Page 34 of Papa's Captive
Lady Wartwhistle’s beady black eyes opened as wide as they could in shock. It was not too late to halt her story, simply say that she was joking and then make up a tale about a family, but Lady Wartwhistle had gotten under Rosie’s skin just enough to make her desire to shock outweigh what she knew was the proper thing to do.
“An orphanage?” Lady Wartwhistle managed to say.
“I suppose you could call it that, though Miss Wickersham and Nurse Lister were like parents to us. And the other girls became like a family to me. My friend, Cynny, is an exceptional pickpocket and used to be a member of a street gang called The Weasels.” Rosie smiled at her guest and took a small bite of one of the delicate tea cakes, as though what she had just revealed was as ordinary as a discussion of the weather.
Lady Wartwhistle clasped at her chest with both hands and appeared to have trouble breathing.
Rosie leaned over and placed her hand on Lady Wartwhistle’s forehead. “You do feel a bit warm. I wonder if you have a fever? At Talcott House, Nurse Lister took our temperatures in our bottoms. It is the most medically accurate method, you know.”
By this time, Lady Wartwhistle had doubled over, gasping for air and Rosie feared her guest might faint. No matter how annoying Papa’s cousin might be, Rosie did not wish to have her incapacitated on the drawing room sofa when Papa returned.
Taking hold of the woman’s beefy arm, Rosie assisted her to stand. “A turn about the room ought to have you feeling better.” Lady Wartwhistle continued to hack. Undeterred, Rosie lead her to the doorway and called out to Harriet, who happened to be dusting in the hallway, “Please collect Lady Wartwhistle’s wrap.”
Harriet, who seemed pleased to be singled out for the task, scurried off to do Rosie’s bidding. Perhaps she was as eager for Lady Warwhistle to leave as Rosie was. The servant assisted Lady Wartwhistle with her cloak and to Rosie’s surprise, Lady Wartwhistle said, “Thank you, Harriet.”
Perhaps the woman was not completely without decency.
With great relief, she watched her uninvited guest depart, though her bottom tingled when she considered how Papa might react if he knew the way she had behaved.
It had been a draining afternoon and Rosie quickly retired to her private bedchamber for some peace and quiet. A nap would be welcome, but she recalled Papa’s rule that he would be the one to tuck her in and decide when a nap was needed. She had already tempted the rules with her behavior toward Lady Wartwhistle, she dared not push her luck.
Since her arrival at Craigmul Castle, she had barely spent any time in the bedchamber designated for the lady of the house. It adjoined Papa’s large master suite where Papa insisted she was to sleep every night. To this rule she had no objections. She never wished to spend a night away from Papa and hoped she never had to.
But after a trying visit from Lady Wartwhistle, it was a relief to open the door to her private room. The meeting with Lady Wartwhistle had caused quite a headache. Something about the woman did not sit well with Rosie and she hoped her husband’s cousin would not call again for a long time.
Rosie had not had a chance to give much notice to her private rooms. They were, as was everything else at Craigmul Castle, beautifully decorated. Papa had recently told her he planned to have her special little girl room redecorated as soon as could be arranged to suit her tastes, however as she looked upon the chamber she thought it was perfect already. But it warmed her heart that Papa had planned to go to such trouble and expense on her behalf. He was a most attentive gentleman and she was most decidedly fortunate he had pursued her.
Not only pursued her, but practically kidnapped her as well. She chuckled to think what Lady Joyce Wartwhistle would say if she knew about Papa whisking her away from Talcott House on the back of a racehorse named Papa’s Girl. Just thinking about her papa helped Rosie’s headache to ease.
She sat upon the bed then noticed her wooden box from Talcott House. In the rush and commotion of Lady Wartwhistle’s unexpected visit, Rosie had forgotten to lock the box. Withdrawing the key from her pocket, she secured the lock and stowed the box away.
As much as she believed Papa loved her and would never leave her side, she knew the contents of that box might be the thing that would destroy Papa’s love for her.
And that would destroy her.
