Chapter 23
Noon crackled in the sky by the time John Bray came into the garden carrying Drew Ponsonby in his arms. The boy was groggy and begrimed, but alive. Rosalie cried with relief and renewed fear for her son, and slammed out of the kitchen to meet them. Florentine was a step behind, ignoring the tears streaming down her cheeks.
‘Let us go in out of this sun,’ John said. ‘He needs shade and water and a bath to wash the stink of that hovel from his skin.’
Rosalie put a hand to Drew’s forehead. ‘He’s a fever. Quickly. Straight up to his bedroom. Florentine, start boiling water for his washstand. We daren’t risk a bath right now. Have Anastasia warm some broth. The soup’ll be too rich.’
Florentine held the door open for them and bundled in behind. Anastasia had already started on bro
