Charity (THE DISTINGUISHED ROGUES #3) by Heather Boyd EPUB & PDF – eBook Details Online
- Status: Available for Free Download
- Authors: Heather Boyd
- Language: English
- Genre: Historical Romance
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- Size: 2 MB
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Autumn, 1813
London
“THE CHILD IS ASLEEP NOW, Miss Birkenstock. You should put her
into bed.”
The nurse’s curt voice dragged Agatha from her rebellious thoughts of
running away to a simpler world where people kept their promises.
Wearily, she opened her eyes. “Yes, I believe you are right, Mrs. Bates.”
She looked upon tiny Betty Smith lying peacefully in her arms at long
last, and her heart fluttered. No matter how tightly the babe clutched
Agatha’s fingertip, or how much she longed to stay, she couldn’t remain at
the Grafton Street Orphanage overnight to oversee the child’s care. The
trustees would never stand for it. Nor would her grandfather.
Slowly, Agatha rose to her feet. The babe in her arms startled at the
movement and Agatha pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Hush, sweetheart, all is
well.”
Betty grumbled and, instead of giving the sleeping infant up to the
nurse’s outstretched arms, Agatha carried the child to bed, tucked her snug
into the linens, and then placed her favorite rag doll beside her. The nurse
clucked her tongue in disapproval at the toy.
Agatha fingered the little girl’s pale curls and smiled that Betty rested
easily. “Please send word if her night should be disturbed again, Mrs. Bates.
I will be here early tomorrow morning to visit with her.”
“As you wish, miss.”
No matter how harmless the words, the old nurse’s tone hinted she’d
rather Agatha be gone from the orphanage, never to interfere with her
charges again. Well, that wasn’t going to happen. Not a chance of it.
After smoothing her hand over the child’s pale curls one last time,
Agatha straightened to look about the chamber. Six narrow beds hugged the
imperfect walls of the chilly room, each containing a peeking set of eyes
belonging to a child in need of warmth and kindness. She’d love to drag
each of them from the covers, smother them with affection, and stay until
they were all sound asleep. If she could take them from this depressing
place and home with her tonight, she would be perfectly happy.
But her grandfather and the board of trustees wouldn’t allow that either.
Agatha paced the length of the room, doing her best to ignore the
cheerless severity of the chamber. The children’s bodies under the frayed
covers didn’t so much as twitch. A fear of Nurse Bates’ displeasure kept
them still as statues, she was sure. Such strict adherence to rules saddened
her. These children needed the freedom to run about on cool, green grass, to
smile and be silly instead of being expected to appear perpetually grateful
for the bed space they occupied.
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