Free The Promise by Kate Worth Page A

I believe. The child seems well mannered and healthy. Miss Gray seems to have done an admirable job, especially considering the challenges she must have faced raising a child alone. I gave my assurance that we would work together to smooth the transition,” Finn said.
    There was no discussion whether they would claim Pip. It went without saying. “I thought it logical that Pip take Maura’s room and that her mother… that Miss Gray… stay with her, at least for tonight. After that, we’ll have to take each day as it comes.”
    Cameron and his mother readily agreed.
    “We owe that young woman a great debt,” she said. Her sons nodded gravely.
    “Cameron, we must find a way to repay Miss Gray for what she has done. She took care of Maura for months and...” A notion suddenly seized the duchess. “Where is she? Where is my baby buried?” Tears began to fall anew.
    “In the cemetery at St. Botolph’s, but her grave bears a different name. Maura told Miss Gray her name was Daphne Livingston. I’ll make arrangements to have her moved to the family plot in Somerset with a new headstone as soon as possible,” his voice caught and he had to clear his throat before continuing. “I agree we must offer Miss Gray some sort of compensation. Without her, who knows what might have come of Maura and her child.”
    Finn frowned. “She may consider an offer of ‘compensation’ an insult. I hope you do not intend to use that word, Cameron.”
    Rutledge sent Finn an exasperated look. “Of course I’ll be tactful. For someone who spent the entire day calling her a liar and a fraud, you have made an abrupt about face.”
    “I have,” he admitted without rancor, knowing he had called her much worse than a fraud. He felt ashamed of how he had treated her. “My assessment of her has changed so much that I’m not certain she’ll accept anything from us. I watched her with the child. She’s devastated. We should determine her emotional state and her expectations before we propose any payment. I wouldn’t want her to think we are offering to buy the child. She has been Pip’s mother for five years. To hand her money and push her out the door would be unconscionable.”
    “Again, not my intention,” Rutledge said dryly.
    “Nor did I say it was. The truth is, you treated her with something akin to respect today; I’m sorry to say I was far less gracious.”
    Mollified, Cameron said, “Your point is well taken, Finn. We’ll ascertain Miss Gray’s state of mind before we proceed.”
    “I suspect the only thing she wants is to retain some contact with the child. I’m inclined to allow it. Nothing in her manner is rude or common.”
    Cameron nodded. “She’s well spoken, reserved. Not at all what one might expect from someone of her background.”
    “What are your thoughts?” Finn asked his mother.
    “We cannot know what the future holds,” the duchess said. “In the meantime we should treat Miss Gray with the same courtesy we would give any relation.”
     
     
    LUNCH WOULD HAVE been excruciatingly uncomfortable had it not been for Pip’s humorous commentary. She was too young to pretend to be anything other than impressed, admiring her surroundings with slack-jawed wonder. Her grandmother and uncles were enchanted and even the footmen had trouble keeping smiles from their faces.
    “Is this your castle?” she asked Rutledge.
    He smiled. “No. Castles are much, much bigger and are never built in cities. We do have a real castle, though, complete with a dungeon and crenelated towers. It’s far away in the Scottish Highlands.”
    “What’s crenbelabled mean?”
    “Crenelated. It means notched, like this.” Cameron drew an outline in the air.
    “Like Rapunzel’s tower! Does it have dragons?” She looked disappointed when he shook his head. “How ’bout knights and peasants?”
    Jane laughed. “Pip is fascinated by old folk legends. I was born in Dorset and raised on Celtic folklore. I passed on my love