Heaven Made, page 10
"Thirsty," Alice said a second time.
"I’m right here, sweetheart," Sabrina said, giving her full attention to her daughter.
Ford was grateful for the distraction. He stood and moved awkwardly to the other side of the bed. When he had regained some modicum of propriety, he checked Alice’s forehead for fever. "She’s cooler," he said, then pulled out his pocket watch and checked her pulse. "That’s closer to normal too." Then he used the stethoscope and checked her heart. "Sounds stronger."
"She’s better?" Sabrina asked, her eyes begging him for reassurance.
Ford nodded. "She is definitely better. I’d say the worst is over. Now she just needs the loving attention of her mother.
Sabrina began to weep.
"Don’t cry Mama," Alice said weakly. "Mr. Northcliffe’s mother said everything is going to work out just fine."
"My mother?" Ford asked, checking Alice’s forehead again. "Mother’s been dead for quite a while. Do you think she’s still delusional?"
Sabrina laughed through her tears and shook her head. "Now I know she’s feeling better. Alice fancies herself a medium. She thinks she talks to her father. She must have heard one of the servants talking about your mother, and decided that she could talk to her too."
"Ghosts and nonsense," Ford muttered, raking a hand through his hair. "I’m going to go get cleaned up." He left hoping Sabrina wouldn’t notice that he was still very much aroused. A cold bath was just the thing to get him back to normal. As if he could ever be normal around Sabrina Tremaine again. He wanted her with a fierceness that he’d never experienced before, and he had no idea how he was going to keep his hands to himself now that he’d had a taste of her. It was the most common cliché he could think of. Master of the house falls for the pretty servant, compromises her, and then has to send her away when the lady of the house finds out. Only in this case, they were one and the same, at least temporarily. When Luella finally returned from her tour, Ford would be forced to send Sabrina away. And right now, feeling the way he did, he couldn’t even imagine what that would be like.
Why had he promised his mother that he would marry Luella in the first place? Of course the answer was simple. Mother had been dying and he would have pledged anything she requested. And since marriage was the last thing he had been thinking about or concerned with, it had been an easy enough promise to make. But now, he was regretting his devotion to his mother. How could he have known then that this amazing, intelligent, beautiful, and sensual woman would walk into his life? Thinking about his mother made Ford pause and remember what little Alice had said. Did she really believe she could speak to spirits? And why was everyone he knew talking about such things. He felt as though he was caught in some sort of conspiracy to make him believe in ghosts.
Ford was lost in these thoughts as he made his way down to the kitchen. He would ask Mrs. Dixon to sit with Alice for a while so that Mrs. Tremaine could wash up and have a bite to eat. Halfway to his destination, he heard the front door bell. Without thinking, he turned and went to answer it, but Roland beat him there. Ford forgot that since Sabrina had arrived that the staff was now readily available and the house was running tip top. He was about to resume his previous mission, when he recognized the visitor. It was Miss Blakemore, the young woman who worked at the employment agency he’d hired Sabrina from.
"Good day, Mr. Northcliffe," she said, handing her hat and coat to Roland, but holding on tightly to a small package. "I came to see how Alice is doing."
"Miss Blakemore," Ford said, curious now about how the young lady knew Alice was sick. "She’s much better, actually. How did you find out—?"
"Oh, Madame Lou, my neighbor the psychic, she was very concerned." Cassie Blakemore brushed the question aside as if it were inconsequential. "She sent me over to give Mrs. Tremaine this special brew of teas. She says the Chinese swear by them."
Ford was about to call bully on the young woman until she mentioned the Chinese herbs.
"What kind of herbs?" he asked instead.
"Oh, some cinnamon, white peony, and fresh ginger." Miss Blakemore blinked innocently. "May I go up and see Alice?"
"Yes, of course," Ford said, wondering where a crazy old mystical woman could possibly have gotten Chinese herbal knowledge. "I’ll take the tea to the kitchen and have some prepared."
"I’ll take care of that, Mr. Northcliffe," Roland said, neatly slipping the package out of Ford’s grasp and removing himself to run the errand.
