by Ava Stone
“Where is Ellen?” he asked his daughter.
She grimaced and looked down at her feet. “Italy.”
“Italy!” Alex nearly roared, then he looked up at Gibson. “What exactly has happened in my absence?”
The butler lost a bit of his color and grimaced. “Well, Your Grace, the Contessa de Vatoni arrived shortly after you left for Derbyshire—”
Who the devil was that? “Contessa de Vatoni?” He furrowed his brow in agitation.
The butler scrambled to the hallway table and retrieved an envelope, pushing it into Alex’s hand. Irritated, he ripped the letter open and began to read. Had the world turned on its side since he was last in Town?
Kelfield,
I’m off to Italy with my new husband. I’m leaving you Poppy. Hope you understand that she cannot remain with me in my new role. Best of luck to you both.
Fondest wishes,
Ellen de Vatoni
Alex read the words over and over, as if consecutive readings would change the meaning of the letter. It wasn’t even a letter. It was a note, and a rather unfeeling one at that. Ellen had married, then abandoned Poppy to him with a few scribbled sentences? He chanced a glance at his daughter, who was nervously biting her bottom lip.
What was he supposed to do with the child? He didn’t have the first clue of how to proceed. Oh, he was fabulous at spoiling her and telling her outlandish tales, and he loved her dearly. But to raise her? He was completely out of his element. If Ellen valued her life, she’d never leave Italy.
“You won’t send me away, will you, Papa?” Poppy asked quietly.
Alex’s head snapped back to his daughter. He couldn’t possibly have heard her correctly. “Why would I send you away?”
Poppy’s shoulder’s hung balefully. “Ellen said you might send me away. She said you wouldn’t want me.”
Before he knew it, Alex had snatched Poppy up into his arms and held her tightly. How could Ellen do this to their child? And how dare she say such awful things to Poppy? Memories of his childhood flashed in his mind. The hatred in his father’s icy blue eyes when he informed Alex he was sending him off to school. It was the last time he’d seen the man. Alex had only been ten. The loneliness that engulfed him as a boy was suffocating. That Ellen would even suggest he would do the same thing to his own child, his own precious Poppy, was preposterous! On second thought, Italy might not be far enough away to keep Ellen safe from him.
“I’ve always wanted you, angel. And you’re not going anywhere.” Though what he was going to do with her, he had no clue. But no matter what, he wouldn’t send her away, not like his father had done.
Poppy started to giggle. “Let go, Papa. I can’t breathe.”
“Sorry, my love.” He brushed a kiss to her forehead and then put her back on the ground, sinking down on his haunches to be on eye level with his child. “Where’s Mrs. Seeber?”
Certainly, her stuffy nurse would have an idea of how to go on. But Poppy shook her head, her raven curls swaying back and forth. “She quit.”
Quit? Quit! “Why?” It seemed as though the room started to spin and his head began to throb.
Poppy scrunched up her little face, as if trying to get the words right. “She said something about a den of ‘niquity? I don’t know what it means.”
Alex knew what it meant. The stodgy Mrs. Seeber had been more than happy to take his blunt for years, caring for his bastard daughter on the other side of Town, but God forbid she step one foot in the devil’s den. Well, good riddance! The problem was he couldn’t even maintain a proper butler. How was he to raise a child if no suitable nurses or governesses would step over his threshold?
And then there was Olivia on top of everything else.
He was at a complete loss. He tousled Poppy’s hair one last time and then started down the corridor towards his study. He needed time to think and come up with some plan, but his daughter was quick on his heels.
“Where are you going, Papa?”
“Just to my study, sweetheart.”
“Oh. Where’ve you been for so long?”
“Derbyshire.”
Derbyshire.
Olivia.
What would she think about his situation? If he couldn’t even keep an overpaid nurse in his employ, what business did he have raising Poppy or taking Olivia as his wife?
