Page 40 of To Dance with a Devil

He felt giddy with relief and quite desperate to see Bonnie and tell her the good news.

“Come here,” his mother said, holding out her arms.

Jerome went to embrace her, still feeling a little startled that he was so much bigger than she was. She smelled familiar, of lavender and fresh cut greenery and it was so comforting he had to blink hard to clear his vision. She hugged him tighter, and he was eight years old in his heart when he considered how much that meant to him.

“I’m still angry with you, mind,” she said, moving away and wagging her finger. “Getting a child on the poor girl and then marrying her behind my back. Oh, Jerome, I’m so furious I could throttle you.”

“You’ve made that very clear, Mother,” he said ruefully. “But may we put it behind us now? Bonnie will be so worried and it’s not good for the baby.”

She reached up and cupped his cheek, her eyes filling with tears. “There’s my boy, a devil and an angel all wrapped up in one.” She shook her head. “Yes, yes, of course, go and get your lovely bride and let me welcome her properly. We have a great deal to talk about.”

Jerome beamed at her and hurried from the room, heading back to the library, only to find it empty. He went out again, hailing the butler: a grim-faced, miserable sod who’d always frightened him as a child. The tetchy old fogram must be of an age with Methuselah by now.

“Where’s my wife, Potts?” he demanded.

“I believe she has gone out, sir,” the butler replied. “She took her maid and left on foot perhaps half an hour ago.”

“Damnation,” Jerome muttered and began to walk back to tell his mother when there was a commotion at the front door, which flew open as the butler exclaimed in annoyance.

Miss Lacey, Bonnie’s maid almost fell through it. Her face was tear-stained and her bonnet all askew, and Jerome’s heart lurched in his chest.

“Oh, Mr Cadogan!” she cried, running to him. “You must fetch a doctor, at once!”

Before Jerome could ask, a dark shadow fell over the doorway and a man appeared, carrying Bonnie in his arms.

“Oh, God….” Jerome rushed forward, only dimly aware of his mother’s voice behind him, shouting instructions as the entrance hall erupted into motion. “What have you done!” he bellowed, terror seizing his heart as he saw the wretched brute with his hands on Bonnie, and she was still, so very still.

“Oh, Mr Cadogan, it wasn’t his fault, sir,” the maid said, stepping between them. “She was pushed into the road. This gentlemen did everything he could to stop the horses, I swear he did.”

Jerome looked at the fellow, to see he was white-faced with shock.

“I’m so sorry,” the man said, his voice rough. “She came from nowhere. I tried….”

Jerome couldn’t hear him, could hear nothing but the buzzing in his ears as he took her from the stranger’s arms. She stirred as her head fell against his shoulder.

“Jerome,” she said, her voice faint. “Oh, Jerome, the baby….”

***

Jasper jumped down from his horse, flinging the reins at the waiting servant and rushing up the steps to his house.

“Mother!” he exclaimed as she hurried towards him. “Where is he? What’s happened?”

He’d dropped everything and rushed out of the door, though his mother’s note had held little information beyond your brother needs you, please come at once.

He hadn’t stopped to pack, leaving Harriet in charge of everything as he’d yelled for a horse and ridden back to town at breakneck speed. Now he was dusty and hot, despite the freezing weather, but cared for nothing but seeing Jerome.

“Oh, Jasper,” she said, her lovely face crumpling as she ran to him. He embraced her, his heart hammering as he wondered what on earth had put her in such a state. He guided her into the library where they could speak privately.

His mother wiped her eyes and sat down as Jasper crouched before her and grasped one of her hands.

“Tell me,” he pleaded, sick with anxiety.

“It’s Miss Campbell, I mean… Bonnie. She left the house and took herself off for a walk whilst I was speaking to Jerome and… and I’m terribly afraid she heard me shouting at him and thought… but I wasn’t shouting because of her, I wasn’t. Only he’s so irresponsible sometimes, but the way he spoke of her and he’s been so tender with her, and he was trying to think of the baby and now… and now….”

She broke down again and Jasper took a deep breath, striving for patience.

“Mama, please! What has happened?”