"Thank you, Mr. Northcliffe," Cassie said with a smile. "How is Mrs. Tremaine working out? As an employee, of course."
The question surprised Ford out of his contemplation of spirits and psychics. Speaking of which, had the woman been reading his mind? Impossible.
"Wonderful," he replied. "She has the house running smooth as cream. I was wondering though, Miss Blakemore, did you ever mention to me that she had a daughter? I don’t recall."
"Hmmm, now that you bring it up, I can’t seem to remember if we discussed Alice." She gave him that naïve look again. "Is it a problem, Mr. Northcliffe? If you don’t approve, I’m sure I can get someone to replace Mrs. Tremaine right away. As a matter of fact, I have a new recruit that would be perfect for you. She’s fifty-two and all her children are full grown and on their own. Shall I have her call on you tomorrow?"
"No, no. You misunderstood." Ford searched his mind for a response. "Mrs. Tremaine and Alice are more than welcome here, indispensable really. You may go up to their suite now. Third door on the right, second floor."
Ford watched her ascend the staircase, eager to end the awkward conversation. It had almost seemed that Miss Blakemore knew what had happened between him and Sabrina. But that was impossible, of course. Still, it wouldn’t do to allow that sort of gossip to be spread around town. Of course he was being silly. How absurd to actually believe that someone might have read his mind or seen him kissing Sabrina. Preposterous. He was simply acting like a fool because he felt guilty for nearly compromising Mrs. Tremaine. And if he just kept telling himself that, he might eventually believe it himself.
Chapter Nine
Madame Lou could feel the strength of these two spirits more clearly now. They were both using the little girl as a conduit. Soon they would have to show themselves to the son. He was fighting them even as he succumbed to his overwhelming feelings for the widow. It would take more than a quick tumble to change his mind. But how could she make him see that he was no longer being held to his vow to his mother? Both the cards and the spirits were being stubborn and stingy with their help. The Fool card would not leave her alone. But how can one keep young lovers from doing something stupid? The spirits were moving things along at a slower pace than Madame Lou preferred. She had a business to run after all.
Sabrina nearly jumped out of her skin when the door to the bedroom opened. She thought it was Ford returning, and she wasn’t ready to face him yet. Not after she had made a fool of herself, kissing him like a brazen harlot. But it was only one of the upstairs maids, Missy.
"Beg your pardon, ma’am," the young and plump, red-haired girl said with a little curtsy. "A Miss Blakemore is here for you."
"No need for introductions," Cassie said, pushing her way past the maid and stepping into the room. "I had to come myself to make sure Alice was feeling better."
"That is very kind of you," Sabrina said, not bothering to ask how the woman knew that Alice was sick.
Gossip among servants spread quickly, and it wasn’t that unusual for such things to find their way to acquaintances. Gerald! She suddenly thought with a panic, could he find her here if news of where she was had already spread to the streets?
"Don’t you worry," Cassie Blakemore said as if reading Sabrina’s mind. "I just had a feeling that something was wrong. And Madame Lou had a vision. She sent over some tea."
Madame Lou again. Sabrina shook her head in disbelief. Had the psychic also seen her kissing Ford? She blushed to her toes at the thought. And when Cassie gave her a knowing smile, she began to wonder if the whole vision thing might actually have some merit to it.
"Well, I won’t stay long," Cassie said, coming to stand near Alice. "I just wanted to make sure things were moving along. I ran into Mr. Northcliffe on my way upstairs and he seemed quite satisfied with the current arrangement."
Sabrina wasn’t sure she could blush any deeper, but her skin burned with embarrassment. "Yes, he has been most kind, to both Alice and myself."
"Good, good." Cassie said, looking at the sofa pulled up to the bed with an unreadable expression. "Do you mind if I sit with you for a bit?"
"Please do," Sabrina said, standing up. "I’ll have refreshments brought up." She whispered instructions to Missy, and then came back over to the couch.
"That would be fine," Cassie said, giving her a long look. "You need to keep up your strength. There is more to come and you’ll have your hands full."
