‘Well?’ she demanded, coming to an abrupt halt and taking the pipe from her mouth. ‘What did the doctor say?’ ‘Arthur is very poorly,’ Irene said gently. ‘The doctor bled him.’ ‘And he left by the front door,’ Martha added. ‘You frightened the poor man to death with your antics.’ ‘Joliffe is a silly old fool, but I suppose he knows what he’s doing.’ Maude stamped her foot and the dogs backed away, showing the whites of their eyes. ‘Hell and damnation! I blame my brother for Arthur’s condition. If he hadn’t been so hard on the boy, forcing him into a trade that he had not the heart for, none of this would have happened.’ She glared at Irene. ‘You will stay and nurse him back to health, of course.’ It was a statement rather than a question and it took Irene off guard. She had not thought past the simple act of warning Arthur that Kent’s men were looking for him, and even in that she had been too late. ‘I – I suppose I could stay for a day or two, if you don’t mind.’ ‘Whether I mind or not doesn’t matter.
