No Place for an Angel

by Gail Whitiker

  ‘In that case, he won’t be right until he’s had it up,’ Valbourg said. He turned to Catherine and sighed. ‘Do you mind going home on your own?’

  ‘Of course not. But will having Thomas here be too much trouble? I can take him home if you like.’

  ‘No, there’s no need to wake him. If the doctor believes Sebastian has anything contagious, I’ll send Thomas home straight away. Otherwise, I shall see you in the morning.’

  ‘All right. Goodnight, Lord Valbourg. And thank you...for everything.’

  He couldn’t kiss her with his butler standing right there, but Valbourg allowed his gaze to linger on her lips and knew from the colour that bloomed in her cheeks that she understood.

  He closed the door and turned to see Finholm watching him. ‘I trust, Finholm, that the events of the evening will not be made known to any of my family.’

  ‘Events, my lord?’ The butler looked confused. ‘What events?’

  Valbourg smiled, thinking, not for the first time, that a man in possession of a discreet butler was an extremely fortunate one indeed.

  * * *

  Catherine barely waited until ten o’clock the next morning before setting out to see Thomas. She had finally fallen asleep with thoughts of her son—and Valbourg—swirling around in her head and, upon waking, realised she was desperate to see both.

  Thankfully, Finholm greeted her at the door with a smile. ‘Good morning, Miss Jones.’

  ‘Good morning, Finholm. How is Sebastian feeling this morning?’

  ‘Much better, thank you, miss.’ The butler closed the door and turned to lead the way into the drawing room. ‘I believe he was up during the night, but I think it safe to say that whatever ailed him has now passed out of his system and a timely recovery is expected.’

  ‘I am glad to hear it,’ Catherine replied, none the less feeling a little guilty. If Sebastian’s recovery was due to his throwing up whatever he had ingested, it likely meant he wasn’t suffering from anything contagious. With Thomas living in the same house, that was definitely of concern to her.

  Finholm left her in the drawing room and Catherine waited, wondering how Thomas had slept and how he was feeling this morning. Would he still be excited about being in London, or might he already be missing Megan and the Haileys and be longing to return home? Everything was so new to him here. Being in London, sleeping in a stranger’s house, even spending time with her, were all experiences that could be overwhelming to a small boy who had been leading a sheltered existence in the country.

  Which meant, Catherine realised, that there could be no revelations of any kind today. She had no intention of alarming her son by telling him she was his mother. The timing had to be perfect for that. Too soon and he might take fright and want to return to the Haileys. Too late and it would only become harder for her.

  She decided to keep an open mind and see what developed. Then the door opened and Valbourg came in. ‘Good morning, Miss Jones.’

  The sight of him caused a constriction in Catherine’s throat. Heavens, was this how it felt to be in love? Was this breathless anticipation all part of it? ‘Good morning, my lord.’

  Then the door closed and she was in his arms, his body pressed tightly against hers, his mouth warm and possessive on hers. It was the sweetest greeting Catherine had ever received. ‘Are you in the habit of greeting all of your morning callers this way, my lord?’ she enquired huskily.

  ‘Only those who look as beautiful as you,’ Valbourg murmured. ‘The others receive a more traditional handshake.’

  Catherine laughed, suddenly feeling wonderfully young and carefree. ‘You will turn my head with your flattery, sir.’

  His arms tightened around her. ‘I would do anything to see you smile.’ He kissed her again and then reluctantly released her. ‘So, what have you planned for Thomas today?’

  ‘I thought to take him to the park.’ Equally reluctant, Catherine moved out of his arms. ‘I suspect he would enjoy feeding the ducks.’

  ‘Then by all means, we must go to the park.’

  ‘“We”? Surely you do not intend to be seen with us, Richard?’ Catherine said, fearing for his reputation. ‘I cannot think it would be a good idea.’

  ‘It will no doubt raise a few eyebrows, but if we set off now we can be in the park well ahead of the fashionable crowd and, personally, I cannot think of a more pleasant way to spend the morning. It might also make the outing more comfortable for Thomas. Based on what you’ve told me, you have not been able to spend a great deal of time in his company and there may be some initial awkwardness.’

