The Great Estate

by Sherri Browning

  “So adorable,” Sophia agreed. “They got on like siblings.”

  “Ha, that’s not very sweet at all,” Mother said, returning with Mina. “My two boys were tiny terrors when left alone. Are you sure it’s safe?”

  “They’re only babies, Teresa. And Jane, our maid, is watching over them. She was happy to do it,” Sophia said with a hesitant glance at Gabriel.

  “I’m sure she was,” Gabriel said. “All too happy.”

  Marcus changed the subject, to Gabriel’s relief. “Well, Mother, it seems you have a new admirer. Mina hasn’t let go of your hand. Did you enjoy your walk with Nonna, Mina?”

  “We enjoyed our walk very much, didn’t we?” Mother spoke for the girl. Mina nodded but didn’t add to the conversation.

  “We would like you to consider coming home with us for a few days, Mother,” Marcus said.

  Eve added, “I would love a chance to get to know you better, and you could see more of the girls. We plan to invite Lord Markham as well.”

  Mother nodded. “I would like that, I think. I know Charles would like it. Where is he, I wonder. I haven’t seen him all day.”

  “Come to think of it, I haven’t seen much of Agatha either,” Sophia added. “I’m sure they’ll come along at any moment.”

  “I’ll go and have a quick look around, see if I can find them,” Gabriel volunteered. “I’ll only be a moment.”

  Before anyone could protest, he left the room. He hated to resort to sneaking around his own house, but what he really wanted was a chance to catch Jane in an unguarded moment with Teddy. Perhaps she would give herself away, or at least set his mind at ease that she had nothing more than a casual interest in the baby.

  * * *

  Sophia prided herself on being a good hostess, but she could hardly focus on the conversation once Gabriel left the room. What was her husband up to now? She didn’t think he was hunting down Agatha or Lord Markham as he’d claimed. Ever since he had mentioned that Jane could be Teddy’s mother, she hadn’t been able to chase the suspicion that Gabriel could be right. It was quite a coincidence, Jane showing up looking for work out of the blue. They hadn’t even advertised needing a new maid, Sophia recalled. Jane simply showed up one day asking for work.

  “If you’ll excuse me a moment?” Sophia interrupted Eve before she could finish her sentence. “I need to check on something.”

  “Go ahead.” Teresa dismissed her with a wave of the hand. “I’m getting to know Eve.”

  Ah, so Sophia wasn’t necessary to the conversation after all. Teresa was interrogating her newest daughter-in-law, and Marcus struggled to help his wife along. Sophia knew it was safe to leave them for now, when she would hardly be missed, but she would have to apologize to Eve later for not warning her ahead of time what to expect from Teresa. As soon as she made it out of the room, Sophia headed upstairs to her sitting room, where she had left Jane watching over the babies.

  Before she got to her room, from down the hall, she could see her husband standing in the doorway as if frozen.

  “Gabriel,” she said quietly, hoping to get his attention, but he did not turn.

  Only as she neared did she realize he’d been aware of her presence. He turned at last and gestured for her to join him in the doorway. Once at his side, he placed an arm around her and pulled her in front of him so that she could see for herself.

  Sophia couldn’t contain her gasp at the scene before her eyes, causing Jane to look up in alarm. The sight of Lord and Lady Averford in the doorway watching her must have scared the young maid half to death, but she remained seated, to her credit, the baby contentedly unaware of his audience as he remained cradled in his mother’s lap, suckling from her breast.

  “So it’s true.” Sophia couldn’t remain calm, though she struggled to keep her voice down so as not to alarm Teddy or wake baby Freddie asleep in the basket next to Jane. “Lord Averford guessed correctly that you are Teddy’s mother.”

  “No.” Jane shook her head, tears in her pretty blue eyes. “Ye are Teddy’s mother now, my lady. It’s how it must be. The poor babe was hungry, is all. I thought I could help if I still had any o’ my milk left.”

  Yet the child still nursed from Jane’s breast. Sophia started to cry as well. Had she lost him? So soon?

  “Gabriel, darling.” Regaining her composure, Sophia turned. “Send for another maid to come look after the children. We’re going to need some time alone with Jane.”

