crying. Arthur looked down and saw that the boy’s face and arms were marked by red spots and he trembled feverishly.
‘What is it? What ails him?’
‘It’s measles, sir,’ the nurse replied.
‘He’s dying,’ Kitty whispered. ‘I know it.’
The nurse shook her head. ‘I’ve seen measles come and go, my lady. Most get over it soon enough. He’s a bonny lad. He’ll live, so he will.’
‘Measles,’ Arthur repeated. From what he knew of the sickness it was common enough and most who caught it recovered fully. He felt his anxiety begin to ease as he took Kitty’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. ‘The boy has measles, Kitty. I am sure he will recover. As the nurse says.’
‘We must wait for the doctor,’ Kitty replied. ‘In case she is wrong.’
Arthur glanced at the nurse and they exchanged a brief look of understanding before he addressed his wife again. ‘I am sure the doctor will confirm what she says. Now you must take control of yourself, my dear. It does you no good to react so.And it certainly sets a bad example for the other members of the household.’
Kitty looked up at him with a confused expression. ‘But our son is gravely ill. How do you expect me to react?’
‘He is not gravely ill,’ Arthur replied tersely. ‘He will recover. There is no point in over-reacting.You cannot affect the outcome by indulging yourself in emotion. Come, let us go to the drawing room and I will give you something to drink. Something to fortify your mind.’
She shook her head, stunned by his apparent cold-heartedness. He took her gently by the arm and steered her towards the door, where he paused to look back towards the nurse. ‘Let me know when the doctor has been, and tell me what he says. We shall be in the drawing room.’
‘Yes, sir.’
Once he had settled Kitty on a sofa Arthur poured them both a glass of brandy and sat down opposite her on the other side of the fireplace, in the light of a single lantern placed on a small table. Kitty winced as she sipped the fierce spirit, while Arthur tipped his down his throat in one go, relishing the warm glow that spread through his body. He set the glass down with a sharp tap, then watched as Kitty sipped from her glass.
He smiled. ‘That’s better.You are more yourself, my dear. I think it would be best to refrain from such outbursts of emotion in future.The boy is in the hands of a good doctor. He will recover soon enough.Trust me.’
Kitty nodded.‘I know, my dear. I know.’ She was silent for a moment and took another sip of brandy before speaking again, looking at her husband furtively from beneath her brow. ‘I know that I am a disappointment to you, Arthur. I am not the woman you wished to marry.’
‘Nonsense, my dear. I will not hear it.’
‘Arthur, you are a good man. An honourable man.You have proved it in holding to your promise to marry me, when a lesser man would have recanted. By that token alone, I adore you. I know that I am not learned as you are. I have little experience of the world and have achieved naught of value in my life. Any propensity to beauty that I once had has faded. All that I have to offer you is my love and admiration.And yet, I am painfully aware that I disappoint you.That you consider me an unworthy partner.’
Her words fell on his heart like rocks, because he recognised the truth of them, and when he replied the falseness of his assurances left a foul taste in his mouth. ‘Kitty, my dear. I married you for love, and I honour you as my wife, as the mother of my son, and as the woman I will be proud to have by my side until the end of my days.’
She stared at him for a moment and then gave a resigned shrug. ‘If you say so, Arthur. If you say so.’
‘Is this all because of the boy’s measles?’
‘Not entirely.There have been other burdens to bear while you have been away, and I am not sure that I can run the household by myself. There seems so much to it.’
‘Other burdens?’
She bit her lip and looked at him uncertainly. ‘There is something else I need to tell you.’
Arthur felt yet more weight descend upon his shoulders and depress his spirits, even as he responded in an understanding manner. ‘What is that, my love?’
‘I believe . . . I think that I am expecting another child.’
‘That is good,’Arthur replied softly, then beamed.‘What am I saying? That is better than good.That is excellent news!’ He raised Kitty’s hands to his lips and kissed them. ‘Thank you, my dear.’
A smile flickered across Kitty’s face as she saw the genuine happiness in her husband’s eyes. ‘At least I can do something that pleases you.’
Chapter 30
