who seemed so genuinely concerned about her welfare. She could not help drawing a comparison with the last woman she had addressed as âAunt.â Gertude Hermiston was a far cry from Sylvia Fiske.
Aunt Gertrudeâs presence brought an immediate change in the attitudes of certain members of the staff. Mrs. Bassett became positively obsequious, and it was apparent that Perkins took greater care in preparing meals.
Caitlyn and Aunt Gertrude actually reveled in each otherâs company. Gertrude confided that she had always wanted a daughter, and Caitlyn had missed much in losing her mother at such a young age. She became more and more fond of Lady Gertrude.
Then their happy amicability encountered a serious rupture.
Caitlyn was with child.
The two women discovered it almost simultaneously. Caitlyn had not felt well for several days. When she abruptly left the breakfast table two days in a row, Aunt Gertrude followed her to her bedchamber, where Caitlyn lay on the bed after losing her breakfast again.
Aunt Gertrudeâs expression was grim. âSo. You are in an interesting condition. I did not believe those rumors, but it appears I was wrong.â
âI . . . I do not know what you are talking about.â Then Caitlyn remembered that cartoon. âOh. Oh, no. You have it all wrong. I am not with childâI cannot be. Trevor and I . . . we . . . Well, we were only together for a week or so.â
âAnd before that?â Aunt Gertrudeâs voice was distant, unrelenting.
âBefore . . . ? There was no âbefore,â â Caitlyn said. âPlease. You must believe me. I just have a touch of the flu.â
âThe nine-months variety. I would stake my life on it.â
âOh, no. It cannot be.â It came out as a wail of utter despair. Caitlyn, caught up in her own emotions, did not immediately notice Lady Gertrudeâs reaction. Later, when she considered the scene again, she thought there was a softening in the older womanâs demeanor.
âWell, my girl, you must know it takes only once.â
âTruly?â
Lady Gertrude looked at her in surprise. âTruly. When was your last monthly?â
Embarrassed, Caitlyn told her and watched as Aunt Gertrudeâs face registered the mental calculation she was doing.
âWell. If you are telling the truthâand I must say I am inclined to believe youâthe babe must be Trevorâs.â
Caitlyn felt anger and indignation rise at this. âOf course it is Trevorâs. I went to my marriage bed a virginâand anyone who says otherwise is a liar.â
âWhat about that Latham lad? Your name was linked to his in London gossip.â
âBertie? Bertie never touched me.â Then she blushed and added, âThat is, not beyond a few very innocent kisses. Even I know it takes more than a kiss to make a babe.â
âWell, now. Calm down, my dear. Strong emotion is not good for the babe. This situation puts a new twist on matters.â
Eight months laterâgive or take a few daysâCaitlyn Maria Woodbridge Jeffries was delivered of a healthy baby girl whom she promptly christened Ashley Gertrude.
Six
May, 1814
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In the aftermath of Wellingtonâs successful campaign against French forces in the Iberian Peninsula, the British army was sent home. Londonâs citizenry threw themselves into victory celebrations. Every ball or routâthe streets themselvesâboasted a sprinkling of uniforms.
Among the soldiers returning to civilian life were Major Ruskin and his friend Captain Jeffries. Nearly five years of warfare had toughened them, turning naive youngsters into men, incompetent officers into seasoned leaders. Among Peninsula veterans Ruskin and Jeffries were quite well knownâand respectedâas a formidable team.
The journey from Portsmouth, where their ship had landed, had been long and tiring, but they had dropped into a gentlemenâs club