He went to sit beside her and patted her back in a stilted attempt to comfort her. But she didn’t seem to notice his awkwardness; instead, she rested her head on his shoulder and cried until she hiccupped. When her tears ran out, she sniffled and looked up at him, her nose red as a tomato.

“Thank you,” she said. “For coming here. For giving me one more wonderful piece of my William. And thank you for letting me soak the sleeve of your jacket.”

Before Reese could reply, two small urchins padded into the room. The taller one had a head of ringlets a few shades brighter than her mother’s; the other had straight dark hair, like her father’s.

“These are my daughters, Rose and Julia,” Sarah said, quickly gathering herself and somehow pulling both of them onto her lap. “Girls, this gentleman was a friend of Papa’s.”

They both beamed at him, and his heart squeezed. “I’m happy to meet you,” he said. Turning to Sarah, he added, “I should go, but I wanted to tell you that for as long as you live here your rent will be taken care of. You’ll also have a monthly allowance—plenty to pay for food, clothes, and other necessities.” He’d find the money to support Conroy’s family—even if it meant selling the silver at Warshire Manor in the short term.

“My lord,” she breathed, clearly stunned. “That’s extremely generous but not necessary. We have William’s pension, and I earn a little with my sewing.”

“It will make me feel better to know you and the girls are taken care of,” he said, adamant. He didn’t expect it to help him sleep at night, but at least he wouldn’t have to worry that Conroy’s daughters were going to bed with empty bellies.

Sarah frowned but then looked down at Rose and Julia and nodded. “Thank you.”

He stood and bowed in Sarah’s direction. “I’ll see myself out.”

She moved the girls from her lap to the sofa and hurried to her feet. “I do hope you’ll visit us again,” she said, her blue eyes pleading. “You are most welcome any time.”

“I’m not certain when I’ll be able to come again. But do send word if there’s anything you need.” All Reese could think about was walking out the front door of the apartment, loosening his cravat, and breathing huge gulps of fresh air. “Good day, Mrs. Conroy.”

She curtsied politely and smiled as though she sensed his discomfort—and understood. “Thank you for everything.”

Reese turned and headed for the exit. But when he was one step away from the door, something—or rather, someone—clamped her arms and legs around one of his boots. He looked down and found Julia had fastened herself to him.

“Julia!” Sarah said, her tone lightly scolding.