“Two days? And you did not stop anywhere along the way?”
“Well, I did have to stop whenever the wind and deep freeze became too much for me. Nor could I ride at night. You must own that this would have been the height of folly. And then Conqueror lost a shoe the other morning, just as I was about to depart the coaching inn. Took some time for the blacksmithto get around to replacing it. By then, I’d lost precious hours of daylight. Why are you asking me these questions?”
“Come have a look,” Jonas said, studying the string of carriages slowly making their way up his drive that was now a mix of icy patches and slush.
Ailis rose along with Edward and rushed to the window with him, but Jonas held her back. “Careful, you might be seen.”
She frowned. “By whom?”
“Oh, hell,” Edward muttered. “How in blazes did they get here so fast?”
Ailis poked her head around him and gasped. “Your mother and her entourage? Oh, no! How is it possible?”
Jonas wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her as the color drained from her face. Could this morning turn any more disastrous?
“Ailis,” he said with a piercing ache to his heart, “where are your clothes?”
Chapter Nine
Ailis tried tocontrol her panic.
This isn’t happening.
Thiscannotbe happening.
But it was, and the dowager duchess along with the bevy oftonbeauties she had brought with her would be at Langford Hall’s front door within minutes! “I’ll be destroyed if they find me here.” Where was her gown? And stockings and boots? And gloves, cloak, and scarf. What was she forgetting?
Oh, her reticule.
Of course, she had placed the duke’s donations in it.
She raced to the duke’s wardrobe and found her gown and stockings neatly folded on a shelf. “Jane, help me dress!”
Edward grinned. “I suppose that is my cue to leave.”
Ailis’s eyes widened.
The duke raked a hand through his hair. “Edward, help me stall them.”
His brother nodded. “I’m so sorry, Miss Temple. We’ll do all we can to protect you. Keep this door shut. In fact, barricade it. Do not under any circumstances come out until either my brother or I return.”
“I wasn’t planning to,” she assured him, her heart racing as the duke and his brother hurried out.
She heard the duke issuing commands to the maids who were cleaning the nearby rooms, and then heard him shout to Grimes.
Leaving the duke to do whatever it was he needed to do, Ailis returned to worrying for herself. Her shoulder began to throb painfully as she moved too fast when removing the duke’s robe. Twinges as sharp as lightning bolts seared through her body.
Each slight movement hurt, and she thought she might faint by the time Jane had finished helping her into her gown. The effort of removing the sling and getting her injured arm through the sleeve, which was too tight because of the swelling, proved more excruciating than she ever thought possible.
“Give me a minute, Jane,” she pleaded, sinking onto the bed while her dizziness and an unexpected wave of nausea passed.
She now understood why the duke was so insistent she rest in bed and keep her arm propped in that sling.
After taking several deep breaths, she got to her feet and allowed Jane to finish lacing her gown. “Not too tight. As it is, I can hardly breathe.”
“Oh, Miss Temple…” Jane’s hands were trembling and so was her voice.
Ailis realized they both needed to calm down and be ready to move quickly when the time arrived to make her escape. “His Grace and Lord Langford will see me safely through this little crisis,” she said, feeling more hopeful than certain. “If I do not have the chance, will you thank Mrs. Fitch and the staff for me? I am so grateful for the care all of you have given me.”
