Last night, he’d made her cry. He’d been completely unprepared for the tears, after he’d been caught up with the intent of seducing her. Though she’d claimed that he hadn’t hurt her, he knew differently. He’d hurt her feelings when he couldn’t remember their wedding, or their first night as husband and wife. And then there was the night at his family’s ball when he’d refused to acknowledge her.

Stephen discarded his traveling clothes and changed into a silk dressing robe. Pouring himself a glass of sherry from the decanter, he relaxed in a chair. Victoria was still crying, from the sound of it.

He propped up his feet, wondering if it were even possible to gain Emily’s affections. He’d expected the gifts of dresses and jewels to make her happy, but she’d left them behind. He realized that he knew almost nothing about her. Only the book of cooking receipts had made her smile.

The sound of Victoria’s incessant screaming kept interrupting his thoughts.

Time passed and there was no sign of Emily. The baby’s cries would die down, only to rise up again within minutes. Stephen didn’t know what was going on, but if it meant his wife needed help, so be it.

Victoria sobbed, her face puckered with fury. Emily tried to rock her, but the motion only made the infant cry harder. Looking at the baby, Emily wished she knew what was wrong. She had never felt so helpless.

She walked the length of the nursery, holding Victoria to her shoulder and bouncing her in a rhythm. Victoria’s cries diminished at the new position, and her arms clenched around Emily’s neck.

She walked the distance six more times before the baby’s cries subsided into hiccups. When Victoria drifted into sleep, Emily tiptoed to the crib. She prayed that Victoria would finally surrender to her exhaustion.

The moment she laid her down, the baby shrieked and screamed louder. Emily lifted her up again, shushing the child as tears ran down her own face. How had she ever thought she could do this? How could she believe she would make a good mother when she could not even put a baby to sleep?

The door opened and Stephen stepped inside. “What is wrong? Why won’t she stop crying?”

“I don’t know. She’s already been fed. Perhaps it’s the unfamiliar room. She might be frightened.”

“Don’t be foolish. The child can’t be old enough for such nonsense. Put her to bed and after she cries a bit, she’ll sleep.”

“This isn’t the same thing at all,” Emily protested. “I’ve tried that already.” Victoria’s screams escalated, and Emily shushed her, bouncing while she paced.

“Give her back to Anna.” Stephen glared at the baby, as though a harsh look would make the child stop crying. “She needs to sleep.”