  “Yes.” Gabriel’s mouth hung open slightly, revealing his shock at the scene. “At once.”

  He turned and walked off down the hall, one hand reaching up to run through his hair. Perhaps he hadn’t expected to be proven right so irrefutably? At any rate, there was no longer any denying it. They had to find out what had driven Jane to abandon Teddy to them, and whether she truly planned to leave him or take him back. Sophia allowed Jane to finish feeding Teddy and put him down, asleep again, next to Freddie in the basket, careful not to wake either baby. Mrs. Jenks returned with Gabriel and, without a word, took Jane’s vacated place on the settee to watch the children. Clearly, Gabriel had given Jenks some idea of what to expect.

  Wordlessly, the three of them walked downstairs to the small parlor near the breakfast room.

  “Have a seat, Jane.” Sophia sat first, on the sofa, gesturing for Jane to take the armchair across from her. Gabriel sat down next to his wife.

  Jane took the seat and buried her face in her hands. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to cause trouble.”

  “What did you mean by leaving your child?” Gabriel leaned forward. “By coming here at all?”

  Jane took a deep breath, probably to compose herself. At last, she looked Sophia in the eye and then turned her gaze to Gabriel. “Just now, I only wanted to settle ’im down. He woke and started to fuss, and ’e knew me as soon as I picked ’im up.”

  “Of course. You’re his mother.”

  Jane nodded.

  “And now?” Gabriel looked pained, studying the girl for answers. “What are your intentions now? Do you plan to take him back?”

  “Take ’im back?” Jane put a hand to her chest. “Heavens, no. I can’t care for ’im proper. Coming here was my last hope. I’ve no husband and my family wanted nowt to do wi’ me once my mum figured out I was expecting.”

  “We can keep him?” Sophia looked at Gabriel, her heart soaring with relief before it came crashing down again. What of poor Jane? She suddenly felt ashamed of herself. What the woman must be going through, faced with the decision to give up her child in order to make ends meet. “Or, perhaps we can help you, Jane. We only want what’s best for Teddy.” Which was true. Even if Sophia wanted to think that she was best for the boy, she had to believe that his mother’s love could only benefit him.

  “Ye’ve been such a help to me, Lady Averford. Ye’ve no idea. The first time I saw ye, I knew ye were an angel.”

  “The first time?” Gabriel asked.

  Jane nodded. “When ye first came to Thornbrook Park, Countess. After yer wedding. In the village, ye were all the talk. What would she be like? Did ye see what she was wearing? Everyone was curious. It only grew after the first sighting. Ye’re so pretty. We were all in awe.”

  Sophia felt a blush rising to her cheeks. “Goodness. I knew there must have been talk, but I had no idea I’d caused such a stir. But you’re young, Jane.”

  “Sixteen.” Jane straightened up.

  “You were a girl of eight or so when my wife came to live with me at Thornbrook Park, then? An impressionable age.”

  “’Specially fer a girl who has nowt else to look forward to in life,” Jane said dismally. “My friends and I all watched yer comings and goings. We would dream out loud of what it was like to be you. One day, I told them, I’m going to live in that fine house. I didn’t mean it, of course. Ye know how girls carry on.” She rolled her eyes.
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  “I was a girl once too.” Sophia nodded. “I do know. And you do live here now.”

  “I do.” Jane smiled. “Not exactly how I envisioned it. I imagined being a lady, not a maid. But I did accomplish summat; I grew up and worked in the village tavern. My pa was a barkeep, so ’e kept an eye on me and I helped support my family. Papa passed away though, two years ago last month.”

  “Ah, old Martin Pruitt. You’re his daughter?” Gabriel tilted his head as if trying to make out a resemblance. “Yes. I think I remember you. I’m sorry for your loss. Martin was a good man.”

  “Aye, he was,” Jane agreed. “We fell on hard times after Pa’s death, the four of us, Mum, my two sisters, and me. I kept working at the tavern to support my family, but one night…”

  “Oh dear. My dear girl.” Sophia’s stomach tensed. She had a feeling that she knew what Jane was about to say.

  “Strangers came in, just passing through. Fine men, by the looks o’ them. I served them, and they were friendly, tipped well. Mr. Clark, the man who took over fer my pa, liked them too. He usually kept a protective watch over me, but ’e felt at ease with these men. They were an affable bunch, nowt to fear, or so it seemed.