  ‘You could be right,’ Catherine said, grateful to him for having thought of it. ‘Will Sebastian be able to come?’

  ‘I think it best he stay in bed a little longer. The worst is over, but bouncing around in a carriage may be detrimental.’

  It sounded logical and, with a selfish pang of pleasure, Catherine realised it also meant she would have Thomas and Valbourg to herself for a few hours.

  * * *

  Her son appeared shortly thereafter, dressed for the day in clothes that looked worn and too small for him. Catherine’s temper flared. Was this the best the Haileys could do?

  ‘Good morning, Thomas. Did you sleep well?’

  ‘Yes, though I woke up very early,’ he told her. ‘I heard people talking in the street, and when I looked out, I saw a lady selling flowers from a basket and a man selling fish from a satchel. And a young boy with a monkey on his shoulder!’

  Catherine smiled, remembering her early days in London. ‘There are many wonderful things to see and do in London. Lord Valbourg and I thought you might like to go to the park this morning and see the ducks.’

  ‘Ducks!’ His eyes widened in delight. ‘Will I be able to feed them?’

  ‘Of course. I have already asked Cook for a bag of dry bread to take with us.’

  ‘And I shall see about getting you some of Sebastian’s clothes,’ Valbourg said, obviously having noticed and possibly sharing Catherine’s concerns about the boy’s attire. ‘I guarantee they will fit better than what you have on.’

  * * *

  They set off in Valbourg’s carriage a little later. Thomas was quiet to begin with, but it wasn’t long before he was chattering away; asking questions about something he saw or someone who passed.

  ‘Are you always this inquisitive?’ Valbourg asked as he turned the horses into the park.

  ‘Yes. Aunt Eliza says I ask far too many questions, but Reverend Hailey says it’s all right because I have so much to learn,’ Thomas replied with a straight face. ‘But even he gets cross with me sometimes and then I stop asking. You don’t mind me asking questions, do you, Miss Jones?’

  ‘Not at all. How else are you to learn?’

  ‘I tried telling Aunt Eliza that, but it didn’t make any difference.’

  ‘Are you happy living where you do, Thomas?’ Valbourg asked.

  Catherine shot him a warning look, but Thomas seemed not to mind. ‘Yes. Sometimes I wish I could go out and play more, but Reverend Hailey says I must read my Bible and help around the house.’

  ‘He puts you to work?’ Catherine said, aghast.

  ‘They don’t give me the very hard work to do. But I feed the chickens and collect the eggs and carry Bibles for Reverend Hailey when he goes visiting.’

  ‘When do you play?’

  ‘I don’t, very much, but Megan reads to me every night and helps me with my lessons.’

  ‘So you like Megan,’ Valbourg said.

  ‘Oh, yes! She told me I must think of her as my sister, even though Aunt Eliza tells me she is not.’

  This was followed by a recitation of Megan’s good qualities, during which Catherine’s spirits fell lower and lower. It seemed that while removing Thomas from the Haileys’ influence
was one problem, taking him away from Megan was going to be quite another.

  ‘Lord Val, why didn’t Sebastian come with us this morning?’ Thomas asked.

  Catherine’s eyebrows rose as she glanced at Valbourg. ‘“Lord Val”?’

  ‘It’s what my nephew calls me,’ Valbourg explained. ‘Sebastian wasn’t feeling very well, Thomas, so I told him to stay in bed. I suspect he will be up and around by this evening.’

  ‘I hope so. I like Sebastian,’ Thomas said. ‘He doesn’t make fun of me the way the other boys do.’

  ‘Why do the other boys make fun of you?’

  ‘Because I’m small.’

  ‘You’re not small. You’re perfect,’ Catherine said. ‘I wouldn’t change anything about you.’

  Thomas’s eyes shone. ‘I like you, too, Miss Jones. You’re beautiful.’

  Valbourg chuckled. ‘Out of the mouths of babes. But he’s right.’ He turned to meet her eyes. ‘You are beautiful.’

