Page 43 of A Promising Little Scandal (Sensual Scandals)

Unfortunately, there was a different problem that she had to hurdle now. If Sebastian attempted to seduce her again, she must remain unaffected. She couldn’t allow herself to be persuaded to continue this destructive path. She knew that’s how it would end. She wasn’t about to believe that he had changed from the rogue he’d been just a few weeks ago in London. Lyme Regis might have altered Calliope’s thinking, but Lord Blakely was still the same libertine. He’d gotten what he’d wanted from her, and it was only a matter of time before his attention turned elsewhere.

It was sobering, to say the least, and if she hadn’t been so set against marriage, she could easily see herself suffering from a certain amount of heartbreak. Nevertheless, she would have to be cautious if she didn’t wish for that to become a reality.

The following day, Calliope was preparing to leave the hotel intent on heading down to the beach to meet Mary, but before she got out the door, there was a light knock. Mrs. Anning was standing there with a grim look on her face. “I fear Mary has fallen ill and won’t be able to accompany you today.”

Rather than being disappointed, Calliope’s brow fell into a frown. “What’s wrong?”

The lady hung her head grimly, as if already dreading the fate of her daughter. “It’s the fever.”

Calliope reached out and put a comforting hand on the woman’s shoulder. “That is concerning, of course, but no cause for such alarm. My sisters and I all suffered from similar ailments.”

“Then you are very fortunate.” Molly sighed heavily. “You may not know this, as it pains me too much to discuss it, but at one time I had eight other children. They all passed from one thing or another. My dear little Mary, born before the one you know, perished in a house fire. That one haunts me the most.” When her voice started to become overwhelmed with emotion, she swallowed hard. “Mary and Joseph are all I have left, and I nearly lost her once in a tragic accident when she was just a babe. One of the neighbor ladies took her and two other children to shelter under a tree during a lightning storm. My Mary was the only one who survived.”

Calliope put a hand to her lips, her heart instantly going out to this mother who had dealt with so much terrible loss.

She hung her head and whispered, “Sometimes I wonder if I’m cursed. Or I’m being punished for some reason I have yet to fathom.”

Calliope couldn’t stand for that. “You are not cursed. A woman as gentle and kind as you are would not dare to incur such wrath, although I will admit that you have faced more than your share of adversity in your lifetime. Much more than anyone ought.” She grabbed her pelisse and bonnet. “Let’s go see to your Mary, shall we?”

Molly’s eyes widened. “But my lady! I wouldn’t feel comfortable should you come down with the same ailment!”

“Don’t worry about me,” Calliope said firmly. “I have faced down worse and I daresay I shall continue to do so.”

In spite of Molly’s protests, Calliope followed her to a modest cottage a short distance from the fossil shop. Once they arrived and they went inside, Calliope’s heart sank further into her chest. While everything was neat and tidy inside the small expanse, it was apparent that the Annings had been poor for a number of years.

“Mary’s room?” Calliope asked gently as she hung up her pelisse and bonnet on a worn peg by the door. The bright plum ribbons and the green velvet of her outerwear looked entirely out of place hanging there with the rest of the drab colored, serviceable clothing. Even the servants her father had employed boasted starched aprons and well-tailored livery.

Molly led the way into a room off the dining area that was smaller than anything that Marlington Hall might have boasted. Not for the first time since her arrival in Lyme Regis, Calliope felt guilty over her lavish upbringing.

When she entered the room, the first thing Calliope noted was the dark atmosphere. The window coverings were pulled together, and a single candle burned beside the bed where Mary was sleeping. The wool covers were pulled up over her breasts. She was wearing a long-sleeved white cotton nightdress and her arms were placed on either side of her. Her dark hair was plaited and lying across her pillow. If it wasn’t for her flushed face, Calliope might have already thought she had gone to meet her maker. She glanced at Mrs. Anning, and by the look on her face, it was as if Molly had resigned herself to the inevitable death of yet another daughter.

Calliope was determined that wouldn’t happen.

She laid a light hand on her arm. “Is Joseph at the shop?” she asked.

Molly nodded, never taking her eyes off Mary.

“Why don’t you join him?” Calliope suggested. “I will watch over Mary.”

“I don’t know…” Molly twisted her hands in her skirts, and it was obvious she was torn about leaving.

Calliope moved in front of her to ensure she had her full attention. “You can trust me.” She prayed the sincerity shone through her eyes as well as her voice. “I will treat her as I would one of my sisters. I promise. I will also send for you immediately if there is any change.”

After a bit of hesitation, Molly finally acquiesced. “Very well. I will return in a couple of hours.”

Calliope nodded, knowing that was as close as she was going to get to sending the worried mother away.

She waited for Molly to depart, ensuring that enough time had passed for her to return to the shop, and then Calliope went to work. The first thing she did was walk over to the window and pull apart the curtains. Then she opened the window slightly to let in a much needed, fresh breeze. She never understood the rule that stale air would do anyone good. Thankfully, her father had employed some of the best physicians that London could offer and some of that antiquated reasoning had altered in time. However, since she wasn’t sure if Molly would be receptive to new ideals, she hadn’t wanted to act until she knew she wasn’t in the vicinity.

Afterward, Calliope found a lamp and blew the candle out as she turned up the light. Between that and the sun shining through the window, it was enough to turn the room quite cheery, having chased away most of the gloom. Next, she poured some water in a porcelain bowl and found a strip of clean linen to dip. She twisted it to get out most of the water and then began to dab it around Mary’s face and neck. The girl moved restlessly for a moment, and then settled with a light sigh, as if finding some comfort in her distress. At least, that is what Calliope was praying for.

It was unfortunate that she didn’t have any feverfew to offer her, or any sort of poultice, but perhaps she could find a way to make some tea that might help ease her symptoms. While Calliope didn’t know her way around a stove like the servants did at Marlington Hall, she used to spend quite a bit of time in the kitchens, just hoping to gain a biscuit or scone fresh from the ovens. Despite this, she had paid attention to a thing or two.

Either way, she had to try.

She had a life to save.

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