  “One of them, a handsome one and the youngest o’ the men, flirted with me, and I didn’t mind. Not till he followed me to the kitchen and pushed me into the storage closet.” Jane looked down at her hands, her cheeks flushed with the memory and probably with the shame of it all.

  “You did nothing wrong, Jane. That man took advantage of you.” Gabriel’s voice sounded tight. Sophia glanced at him to see a vein pulsing at the side of his jaw. Jane’s story had upset him as much as it did Sophia. Her husband was a good man. She laced her hand with his.

  “I know.” Jane met Gabriel’s gaze. “But thank ye fer saying so too. My mum, unfortunately, does not agree wi’ ye. Eventually, when it became obvious that I was with child, she confronted me. I hadn’t told her what had happened till then. I suppose I hoped it weren’t true, that the evidence of what had ’appened to me in that closet would come to nowt.”

  “I hope he didn’t hurt you,” Sophia said.

  “He took what ’e wanted, but didn’t hurt me. Not badly. He did change the course of my life. My mum found me at fault and sent me away to live with her cousin in London. They said I was a widow. I gave birth to Teddy. I hoped I could come back and live with my mum. Somehow, I imagined I would take my job back at the tavern, and Mum and my sisters would help watch over Teddy, and everything would be almost as it had been. Mum didn’t agree. She wondered why I came back at all. She wanted nowt to do wi’ us. Mr. Clark and his wife took me in.”

  “Clark is a good man too,” Gabriel said. “I’ve always liked him.”

  “The Clarks have been very kind, but I can’t rely on their generosity much longer. I couldn’t manage working at the tavern again either, though I tried. Teddy needed me too often for feedings, and I felt unsettled every time an unfamiliar face entered the bar. I had an idea that I could try to find work here at Thornbrook Park. It always seemed like such a happy, welcoming place to me, not that I knew for certain. Not until I came in looking for a position.”

  “And I gave you one,” Sophia said. “Because I liked you immediately. Something about you inspired my trust.” What it was, she couldn’t say exactly. Sometimes one just felt a connection with others.

  “Ye were as lovely and sweet as I’d always imagined, Lady Averford,” Jane gushed. “Ye invited me in and offered me a cup of tea. Ye asked about my health and my family, and it seemed as if ye really cared, when I really needed someone to care. I knew then that ye were the kind o’ woman who could be Teddy’s mum.”

  “Because you couldn’t keep him and work to earn a living?” Gabriel asked. “Is that why you’re giving him up?”

  Jane cast her eyes down and shook her head. “It’s more than that.”

  “We need to know, Jane.” Gabriel urged her. “Please put your faith in us.”

  She looked up, her eyes aglow. “I do have faith in ye. In both o’ ye. That’s why I knew ye would make the best parents fer my boy. I’m not leaving him because o’ money.”

  “Are you sure?” Sophia asked. “Because we can help you. If you want to be a mother to Teddy, we can help you with money.”

  “Why would ye do such a thing?” Jane looked confused. “I’m nowt but a housemaid.”

  Sophia shrugged. “I can’t even imagine it myself. I want Teddy to be happy and loved. I love him. I love him so much and he’s hardly been here for a day. I hate to give him up, but if the best thing for him is growing up with his mother, then that’s what I want for him. No matter what it costs.”

  “But that’s not what’s best fer ’im.” Jane shook her head, adamant. “I get impatient with ’im sometimes. He’s such a good baby. I couldn’t ask for better. But even so, I look at ’im sometimes and I feel resentful. And angry. And I don’t know why. He’s innocent. I would never hurt ’im, of course. But I can’t imagine ’im growing up wi’ me. I’m not ready to be a mum. There’s so much I want to do, and I can’t do it with the responsibility of a babe in my care.”

  Sophia smiled. “You remind me a little of my sister, Alice. She also has so much she wants to do.”