  They drove around the park with Thomas asking questions about every bird, every high-stepping horse and every elegant carriage he saw. Catherine simply enjoyed being with him and having the opportunity to get to know her son after an absence of so many years. She wasn’t sure how Valbourg felt, but judging from his numerous smiles and endlessly patient replies, he didn’t find the boy too much of a nuisance. She wondered how many other single gentlemen of his position would be so tolerant.

  At last, they drove out of the park, but to Catherine’s surprise, their destination was not Valbourg’s town house, but Theo and Tandy Templeton’s.

  ‘Why are we stopping here?’ Catherine asked as he drew the horses to a halt.

  ‘I would have thought it obvious.’ Valbourg climbed out and then lifted Thomas down. ‘You’ll want to introduce Thomas to Theo and Tandy.’

  ‘But they don’t know about him,’ she whispered.

  ‘Exactly, but they will soon and it will be a lot better if they hear the truth from you. Don’t worry,’ Valbourg said, leaning in close as she stepped down. ‘It won’t be as difficult as you think.’

  ‘This is a very big house,’ Thomas said, slipping his hand into Catherine’s as they waited for the front door to open. ‘Does the King live here?’

  In spite of her nervousness, Catherine laughed. ‘No, the King has an even bigger house. But two very dear friends of mine live here and I want you to meet them.’

  ‘They’re actors, like your...like Miss Jones,’ Valbourg said, winking as Catherine glared at him. ‘And they always have big bowls of sweets. If you’re a good boy and ask very nicely, they might give you one.’

  ‘Then I shall be very good,’ Thomas whispered as the door swung open and the Templetons’ butler stood on the threshold. ‘Because I like sweets above all!’

  * * *

  It didn’t take Theo or Tandy long to figure out the nature of the relationship between Thomas and Catherine. They knew it as soon as they set eyes on him. Catherine not being able to take her eyes from him was also somewhat revealing.

  ‘So, this is your first visit to London, Thomas,’ Theo said, bending down so that he was eye level with the boy. ‘What do you think of it?’

  ‘I think it’s very nice, sir. I saw a lot of carriages in the park and some very nice horses, too. Lord Val said he would let me ride one of his.’

  ‘Did he indeed? Well, that is a rare treat,’ Theo said, straightening. ‘Now, I do believe Mrs Carson is baking apple tarts this afternoon. Why don’t you run down to the kitchen and see if she will give you one hot out of the oven?’

  Thomas’s eyes grew round as saucers. ‘She wouldn’t tell me to take myself off?’

  ‘She most certainly would not. And don’t forget to ask her for a nice big dollop of cream to go with it.’

  ‘I’ve never had cream,’ Thomas whispered, as though saying it out loud might lessen the chances of it happening. ‘Only Reverend Hailey was allowed cream.’

  ‘Well, in this house, everyone eats apple tart with cream,’ Theo said.

  ‘Come along, Thomas,’ Tandy said, holding out her hand to the boy. ‘I shall take you down to the kitchen and see what we can find. I’m rather partial to Cook’s apple tarts myself.’

  Thomas went without hesitation, engaging Tandy in a lively conversation about frogs.

  ‘What a delightful boy,’ Theo said. ‘Perhaps you would like to tell me about him, Catherine? And don’t bother making up any stories. If that’s not your son, I’ll be a monkey’s uncle!’

  Given no opportunity to lie—and really having no wish to—Catherine said, ‘Thomas is my son, Mr Templeton. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the truth before, but I didn’t want anyone knowing about him. I thought it would just complicate matters.’

  ‘Perhaps, though I venture to say that bringing him to London now you’ve made a name for yourself is going to complicate matters even more,’ Theo said. ‘But never mind that. How did it all come to pass?’

  Catherine risked a quick glance in Valbourg’s direction, but other than giving her a nod of encouragement, he remained silent. It was her story to tell and they both knew it. So she did, not leaving out any of the details.

  At the end, Theo sat back in amazement. ‘Well, that’s quite a story. But I find it hard to believe that no one in Grafton ever noticed or commented on the fact that Thomas is your son. The resemblance between you is undeniable.’

