Kendra whispered, “Caitlin,” her face so pale that Lucas feared she would faint. He took her hand and she gripped his fingers fiercely.

Ignoring Kendra’s shock, Mrs. Lowell entered the room and gave the mug of soup to the little girl. “See if your mother will take some of this nice soup, Katie.”

“Thank you, Aunt Mary.” After an incurious glance at the visitors, the little girl accepted the mug, balancing it carefully as she sat on the edge of the narrow bed. She dipped the spoon in the mug and said coaxingly, “Have some nice chicken soup, Mama. It smells very good.”

Mrs. Lowell left the bedroom, closing the door behind her. “That’s my daughter!” Kendra said in a low, fierce voice. “I’m her mother!”

“Yes, you gave birth to her.” Mrs. Lowell folded wearily into one of the plain wooden chairs and gestured for her guests to sit. “Do you remember how weak she was?”

“I now have a very clear mental image of holding her,” Kendra said unsteadily. “She was so fragile I feared she would never draw another breath. Then she was gone. Taken from my arms.”

The midwife nodded. “Do you remember your husband saying to get rid of it?”

Kendra hissed through her teeth. “Yes, and I can’t believe that I was ever fool enough to marry that man!”

“I wondered that myself,” Mrs. Lowell said dryly. “I didn’t think your little girl would last through the night, and I was so busy trying to save your life and keep your little boy breathing that I had no time to spare for the poor wee mite. My younger sister Jane Potter lived in Lower Dauntrey then, so I sent for her. I wanted to give the babe into loving arms for as long as she survived.

“Jane was grief stricken because she’d just lost her own baby. When she arrived at the inn, I asked if she’d look out for your little one till the angels came for her. That you wanted her named Caitlin and since it was an emergency situation with the blizzard and the infant’s life so precarious, Jane could perform a lay baptism. Jane cradled the baby in her arms and swore she would take care of her. She was covered in snow from the walk to the inn, and she used melted snow from her cloak to perform the baptism immediately.”

“I hoped Caitlin had been baptized,” Kendra said tremulously.

“She returned to her home and dedicated herself to nursing the babe into life.” Mrs. Lowell smiled reminiscently. “Jane is deeply loving and she was determined to save your little girl. Your child is as tenacious as you are, Lady Denshire. I didn’t think either of you would survive, but you did. A pair of miracles and no mistake.”

“So you let Jane just keep my child?” Kendra said, aghast.