  “And I like working here!” Jane added. “I can ’ardly believe it myself. I wake up every day looking forward to the tasks ahead, as grueling as they can sometimes be. I’m not entirely on my own here at Thornbrook Park, but I feel that I have some independence, something of my very own, my work. The Clarks have been taking care of Teddy, but they’re getting on in years, and it’s a temporary arrangement. I thought I could leave Teddy here wi’ ye. Ye’ll be far better parents than I could ever be, and ’e will want for nowt in yer care.”

  “I’m not sure I understand,” Gabriel said. “Did you plan to keep working for us while we raised your son as our own?”

  Jane shrugged. “At least I’d get to see how ’e’s getting on. But it’s not as easy as I imagined. He reaches out for me when ’e sees me. I’ve been fearing ’e would give me away. And ’e has.”

  “Are you sure it’s what you want, then?” Sophia asked, with hope alive in her heart. “Do you really want to give him into our care? Permanently?”

  Jane nodded. “Of that, I am quite certain. I ha’ been fer weeks now.”

  “Even if it means you won’t get to see him every day?” Sophia asked. “Does that change anything for you? As much as I hate to send you away, I just can’t imagine keeping you on here. It might confuse Teddy.”

  “I agree.” Jane nodded. “I can see that it won’t be ideal. I’ll seek a position elsewhere. But I still want ye to raise Teddy as yer own. I meant what I said. I feel that ’e belongs here, even if I don’t.”

  Sophia, heart soaring, tried to contain her excitement. “We can give you some money to get started somewhere else. And references, of course, should you decide to remain a housemaid.”

  “No money.” Jane shook her head. “I couldn’t. It would feel like I was selling him to ye somehow. I just want the best for ’im.”

  “And so do we,” Gabriel agreed. “We could use you at Averford House, our London residence, for now, if you like, while you look for something else. You’ll get the same wages. I can recommend you to some of our friends there, or if you prefer to stay in Yorkshire…”

  “No, London would be grand.” Jane’s eyes lit up. “I was there fer such a short time, and I hardly got to see any o’ it, but I liked it there. I accept yer offer, but…”—Jane nibbled her lip—“I need to confess something to ye first. I hope ye won’t cast me out.”

  “What is it, Jane?” Sophia asked without trepidation. She doubted Jane could say anything to spoil her happiness at becoming well and truly a mother to Teddy.

  “I added some herbs to your brew the other night. I overheard Lord Averford saying ’e wanted to take ye to
London, and it was when I’d planned to leave Teddy. The Clarks have been good to us, but they were growing weary o’ caring fer him. Mrs. Mallows said that the herbs would diminish your headache and help you rest, so I doubled the dose when she wasn’t looking. I only wanted ye to miss the London trip. I felt summat awful about it as soon as I realized that I had probably given ye far too much. I was so relieved when ye woke up. I’m so sorry.”

  Was that all? Sophia smiled. “No harm done after all. I forgive you, Jane.”

  “The offer stands,” Gabriel confirmed. “Would you like to work for us at Averford House until we can find you another suitable position somewhere else?”

  Jane beamed. “I would. Thank ye. Thank ye both so much.”

  “We thank you, Jane. You give us a far greater gift than you could ever imagine by entrusting us to raise your son as ours.” Gabriel stood, and so did the women.

  “I suppose I’ll peek in to say good-bye to ’im, if ye don’t mind. I do love ’im. Even if I can’t keep ’im.” Tears brimmed in Jane’s eyes.

  “Of course, Jane,” Sophia said, holding her hand out to Jane. “And after a while, you’re welcome to visit him too. I’m not sure yet what we’ll tell him about you, but I don’t mean to cut you off from him entirely.”

  Gabriel’s brow arched, as if he wasn’t quite certain.

  “Thank ye both again,” Jane said. “Fer everything.”

  Seventeen

  Rocking Teddy in her arms, Sophia stole a glance at the calendar on her desk. She had been a mother for nearly two weeks, and she loved every minute of it. The sleepless nights, Teddy’s occasional bouts of seemingly incessant wailing, the mess, all of it brought her inexplicable joy when she looked into Teddy’s blue eyes. She was a mother.

  And Gabriel was a father. He had seemed so happy when Jane had left the room and they’d found themselves alone to marvel over their good fortune. He’d hugged Sophia tightly and kissed her breathless, and had told her that he’d never been prouder to call her his wife.