Read Online The Benedict Bastard (A Benedict Hall Novel) by Cate Campbell - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Cate Campbell
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“Miss Margot, she just did three somersaults, right from the top! I thought she musta broke her neck doing it!”
Her twin elbowed her, and she covered her mouth with a freckled hand, as Ramona burst into frightened tears.
Margot assessed the baby with a glance. Her face was scarlet, mouth open to show six pearly milk teeth. All four limbs milled with fury as she heaved a breath to squall again. Margot pushed past the twins to sit beside Ramona on the stair. Gently, she extricated the toddler from her mother’s grasp, and drew her into her own lap. At the same moment Blake arrived, his cane loose in his hand, his face furrowed with concern.
“Mr. Blake!” Leona hissed. “Baby fell down the stairs!” Blake’s eyes met Margot’s, and a dark, painful memory passed swiftly between them before she turned her attention back to Louisa.
Margot cradled the little girl in her arms, passing her hand over the child’s forehead, shushing her under her breath while the other women gasped and wept. “Louisa,” Margot said, in a low, firm tone. “Louisa. Listen to Auntie Margot.”
Margot could feel the small, hot body tense for another wail. “Louisa, shush. You’re all right. You did a somersault!”
The wail came out as a whimper, and then a sniffle. Loena leaned forward, and offered Margot a handkerchief. Margot used it to wipe the child’s nose, though Louisa tried to wriggle away from it. Surreptitiously, while her niece wrestled with the handkerchief, Margot felt each of her arms and legs, and ran her fingers up her back. She pressed on Louisa’s slender neck, and ran her fingertips through her shock of fair hair. There were no bumps or lumps on her scalp, and already her sobs were subsiding into shudders.
Margot lifted her to her shoulder, and patted her back. “Ramona, she’s fine,” she said. “Babies are flexible, thank goodness. But look, no bruises, not even a scratch.”
“She just—I turned my back for a moment, and she was out of her crib!” Nurse said in a wretched tone. She sounded close to tears herself. “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Benedict, but—”
Ramona, who was wiping her own face with a lace-edged handkerchief, dropped it, and turned blazing eyes to the hapless woman. “It’s your job! ” she cried. “What were you doing?”
Margot felt the child quiver anew in her arms. “Ramona, you’ll set her off again. Louisa isn’t hurt, but she knows you’re upset.”
“Of course I’m upset!” Ramona said. “She—she could have—”
“Yes,” Margot said quietly. “But she didn’t. She’s all right, and we’ll keep a closer eye on her now, right? She’s an active little thing.”
“I will, Dr. Benedict,” Nurse assured her. “I will! I do, really, but this time—”
“I understand. It can happen in a flash.” Margot stood up, Louisa still in her arms. Hattie straightened, and wiped her cheeks with the hem of her apron. The twins drew back into the kitchen, though Margot sensed their intent listening as if they had ear horns extending into the hall. Ramona, weeping openly, rose to her feet, and the nurse stepped forward to take Louisa.
“I’ll just keep her for a bit, Nurse,” Margot said. “Why don’t you go and rinse your face, Ramona? Nurse, you take a moment, too. I’ll take Louisa out into the garden for a few minutes and let her calm down.”
It took a bit of persuasion, but soon Margot was able to carry her niece out through the kitchen, where Louisa reached for a wooden spoon lying on the counter. Hattie, chuckling and sniffling at the same time, wiped the spoon with a dishcloth and handed it over to her. Margot carried the toddler out to the porch and down to the damp grass that stretched between the garage and the house. She set the child down, and Louisa, though her face was still red and her eyes swollen from crying, began batting at a sodden dandelion with the wooden spoon.
Margot crouched beside her in the thin sunshine, watching, and
Her twin elbowed her, and she covered her mouth with a freckled hand, as Ramona burst into frightened tears.
Margot assessed the baby with a glance. Her face was scarlet, mouth open to show six pearly milk teeth. All four limbs milled with fury as she heaved a breath to squall again. Margot pushed past the twins to sit beside Ramona on the stair. Gently, she extricated the toddler from her mother’s grasp, and drew her into her own lap. At the same moment Blake arrived, his cane loose in his hand, his face furrowed with concern.
“Mr. Blake!” Leona hissed. “Baby fell down the stairs!” Blake’s eyes met Margot’s, and a dark, painful memory passed swiftly between them before she turned her attention back to Louisa.
Margot cradled the little girl in her arms, passing her hand over the child’s forehead, shushing her under her breath while the other women gasped and wept. “Louisa,” Margot said, in a low, firm tone. “Louisa. Listen to Auntie Margot.”
Margot could feel the small, hot body tense for another wail. “Louisa, shush. You’re all right. You did a somersault!”
The wail came out as a whimper, and then a sniffle. Loena leaned forward, and offered Margot a handkerchief. Margot used it to wipe the child’s nose, though Louisa tried to wriggle away from it. Surreptitiously, while her niece wrestled with the handkerchief, Margot felt each of her arms and legs, and ran her fingers up her back. She pressed on Louisa’s slender neck, and ran her fingertips through her shock of fair hair. There were no bumps or lumps on her scalp, and already her sobs were subsiding into shudders.
Margot lifted her to her shoulder, and patted her back. “Ramona, she’s fine,” she said. “Babies are flexible, thank goodness. But look, no bruises, not even a scratch.”
“She just—I turned my back for a moment, and she was out of her crib!” Nurse said in a wretched tone. She sounded close to tears herself. “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Benedict, but—”
Ramona, who was wiping her own face with a lace-edged handkerchief, dropped it, and turned blazing eyes to the hapless woman. “It’s your job! ” she cried. “What were you doing?”
Margot felt the child quiver anew in her arms. “Ramona, you’ll set her off again. Louisa isn’t hurt, but she knows you’re upset.”
“Of course I’m upset!” Ramona said. “She—she could have—”
“Yes,” Margot said quietly. “But she didn’t. She’s all right, and we’ll keep a closer eye on her now, right? She’s an active little thing.”
“I will, Dr. Benedict,” Nurse assured her. “I will! I do, really, but this time—”
“I understand. It can happen in a flash.” Margot stood up, Louisa still in her arms. Hattie straightened, and wiped her cheeks with the hem of her apron. The twins drew back into the kitchen, though Margot sensed their intent listening as if they had ear horns extending into the hall. Ramona, weeping openly, rose to her feet, and the nurse stepped forward to take Louisa.
“I’ll just keep her for a bit, Nurse,” Margot said. “Why don’t you go and rinse your face, Ramona? Nurse, you take a moment, too. I’ll take Louisa out into the garden for a few minutes and let her calm down.”
It took a bit of persuasion, but soon Margot was able to carry her niece out through the kitchen, where Louisa reached for a wooden spoon lying on the counter. Hattie, chuckling and sniffling at the same time, wiped the spoon with a dishcloth and handed it over to her. Margot carried the toddler out to the porch and down to the damp grass that stretched between the garage and the house. She set the child down, and Louisa, though her face was still red and her eyes swollen from crying, began batting at a sodden dandelion with the wooden spoon.
Margot crouched beside her in the thin sunshine, watching, and
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