How was he ever going to explain this to Olivia? Any respectable, well-bred lady would balk at raising her husband’s illegitimate child. Madeline Greywood’s words echoed once again in his mind. She’d warned him that Olivia would have a hard time dealing with the whole Ellen scenario. But Ellen was in Italy. Did that change things?
“Are you all right, Papa?” Poppy tugged on his jacket.
Hardly. He feigned a smile for the child and tapped her nose. “Of course, angel. But I need to go out for a while.” To figure out what the hell he was supposed to do now.
“You’re leaving again?” She pouted.
Gibson groaned behind them, and Alex shot a reproachful look at his butler. Then he turned back to Poppy. “Just for a little while. Why don’t you go find Mrs. Parker?” The housekeeper should be able to keep her entertained until he returned.
Gibson cleared his throat behind him. “Your Grace let Mrs. Parker go on holiday to visit her sister in Cornwall.”
Hmm. Alex frowned. That was the last holiday he would approve. Maybe ever. Before he could continue, he heard Poppy’s little voice, “Mr. Gibson, do you want to play with my dolls again?”
Alex suppressed a laugh when his butler winced. Apparently, he’d have to raise the man’s pay considerably, but it was worth it to see Poppy smile.
Under the circumstances, going to visit Sarah Kane wouldn’t make sense to many, but Alex greatly appreciated her council. She was more than his mistress—she was his friend. But most importantly, she was a woman, and a kind one at that. Her insight into this situation would be most appreciated.
He hurried across Town to a quaint little home on Bedford Place. The home he’d purchased for Sarah was always warm and inviting, just like she was. He breathed a sigh of relief as he stepped over the threshold. This was one place he’d always been comfortable, where the problems of the world didn’t exist.
Alex found Sarah seated in her small drawing room reading a script. She was so immersed in the activity that she hadn’t heard him enter the house, or even clear his throat in the doorway. He smiled, watching her mouth move as she silently read the lines to herself. He’d seen her engrossed like this many times before. Finally, he stepped further into the room. “Sarah?”
Her pretty green eyes sparkled when she saw him and she leapt from her chaise, dropping the stack of papers in her vacated spot. “Alex! How wonderful to see you.” She crossed the small room and stood on tiptoes to brush a kiss to his lips. “How was Derbyshire? I didn’t expect to see you for at least another sennight.”
Alex tossed his cane and hat to a small chair in the corner of the room and fell onto a settee with an exasperated sigh. “Did you know Ellen left England?”
Sarah acknowledged this with a slight incline of her pretty little head. “It was a whirlwind. The Conte saw her performance and fell instantly for her. They married days later and left for Italy.” She gestured to the stack of papers she had been reading. “She was to play Lady MacBeth, but now Henry’s given it to me.”
Despite his anxiety for his own life, he was happy for Sarah. She had waited so long for a starring role. “Congratulations, sweetheart. You definitely deserve it. Though I think the role of heartless bitch is more suited for her.”
She grinned at him and sunk back onto her settee. “That’s why it’s called acting. But thank you, I think.” The she frowned, studying him. “You don’t look like yourself, Alex.”
He didn’t feel like himself, and he wasn’t sure if he ever would again. “My life has certainly been turned upside down. Ellen left Poppy. I’m getting married in just a few days, and I don’t have a clue how to proceed.”
Several emotions flashed across Sarah’s pretty face. “Good heavens, you’ve been busy. Is Poppy all right?”
“Other than Ellen telling her that I wouldn’t want her, and most likely I’d send her away—I suppose she’s doing well. I cannot believe that Ellen just abandoned her. I’d like to get my hands around her neck.”
Sarah smiled sweetly, compassionately, as was her nature. “It could be worse, Alex.”
It couldn’t possibly be worse, and he glowered his response.
“She could have taken Poppy with her,” Sarah explained. “You might not ever have seen her again. I know how much you love her. You wouldn’t want that.”
His face fell. He hadn’t even considered that as a possibility. What if he’d returned from Derbyshire and Poppy was gone forever? He couldn’t even imagine what that would have done to him. “I suppose you’re right, Sarah.”
