Winterberry Spark: A Silver Foxes of Westminster Novella (The Silver Foxes of Westminster #2.5)(10)

“She’ll end up back at the workhouse, or worse,” Mrs. Croydon insisted, causing Gil’s stomach to turn with the truth of the whole thing. “We can’t abandon her.”

“I fear you will have a heavy burden of staff resignations on your hands if you do not dismiss the woman, sir,” Mrs. Musgrave added from across the room. Gil shot her a scowl that she didn’t notice before going on with, “Including my own.” She tilted her chin up in defiance.

Alex sighed, rubbing his wife’s arms before letting her go. “If Mrs. Murdoch and others leave and word gets out as to why, we will have a devil of a time replacing them,” he told Mrs. Croydon.

“It’s not fair,” Mrs. Croydon whispered back, just loud enough for Gil to hear. She blinked rapidly, suggesting she was fighting back tears. “It simply isn’t fair that, after all Ruby has endured, she would be forced out of the protection of the only people who care about her.”

Mrs. Croydon’s words were like a knife in Gil’s heart. He should be the one caring for Ruby, his heart argued. He’d felt that from the moment he’d gone with her to her pitiful attic room and warmed her with his coat. He’d felt it again when he’d taken her out of the workhouse, when he’d suggested she be moved to Wiltshire instead of kept in London. He’d wanted to wrap her in the mantel of his protection…until James was taken.

His head forced its way back into the argument. It didn’t matter how sweet Ruby was, how much he wanted her, or how good it felt to be her champion. She’d done something unforgivably wrong. Her lapse in judgement could have been fatal to a child.

Alex let out a tense breath and rubbed a hand over his face. “Marigold, I love you. You know I do. But we’ve reached the end of the line. We simply cannot keep Miss Murdoch employed at Winterberry Park, or at Croydon House, without suffering dire consequences.”

“I won’t let you throw her out on the streets,” Mrs. Croydon argued, her lower lip quivering.

“Perhaps we won’t have to,” Alex said.

Gil stood a little straighter, straining to overhear his employer’s conversation. Mrs. Musgrave leaned forward, still glowering, to listen as well.

“We can’t keep Ruby,” Alex said, “but we don’t have to throw her out on the streets. We could find another position for her, someplace respectable and willing to take her on in spite of her past.”

Mrs. Croydon studied him, her eyes narrowed. “What kind of a place could that be?”

Alex shrugged. “I don’t know, but we could find something, I’m sure. Perhaps a smaller house in the country or a factory of some sort. We may even be able to find a position for her in a shop. But I assure you, we won’t toss her out cold.”

“But sir,” Mrs. Musgrave started.

“That is my decision,” Alex said to her. By the frown he sent her, Gil could tell that, in spite of being right, Mrs. Musgrave wouldn’t come out of the confrontation without scars. Alex stepped away from Mrs. Croydon, approaching the housekeeper. “Miss Murdoch will be dismissed, but not before an adequate position for her is found. Until then, she will remain as James’s nursemaid, and she will not be harassed downstairs. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, sir.” Mrs. Musgrave dropped a tight curtsy, her jaw rock hard with frustration. “Will you be needing anything else, sir?”

“No, thank you.” Alex nodded to her.

Mrs. Musgrave turned and stomped out of the room. Alex pivoted to face Mrs. Croydon, but sent a look Gil’s way as he did. A flash of guilt hit Gil. He shouldn’t have stayed to listen to the whole exchange, but one, brief look from Alex told him his employer understood exactly why he’d remained glued to the spot. Alex knew he’d been harboring complicated feelings for Ruby, though they’d never discussed it. However, there was no way for him to know how much more complicated those feelings had just become.

With a subtle nod to Alex, Gil marched out of the room. He let out a breath when he reached the hall, surprised that the ache in his gut didn’t diminish. The tension didn’t drain from his shoulders either. One way or another, it looked as though he was about to lose Ruby. Which was as it should be, considering her offenses. And yet, as logical as it was for him to get her out of his mind and move on with his life, the very thought filled him with misery.

He didn’t realize that his footsteps were taking him up two flights of stairs and around the corner to the nursery until he found himself standing inside of the open doorway. Ruby sat at James’s miniature table, crouched in one of his chairs, sewing something on bright blue fabric. Her face was red and splotchy, and she sniffled as she worked. Clearly, she’d been crying. That fact, added to the turmoil of everything he’d just overheard, made Gil’s insides feel like a hurricane.

“Where’s Faith?” he asked, stepping into the room.

Ruby gasped, sniffling harder and dropping her needle. She wiped her face quickly. “She’s napping.”

Gil glanced to the basinet in the corner for a moment, then fixed his gaze on Ruby, walking deeper into the room. He didn’t know how to say what he wanted to say. Hell, he didn’t know what he wanted to say in the first place.

“Hard day?” he asked.

Ruby blinked at him as if trying to figure out whether he’d make it better or add to it. She nodded.