Read Online Daughters of Castle Deverill by Santa Montefiore - Free Book Online
Authors: Santa Montefiore
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did you see this lady, Little Jack? Can you remember?’
‘At the window,’ he whispered.
‘What did she want?’
‘She gave me a bear, but I don’t want it.’
Kitty’s stomach plummeted fast and far. ‘She must have been a tinker, Little Jack,’ she soothed, struggling to keep the tremor out of her voice. ‘Nothing to be frightened
of, I promise you. She’s gone now and she won’t be coming back. You’re quite safe. We won’t let anything bad happen to you, sweetheart. Not ever.’
When at last the child had been coaxed back under the bedclothes and stroked to sleep with a gentle hand, Kitty found Robert downstairs in the sitting room, stoking the fire. ‘Do you think
he did see someone at the window?’ he asked. Kitty was as pale as ash. ‘What is it, Kitty?’ He put down the poker.
‘You know I told you that Little Jack’s mother was a maid at the castle?’
‘Yes,’ Robert replied, narrowing his eyes. ‘Who was she?’
‘Bridie Doyle.’
Robert stared at her in astonishment. ‘Bridie Doyle? The plain young woman who worked as your lady’s maid?’
‘Yes,’ Kitty replied.
‘Good Lord. What was your father thinking?’
‘I don’t imagine he was thinking at all at that point. Well, after giving birth to him, she disappeared to America and we lost touch. I never thought I’d see her again. But
she’s come back.’ Kitty put her hand to her throat. ‘She’s come back for Little Jack.’
‘How do you know?’
‘She turned up here a couple of weeks ago. She told me she had to leave him once, but she wasn’t going to do so a second time. I think it must have been her at the window.’ The
full horror of what might have happened robbed the strength from Kitty’s knees and she sank into a chair. ‘I feared this would happen.’
Robert flushed with fury. ‘How dare she!’ He made for the door.
‘Where are you going?’
‘To tell Miss Doyle that she can’t simply march in and steal a child. He doesn’t belong to her. The fact that she gave birth to him is of no consequence. She gave him up and
that’s the end of it. He’s Lord Deverill’s legitimate son and entrusted into our keeping.’
‘Oh Robert, you can’t just storm into the Doyles’ house throwing accusations about. You don’t know that she came to steal him. Perhaps she came to give him a
present.’
He raised an eyebrow cynically. ‘And you believe that, do you?’
‘I want to.’
‘Then you’re a fool, Kitty.’
‘Robert!’
‘Well, I’m not going to give her the benefit of the doubt. This is our boy we’re talking about. The child we love more than anything else in the world. You think I’m
going to take a risk with him?’
‘What are you going to do?’
‘I’m going to give her a piece of my mind. I’m going to make sure she never comes near him again.’
Kitty had never seen Robert so angry. His fury frightened her. It frightened her because it was fuelled by love – and if he loved Little Jack so fiercely, how could she even contemplate
taking him off to America?
She thrust her plan to the back of her mind and stood up. ‘Then I’m coming with you,’ she announced. ‘You shouldn’t drive with that leg of yours.’
‘Very well,’ he replied, walking into the hall. ‘You can drive, but first go and tell Miss Elsie to keep a close eye on Little Jack.’
They hastened down the lanes in silence. The car sped over fallen leaves and twigs swept onto the tracks by relentless winds and autumn rain. The headlights beamed onto the stone walls and
hedgerows, exposing for a passing moment a pair of fox’s eyes that blazed through the darkness like golden embers. Kitty shivered and gripped the steering wheel with her gloved hands.
At last they began to bump along the stony track that meandered through the valley to the Doyle farmhouse. She slowed down for tonight was not a night to get the car stuck in a pothole or
puncture a tyre. Kitty’s heart began to accelerate as
‘At the window,’ he whispered.
‘What did she want?’
‘She gave me a bear, but I don’t want it.’
Kitty’s stomach plummeted fast and far. ‘She must have been a tinker, Little Jack,’ she soothed, struggling to keep the tremor out of her voice. ‘Nothing to be frightened
of, I promise you. She’s gone now and she won’t be coming back. You’re quite safe. We won’t let anything bad happen to you, sweetheart. Not ever.’
When at last the child had been coaxed back under the bedclothes and stroked to sleep with a gentle hand, Kitty found Robert downstairs in the sitting room, stoking the fire. ‘Do you think
he did see someone at the window?’ he asked. Kitty was as pale as ash. ‘What is it, Kitty?’ He put down the poker.
‘You know I told you that Little Jack’s mother was a maid at the castle?’
‘Yes,’ Robert replied, narrowing his eyes. ‘Who was she?’
‘Bridie Doyle.’
Robert stared at her in astonishment. ‘Bridie Doyle? The plain young woman who worked as your lady’s maid?’
‘Yes,’ Kitty replied.
‘Good Lord. What was your father thinking?’
‘I don’t imagine he was thinking at all at that point. Well, after giving birth to him, she disappeared to America and we lost touch. I never thought I’d see her again. But
she’s come back.’ Kitty put her hand to her throat. ‘She’s come back for Little Jack.’
‘How do you know?’
‘She turned up here a couple of weeks ago. She told me she had to leave him once, but she wasn’t going to do so a second time. I think it must have been her at the window.’ The
full horror of what might have happened robbed the strength from Kitty’s knees and she sank into a chair. ‘I feared this would happen.’
Robert flushed with fury. ‘How dare she!’ He made for the door.
‘Where are you going?’
‘To tell Miss Doyle that she can’t simply march in and steal a child. He doesn’t belong to her. The fact that she gave birth to him is of no consequence. She gave him up and
that’s the end of it. He’s Lord Deverill’s legitimate son and entrusted into our keeping.’
‘Oh Robert, you can’t just storm into the Doyles’ house throwing accusations about. You don’t know that she came to steal him. Perhaps she came to give him a
present.’
He raised an eyebrow cynically. ‘And you believe that, do you?’
‘I want to.’
‘Then you’re a fool, Kitty.’
‘Robert!’
‘Well, I’m not going to give her the benefit of the doubt. This is our boy we’re talking about. The child we love more than anything else in the world. You think I’m
going to take a risk with him?’
‘What are you going to do?’
‘I’m going to give her a piece of my mind. I’m going to make sure she never comes near him again.’
Kitty had never seen Robert so angry. His fury frightened her. It frightened her because it was fuelled by love – and if he loved Little Jack so fiercely, how could she even contemplate
taking him off to America?
She thrust her plan to the back of her mind and stood up. ‘Then I’m coming with you,’ she announced. ‘You shouldn’t drive with that leg of yours.’
‘Very well,’ he replied, walking into the hall. ‘You can drive, but first go and tell Miss Elsie to keep a close eye on Little Jack.’
They hastened down the lanes in silence. The car sped over fallen leaves and twigs swept onto the tracks by relentless winds and autumn rain. The headlights beamed onto the stone walls and
hedgerows, exposing for a passing moment a pair of fox’s eyes that blazed through the darkness like golden embers. Kitty shivered and gripped the steering wheel with her gloved hands.
At last they began to bump along the stony track that meandered through the valley to the Doyle farmhouse. She slowed down for tonight was not a night to get the car stuck in a pothole or
puncture a tyre. Kitty’s heart began to accelerate as
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