Sabrina started at the odd comment. "You don’t think Alice will relapse, do you?"
"No, Alice will be fine. She’s a strong little girl and has lots of spirits watching out for her. No need to worry there." Cassie reached over and ran a soothing hand over the child’s cheek.
"I wish you wouldn’t encourage that nonsense," Sabrina said evenly. "She has enough to deal with having lost her father and her home. We do need a friend, however. I don’t know what Ford— I mean Mr. Northcliffe—is going to do now that he knows about Alice."
"Has he asked you to leave then?" Cassie looked surprised. "When I discussed it with him just a moment ago, he gave no such indication."
"You spoke to him about me and Alice?"
"Of course," Cassie replied with a dignified lift of her chin. "I am ultimately responsible to make sure my clients are happy. And I assure you, Mr. Northcliffe is very pleased with your services."
Was that a sparkle Sabrina saw in Cassie’s clear green eyes? She couldn’t be certain. But as long as Ford wasn’t going to throw them out onto the street, she could relax. The kiss had been wonderful, and she knew that the man wanted her, but that didn’t mean he wanted a lonely widow and her child living under his roof.
"I’m relieved to hear it," Sabrina said, sitting back down. "We are so dependent upon him."
"Well, he feels the same about you, I believe." Cassie turned and looked directly at Sabrina. "His house is a home again, and he now has a real direction in life. Before he was just rambling around that laboratory of his, mixing potions and talking to himself. Now he has something to share with others, something that can help a lot of people."
Sabrina hadn’t thought of it that way, but she supposed Cassie was correct. Ford probably finally felt that his years studying Chinese herbs had amounted to something, instead of just wasting his time. A warm glow of pride encompassed her. At that moment she felt she would do anything to help Ford realize his dreams of curing the world of influenza. Of course he didn’t need her help, but if he did, she would be there for him.
"Mama." Alice’s weak voice brought both women to her side. "I’m thirsty."
"Hello, Alice, darling," Cassie said, handing the water to Sabrina. "Madame Lou asked me to come see you."
"I want to meet her," Alice said between sips of water. "I want to tell her about Mrs. Northcliffe."
"Oh, she knows," Cassie reassured the little girl, stroking her forehead. "But maybe when you’re feeling better, your mama will bring you by the tearoom."
"Can we, Mama, please?"
"Of course, dear heart," Sabrina said, gently brushing Alice’s hair away from her face. "I suppose I’m going to have to start believing in ghosts if I want to be friends with you two."
"They prefer to be called spirits," Cassie corrected her. "And they exist whether anyone accepts it or not."
Sabrina didn’t know how to respond to that. Obviously Miss Blakemore took this mystical thing quite seriously. She was saved from commenting when Missy reentered the room with a tray of tiny cakes, tea and delicate sandwiches.
"You must be ravenous," Cassie said, filling her own plate with treats. "What about you, Miss Alice? Has your appetite returned yet?"
"I would like a cake, please," the little girl said hopefully.
"Praise be, the child wants food. Although I don’t think sugar is what she needs to build back her strength, it will do for now." Cassie put a lemon cake on a plate and began feeding small bites to Alice.
Sabrina was grateful for the respite. She sat back on a cushion and allowed Miss Blakemore to take control for a while. She tried to listen to the two of them talking about the spirits of Mrs. Northcliffe and Edward, but her mind kept drifting back to that kiss. She must have fallen asleep and somehow managed to lie down on top of Ford. It surprised her at how perfectly she fit into his arms and how their legs entangled so comfortably. She had been only half asleep when she felt his lips touch hers. A delicious shudder coursed through her body as she remembered how that first contact had rocked her to her toes. She couldn’t remember ever having felt such fire when Edward had been making love to her. No, there hadn’t been any thoughts of Edward to interrupt the passion that overcame her when Ford tasted her mouth. His hands touched her so gently at first then with a firm resolve to give her as much pleasure as she was obviously giving him. The proof of that had been pressing into her soft flesh, which she had struggled not to caress. Sabrina hadn’t wanted the kiss to end, and yet when Ford pulled away from her, she wondered if he had even known what he was doing at the time. He’d looked surprised and confused, and very, very aroused. Luckily, Alice woke up and called out to her allowing both of them to have something else to focus on. Being interrupted couldn’t have been more timely. Another minute longer and Ford would have had her blouse off and there was no telling how far they would have gone. Still, Sabrina couldn’t help wishing that she might find herself in such a predicament again. Of course, that was impossible. She was the employee and he was paying her a salary. That in itself made the situation completely impractical. But it had been nice, more than nice, exquisite actually.