“You’ll manage with Poppy. I don’t have any doubts… Did you say you’re getting married?”
He sighed deeply. “In just a few days. But Poppy—Sarah, I don’t know how to tell my bride—how to explain—”
Sarah reached for his hand. “There is nothing to explain. Poppy is your daughter and you love her. Your bride will have to understand. Truly, Alex, she must be an amazing lady to have captured your heart, and so quickly.”
“It’s not a love match.”
She cocked her head to one side, again studying him, and frowned. “I see.”
“All the same,” he threw in quickly, “I don’t think she would understand about us.”
Sarah’s green eyes twinkled. “Of course she wouldn’t.”
He hated that she could see through him. “It’s not a love match, Sarah.”
“Yes, you said that.”
He chose to ignore her insolence. “Anyway, I want to make certain that you are taken care of.”
Sarah shook her head. “Alex, you have been more than generous in the past. I will have my choice of protectors. So, there is nothing for you to worry about where I’m concerned.”
The year before he’d had the house put in her name, just in case anything should happen to him. Still, she was a wonderful woman and he would never forgive himself if any harm came to her. “Even still, should you ever need anything, Sarah, you need only ask.”
She brushed a singled tear from her cheek, smiling at him. “I will be fine. I know how to play this game, Alex. I’ve been doing it all my life.”
“But you’re crying.”
A stream now trickled down her cheek. “I’m just surprised is all. It’s nothing for you to worry about. I think you’ve got enough to focus on at the moment.”
“Sarah—”
She raised her hand so silence him. “Don’t. I will always be grateful to you for finding me at Madam Palmer’s and opening doors for me that would have otherwise been closed. You don’t owe me an explanation or anything else.”
In most men’s eyes she would have been correct, but Alex held himself a little higher than that. “Sarah, I want you to promise me that if you are ever in trouble, you’ll come to me.”
She wiped away the last of her tears and shook her head. “I’m certain that would not make your bride happy.”
A self deprecating laugh escaped him. “I’m certain my bride is not happy to be saddled with me. Whether or not you need my help at some unknown date will be inconsequential to her, I assure you.”
Sarah studied him again, then finally inclined her head. “Only if you promise the same. If you need an ear or a shoulder, you know where to find me.”
“Center stage, before your adoring fans.”
Poppy Everett woke up in her new room, the happiest she’d ever been. It was so wonderful living with her papa, and she would get to see him every day from now on, which was what she had always wanted.
After spending her first week at Kelfield House waiting for him to come home, he had completely worn her out upon his return. Yesterday they had gone to the Strand, where she ate an Italian ice, and then they had gone to Astley’s Amphitheater, where she watched the most amazing show with horses and wildly dressed entertainers. Then she’d stayed up late while he told her a bedtime story about a princess with magical powers who fought dragons and played with unicorns. It was delightful.
After tucking her into bed, he promised that he’d get her a new nurse with a heartier constitution than Mrs. Seeber possessed. Poppy didn’t know what that meant, and she didn’t care. Now that she was with her papa, she didn’t need or want anything else.
At first she had hoped that Papa would let her keep the room that connected to his, because then she could see him all the time. But he’d shook his head and said that room belonged to someone else. Poppy couldn’t figure out who that someone else was though. There were only a handful of servants and none of them slept in that room.
Mr. Gibson told her that it was the duchesses’ chambers, but there wasn’t a duchess. So Poppy didn’t see why she couldn’t have it, but she didn’t want to make Papa angry, so she stopped asking.
Life was going to be different here. Life was going to be better. She didn’t have to sit quietly for hours while Ellen read to herself. She could have tea parties on the floor, bang Cook’s pots and pans together, or traipse through the attic looking for treasures of one sort or another. She could sing loudly and dance through all the rooms, and not get yelled at by Mrs. Seeber. Life with Papa was wonderful.
After sleeping late, Poppy slid out of bed and fumbled around in the chest that Ellen left for her and found her favorite blue dress with lots of lace. She quickly threw it on, overlooking the rip on the hem, because she always felt like a princess in this dress. She decided against stockings or slippers because papa wouldn’t mind. Then she bounded down the stairs, ready for a new set of adventures with her father.
