a thief always a thief. Or they will not want someone in their house that was born in the rookeries or on the wrong side of the blanket. However, it is my hope that some in Society will look past how these children had come into the world and give them the opportunity to better their future.” Lady Olivia arched a brow and stared at him. “Yet, I am also aware of how often others judge.”

“I was only asking a question. Not passing judgment,” Xavier defended.

Lady Olivia knew Society as well as he and how difficult it might be to find the children positions once they left Westbrook House. How many of her charges would find their way back to the rookeries and to life as it had once been?

“I will see that they succeed,” Lady Olivia insisted as the carriage came to a halt before Westbrook House.

Before he could say anything further the footman opened the door and she stepped out. As this was her carriage, Xavier did the same and followed her into the house.

“Is there something further you needed today, Dr. Sinclair?”

He was being dismissed and thus should take his leave. “No. I was simply escorting you to your door. Thank you for allowing me to join you.”

“Dr. Sinclair?”

Xavier and Lady Olivia both turned to find a man alight from a hackney and approach.

“I was told that you might return here. I am in need of your services, Dr. Sinclair.”