Moonshine and Mercury (The Northminster Mysteries Book 9) by Harriet Smart

Author:Harriet Smart [Smart, Harriet]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Anthemion
Published: 2020-09-14T06:00:00+00:00

~

“Oh, Felix, Felix, we must have one of those!” exclaimed Eleanor, catching sight of the baby carriage and the woman bending over it to lift out the child. “What a wonderful thing!”

He could not venture an opinion. Rather, he was watching Sukey holding the baby against her. The Major was putting on his coat.

“Mrs Carswell, Mrs Kennedy,” Major Vernon said, with an admirable lack of fuss. “Mrs Kennedy, Mrs Carswell.”

“Oh, what a beautiful child!” exclaimed Eleanor, seeing the sleepy child in Sukey’s arms. “How old?”

“He’s three months.”

“Oh, look at him, Felix, look!” Eleanor said. The child’s bonnet had fallen off to reveal a soft, dark crop of hair. “His hair – oh, is that his father’s hair, Mrs Kennedy?”

“Something like it,” said Sukey.

“May I touch it?” said Eleanor, drawing off her glove and reaching out. “It looks so soft.”

“Of course. Would you like to hold him?” Sukey said.

“Yes, please!” said Eleanor, and handing her gloves to Felix, now took the child into her arms with a squeak of pleasure. “Oh, you are so sleepy. What a darling! What’s his name?”

“Laurence,” said Sukey. “Well, I call him Lorenzo.”

Eleanor smiled at this.

“Yes, that is perfect, for such a handsome gentleman,” she said. “Lorenzo! Now, you really should put your bonnet on straight. It’s not good for you to go without it, but I suppose it is because you want us to see your beautiful hair.” He knew that this was said in all innocence, but he felt she had guessed everything, and was determined to pierce him in every spot, like St Sebastian bombarded by arrows. “Lorenzo,” she went on. “Perhaps we should put that on our list, Felix.”

“You have a list?” said Major Vernon.

“Of course!” said Eleanor. “And it is growing long. But we still have plenty of time to decide.”

At this point the baby began to grow restive.

“I think someone is hungry,” said Sukey. “Excuse me, won’t you?”

She took the child back from Eleanor and walked away behind the shelter of the tree.

“How is the match going?” Major Vernon said.

“I have no idea,” said Eleanor, who was examining the baby carriage. “We must have ours painted to match the carriages, don’t you think?”

“Yes, whatever you like,” said Felix, trying hard not to think of Sukey feeding her child, hidden by the great trunk of the tree.

How did this hurt so much, still, after so much time and change, after so much careful rationalising? What was it about her that still held him in such thrall? They had lived together and for the most part, it had been disastrous, and yet for all that, he still longed for the intimacy they had experienced, and the simplicity of their life together.

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