Sighing, Sabrina shook off the reverie and tried to listen to Cassie and Alice’s conversation. At least they had stopped talking about ghosts. As a matter of fact, they seemed to be discussing her.
"I think Mama will make a pretty bride." Alice was saying, making Sabrina wish she had been paying attention.
"Yes, I see her in something with a square neckline and fresh flowers in her hair," Cassie added, munching on a sandwich while feeding Alice more cake simultaneously.
"What would make you two come up with such nonsense," Sabrina asked, looking at them with a frown.
"Oh, it’s not us," Alice said, yawning. "Papa and Mrs. Northcliffe told me that you are going to marry—"
"Okay, I think we’ve had enough visiting and cake for one day." Sabrina put an end to the conversation knowing where this was leading. Ghosts and matchmaking, indeed. "You, young lady are exhausted and I’m sure Miss Blakemore has other clients she needs to attend to."
"Your mother is quite right," Cassie said with a wink to little Alice. "Get some rest so you can come visit me and Madame Lou very soon."
"Okay," Alice yawned again. She waved and then closed her eyes and fell asleep almost immediately.
"I hope I didn’t wear her out," Cassie said apologetically. "But she did seem to enjoy the diversion."
"Yes, I’m very grateful for your friendship, Cassie. We both are."
The two women went into the sitting room, carrying the tea and food trays with them. Cassie poured herself a fresh cup of the tea and added both cream and sugar.
"You do realize that Mr. Northcliffe probably saved Alice’s life, don’t you?"
"More than that," Sabrina said, sipping her tea. "He discovered a cure for influenza. He’s an amazing scientist and doctor."
"But?" Cassie asked, indicating she had noticed Sabrina’s hesitation.
"But he’ll never get the recognition he deserves." Sabrina sighed, putting down her cup and burying her face in her hands. "He’s such a good man, and no one will ever know how much he can offer the world."
"Ahh, but you know. And Alice knows. And all the staff here and probably a few of his friends." Cassie reached over and took Sabrina’s hand. "We know, and that’s all that really matters. Don’t you think?"
Sabrina sniffled, keeping her tears somewhat in check. She was very emotional after the last few days of stress. "It will have to do," she replied. "I just wish there was some way I could repay him for saving Alice’s life. And for being so steady and brave, really keeping me from going mad and probably developing a nervous condition."
"Oh, don’t you worry about that," Cassie said with supreme confidence. "He’ll get everything he deserves."
Sabrina looked at Cassie as the young woman stood to go. That was an odd comment to make, she thought. But of course Miss Blakemore was full of oddities, including her penchant for psychics and a little girl’s imaginings.
"I’ll check back in to see how Alice is doing in a few days, with your permission, of course."
"Please do," Sabrina said. "Can you see your own way out? I don’t want to leave her."
"I wouldn’t have it any other way." Cassie gave Sabrina a quick hug, and then was gone.
For the next three days, Sabrina watched over Alice, who grew stronger by the hour, and waited for Ford to make an appearance. By the evening of the third day, Sabrina was beginning to wonder if he was deliberately avoiding her.
"Have you seen Mr. Northcliffe recently?" she asked first Roland, then Mrs. Dixon.
"He hasn’t eaten a bite of the food I’ve been sending to him," Delores confided.
"I believe he’s working on something very important," Roland added. "He hasn’t left the laboratory since Miss Alice recovered. I think he’s writing it all down in his diary."
"Well, someone needs to check on him." Sabrina looked between the butler and the cook and realized that neither was going to volunteer. "Where is Freddy McMurtry?"