Mr. Gibson frowned when he saw her. “Miss Poppy,” he whispered, “His Grace would like for you to wait for him in your chambers.”
It was Poppy’s turn to frown. “Where is my papa?”
The butler sighed and bent down towards her. “He’s meeting with Lord and Lady Staveley at the moment, miss. Now be a good girl and do as you’re told.”
Poppy turned around and started to stomp up the stairs, but when Mr. Gibson returned to his post near the door, she tiptoed back down the steps. She was certain if Papa saw her he wouldn’t make her wait in her room.
She quietly sped down the hallway toward her father’s office, but stopped when she heard soft music coming from one of the rooms. That was strange. She hadn’t heard music the whole week she was here. Poppy crept towards the sound and poked her head inside. A very pretty woman with dark hair sat at the pianoforte, humming as she played.
With her eyes closed, Livvie’s fingers sailed over the keys. The wistful music of Vivaldi was a balm for her soul, as it kept her mind off the conversation that was taking place down the hallway. After the trip from Derbyshire and spending most of the previous evening addressing wedding invitations that had gone out this morning, she had hoped to at least lay eyes on Alex. But when she arrived with Caroline and Staveley, the rather young butler had asked her to wait in the parlor. She’d been waiting for what seemed like forever, and she figured if she was going to live here, it wouldn’t hurt to familiarize herself with the layout.
That was when she spotted the music room, her favorite retreat in any house. The pianoforte seemed to be calling out to her. Livvie sat on the cushioned bench.
The rich music washed over her, and Livvie lost herself to the sound, completely unaware of her surroundings.
“Are you my new nurse?” a tiny voice asked from the hallway.
Livvie’s eyes flew open and she turned her head and discovered a beautiful little girl with raven hair and large silver eyes sporting a fairly shabby blue dress. One look at the child and Livvie did not have a doubt as to her identity. She was the feminine version of Alexander Everett in every way.
“Nurse?” she echoed.
&n
bsp; The little girl nodded, taking a few steps forward. “Papa said he would get me a new nurse. Mrs. Seeber didn’t want to live in a den of niquity.”
Livvie nodded, understanding completely. She wasn’t sure she wanted to live in a den of iniquity either. “I’m Olivia,” she said with a smile and shifted on the cushioned piano bench, making room for the child.
“Oh, that is a pretty name,” the little girl responded with a toothy grin. Then she climbed up on the bench, planting herself next to Livvie. “I’m Poppy.”
Which, of course, Livvie had already deduced. “It’s very nice to meet you, Poppy,” she replied with a smile. And it was. Alex was so enigmatic, she’d felt certain she would never get the chance to meet his daughter. It was encouraging that he didn’t intend to keep that part of his life separate from her, not after Caroline had explained how dearly he loved the child. A bit of hope sprung up in her heart. Though this marriage wasn’t what she’d planned, it was inevitable now, and the fact that his life was opening up for her went a long way towards making their union successful.
“Do you want to have a tea party with me?” Poppy asked, interrupting Livvie’s thoughts.
Little Poppy really was very charming. It would be difficult not to like her. Livvie found herself smiling at her soon-to-be step-daughter. “That would be lovely.”
Poppy clapped her hands together. “Papa likes honey in his tea, but I like sugar. What do you like?”
Livvie made her way to the bell pull and gave it a slight tug. “Oh, I like sugar too. And milk.”
“Do you know my papa?”
Livvie nodded and started back for the piano bench. “I do.” Not as well as she’d like, but that would change very soon.
Moments later the door opened and the harried looking young butler entered. “Yes, Miss Danbury?”
“Miss Poppy and I would like some tea, Gibson.”
Apparently Gibson hadn’t noticed Poppy, because when his eyes landed on the little girl, they grew enormous. “Miss Poppy!” he hissed and his face turned slightly purple.
