Page 58 of The Good Fortune of Miss Robbins

“Is the bone through the skin?”

The boy shook his head.

“You need a doctor,” Miss Robbins said gently. “The doctor will put on a splint and then I’m sure it will be all right.”

“My physician is nearby,” William said.

Miss Robbins’s eyes met his. Had there ever been more beautiful eyes than hers? Not only were they pretty and blue, with dark delicate lashes, but there was so much compassion and concern in them. They swam with tears as she gazed up at him. He felt his throat tighten.

But he couldn’t dwell on Miss Charlotte Robbins’s teary eyes, as much as he wanted to. He needed to get this child some medical attention.

My heart seemed to melt as I gazed gratefully into Lord Brookhaven’s eyes. How kind, how good he was. Mrs. Drake and Millicent had huddled together, looking horrified, but Lord Brookhaven hadn’t batted an eye. He just followed the child with me.

He turned back to the little boy and said, “I can carry you to the physician, but you will need to keep your arm still. Can you do that?”

His eyes darted anxiously toward his sister.

I said, “Perhaps we could take a piece of cloth and bind his arm close to his body. I saw it done once when a girl at my school fell out of a tree and broke her arm. Mrs. Southey bound her arm to her side until we could get her inside and fetch the doctor.”

I looked around at the squalor. There was a place near the wall where it looked as if they’d been building fires to keep warm. But I didn’t see anything that looked like strips of cloth.

Lord Brookhaven untied his cravat, which was long and white. Then he took a penknife out of his pocket and started cutting it into narrow strips.

My eye was drawn to the bare skin at his throat, the small hollow place there, and the bit of dark hair peeking out from the top of his shirt. I quickly looked away.

He bent down with the cloth. We worked together as he passed the cloth under the little boy’s back and I pulled it from my side and passed it around his arm.

“What’s your name?” I asked.

“Joshua,” he said in a trembly voice. His face was streaked where his tears had made tracks through the dirt on his cheeks, but his eyes were dry now. The blood on his face, which seemed to come from his hairline above his forehead, was drying. I wished I had a cloth and some water so I could clean it.

“And your sister’s name?”

“Sarah.”

I made sure the cloth was snug, and after a few passes, I tied the ends together.

Lord Brookhaven slid his hands underneath Joshua’s body and liftedhim, looking purposeful as he moved slowly and carefully. He ducked, carefully moving sideways so Joshua wouldn’t bump his head or catch his feet on the narrow opening. Joshua bit his lip, but he didn’t cry out.

As we moved through the narrow streets, Sarah walked beside me, chewing her fingers, while we followed Lord Brookhaven.

We turned down three or four streets before Lord Brookhaven stopped in front of a brick two-story house. “Miss Robbins, would you knock on the door?”

I knocked and the door was opened by a servant, who led us inside, where Lord Brookhaven laid Joshua on a small bed and the physician, Dr. Morton, came in and examined the boy.

“May I have some water to wash his face?” I said quietly to the servant.

“No need, mum. I shall wash him.” She left and returned a few minutes later.

“If you could wait in the room across the hall,” Dr. Morton said, nodding in that direction, “I shall send for you when I’m sure the bone is set.”

“You won’t hurt him none?” Sarah looked near to tears again.

“I shall make sure the bone heals straight and true. Now, go and wait.” His manner was gentle, for which I was grateful.

While we waited, sitting on straight chairs in a small drawing room, I asked Sarah, “Were you living in that building we saw?”

“Yes, ma’am. It’s just Joshua and me, but we take care of each other.”