The Heiress of Winterwood - By Sarah Ladd Page 0,112
she had come to losing her. When Edward held the blade to her cousin’s throat, the depth of her affection became clear. How it must hurt Helena to know the father of her child could treat her in such a way. The thought of Helena as a mother seemed surreal. But perhaps knowing what it was like to love another more than herself—just as Amelia loved Lucy—would help Helena, in time, understand why Amelia made the choices she did.
She smoothed Helena’s nut-brown hair against the pillow. It no longer mattered what had caused the rift between them. All that mattered now was repairing what had been broken.
Helena’s eyelashes fluttered open, and Amelia sat up, waiting for her to speak. Helena’s words were barely more than a mumble. “Lucy and Mrs. Dunne. They’re all right?”
Amelia grabbed Helena’s hand. “Yes, dearest, they are well. Mrs. Hammond is preparing a bath for Lucy now.”
“I’m sorry . . . so sorry.” Helena’s eyelids almost drooped closed and her words slurred. “This is all my fault.”
Amelia shook her head. “This is all on Edward’s shoulders. He took advantage of you, me, Aunt and Uncle—and to put a child through this . . .” She shivered. “But it’s all over now, and the captain will see that Edward pays for what he has done.”
“Captain Sterling is a good man.”
The words echoed in Amelia’s heart. A flush rushed to her cheeks at the memory of his hand caressing her cheek. “He is a good man. He is indeed.”
Helena’s head rolled to the side and slumber replaced consciousness. When Amelia was certain Helena was asleep, she sat up from the bed, her muscles protesting the movements. She rubbed her raw wrists as she walked down the hall and headed toward the modest kitchen where Jane was bathing Lucy.
Tears pooled in Amelia’s eyes at the sight of the baby. Fewer than two hours had passed since Graham freed them and Sulter returned them to the safety of his home. Even though they were now out of danger, her heart still seemed to rattle in her chest. How close she had come to losing her darling Lucy! The child appeared happy and content, as if the kidnapping had never happened. But the recollection of her in that warehouse, dirty and scared, still lingered in Amelia’s memory. She suspected it would haunt her dreams for years to come.
Lucy dunked a chubby fist into the water and giggled with delight at the resulting splash. Pleased, she turned her round face to Amelia and smiled, revealing three tiny teeth. The baby’s laugh was sweeter than any sound, her smile more beautiful than any painting.
Amelia picked up the linen cloth, dipped it in the warm, sudsy water, and brushed it against Lucy’s soft cheek. Jane stepped aside so Amelia could care for Lucy. Three days’ worth of filth rolled off with the water. Amelia drew a slow breath to combat the tightening in her chest. Tenderly, she rubbed soap in the child’s hair and poured water to rinse it clean. Desperate to be free from the memory, she washed the child’s hair again. It could not be clean enough.
Jane’s voice was soft. “I’ll tell Mrs. Sulter we’ll need more warm water.”
Amelia swiveled to face her. “No need, Lucy is almost clean.”
A smile eased across the older woman’s face. “Not for Lucy. For you, dear. You need a bath just as badly, if not worse.”
Amelia lifted her hand to wipe the hair from her face, and for the first time noticed the layer of dirt covering her forearms.
Jane’s face scrunched as she picked something out of Amelia’s hair. “What is that? Straw?”
“Most likely.”
“Well, Captain Sterling will be home soon. You must wash the dirt away.”
Captain Sterling. Graham. Her heart beat an erratic cadence as she turned back to lift Lucy from the tub.
“Amelia, you’re trembling.” Jane stepped forward. “Here, let me help you.”
Frustrated at her own vulnerability, Amelia shook her head. “I don’t need help, really. I—I . . .”
Ignoring Amelia’s protest, Jane reached for the child, wrapped her wriggling wet body in a blanket, and snuggled her close. Amelia’s shoulders sagged as she watched Lucy play with Jane’s necklace. She wanted to be the one to care for Lucy, to hold her and never let her go. But her strength was gone. A sob caught in her throat, and her words spilled forth in uncontrollable fervor.
“I came so close to losing her.”
Jane placed Lucy down in the cradle and returned to Amelia’s side and