  ‘Reverend Hailey made sure no one ever saw us together,’ Catherine explained. ‘Whenever I went to see Thomas I had to stay in the house or the garden with him. I wasn’t allowed to go into the village, and since I left Grafton before anyone knew I was carrying Will’s child, no one thought to connect him with me.’

  ‘And no one questioned your visits?’

  ‘Again, not many people saw me coming or going. I went to the manse after dark and usually left Grafton early in the morning. I was only allowed to stay part of one day.’

  ‘Shocking!’ Theo snapped, getting to his feet. ‘To think a clergyman would behave in such a shoddy fashion. He should be thrown out of the church. What about your father? Have you reconciled with him?’

  Regretfully, Catherine shook her head. ‘I have sent him letters, but he hasn’t answered any of them. I know he is still alive because Gwendolyn...Miss Marsh...occasionally visits him, but he hasn’t expressed any desire to see me.’

  ‘Then that is his loss,’ Theo said kindly. ‘Your father deserted you when you needed him most and he will come to regret that one day. However, we must deal with the situation as it now stands. Do you intend to keep Thomas with you and eventually tell him you’re his mother, or will he be returning to the country?’

  ‘I would very much like to keep him and to tell him, when the time’s right, that he is my son. But I suspect Reverend Hailey will try to get him back, either by coming here himself or by sending someone else to do it.’

  ‘“Someone else”?’

  ‘The good vicar has been paying men to spy on Catherine since her arrival in London,’ Valbourg said, crossing the room to stand beside her. ‘They were hired to keep watch on everything she did and to send reports back to Hailey.’

  ‘Abominable!’ Theo burst out. ‘Dear God, if I ever get my hands on him—!’

  ‘I’m sure God will demand an explanation at the appropriate time,’ Catherine murmured, ‘but Reverend Hailey is not my only problem. Apparently his wife has formed a very strong attachment to Thomas and is unwilling to let him go.’

  ‘Has she no children of her own?’

  ‘No. Though married seven years, she has not yet given him a child.’

  ‘Ah, so it goes deeper than mere anger,’ Theo murmured. ‘In all likelihood she is barren and sees Thomas as her only chance of having a son. I take it they don’t know where he is at the moment?’

  ‘N
o, but they will find out soon enough,’ Valbourg said, and went on to give Theo a brief summation of the activities of the past few days. Tandy, who came back in time to catch the end of the story, was horrified.

  ‘They sent that poor little boy away to school simply to prevent you from seeing him? That’s outrageous!’

  ‘Indeed, and all the more reason why Catherine needs to establish herself as his mother and put an end to this charade once and for all,’ Valbourg said.

  ‘Do you think they will try to take him away?’ Tandy asked.

  ‘Yes, which is why we must be on our guard at all times,’ Valbourg said. ‘It is the reason I have suggested Thomas stay with me for the time being. Or better yet, with my father.’

  ‘The marquess knows about this?’ Theo asked in astonishment.

  ‘No, but he soon will and I need him to hear the truth about what’s going on from me before the rumours start landing on his doorstep.’

  ‘And what rumours might those be?’ Tandy enquired.

  ‘Rumours that I have been keeping company with Catherine and a young boy who is clearly her son. People may wonder at the nature of the relationship.’

  ‘I guarantee they’ll wonder at it,’ Theo said. ‘Some may even ask if he is your child, Valbourg, and suspect you and Catherine of having a long-standing affair.’

  ‘One that goes back five years?’

  ‘It is not beyond the realm of possibility. Many men have had long-standing relationships with their mistresses. The Duke of Bolton lived with Lavinia Fenton for twenty-three years before his real wife died and he was able to make Lavinia his duchess.’

  Catherine blanched. She hadn’t given any thought to the possibility that people might think Valbourg was Thomas’s father, but Theo was right. It wasn’t outside the realm of possibility and she could tell from the expression on Richard’s face that he realised it, too.

  ‘I can’t help what society thinks,’ he said. ‘I can only tell them what Catherine wants them to know.’

  ‘Then I put the question to you, Catherine,’ Tandy said. ‘What are you going to tell people when they ask you about Thomas? Because they will ask and you need to be ready with an answer. Otherwise they will make up their own and that could have disastrous repercussions for both of you.’