“My God,” Douglas breathed. “What did she do?”
Eric was standing beside him, pale and distressed at the sight of his love in tears. If she was weeping and Jerome was calm, it must have been something serious, indeed.
“Go,” Eric said to Douglas. “Go and see to Mira. I will see to Isabel.”
He started to push past Douglas, but Douglas wouldn’t let him go so easily. “Should I remain here in case you have need ofme?” he asked. “Mira is sleeping. There is nothing I can do for her now. But Lady Isabel…”
Eric shook his head. “Nay, Douglas,” he said. “You are a good friend, but I will see to Isabel now. I will send word if I have need of you.”
“Are you sure?”
“I am. Go to Mira now.”
With that, he closed the door in Douglas’ face, leaving him puzzled as well as apprehensive. One of the strongest women he’d ever known was weeping, broken, and he wanted to know why. He wanted to know why Jerome had made that comment to him.
She paid for your sins.
God help him, the more he thought about it, the more apprehensive he became.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Mira wasn’t surewhen she realized that she was awake, but it had something to do with the birds outside her window being extremely loud. They were so loud that she rolled onto her side and put her hand over her ear, but it didn’t help. Her sleep-fogged mind struggled against consciousness until she finally had to give up.
The birds won.
Rolling onto her back, she found herself staring up at the ceiling of the chamber she shared with Helen and Davina and Astoria, only a quick perusal of the chamber showed that the girls weren’t there. But someone else was.
Douglas was standing over by the window.
When their eyes met, he smiled.
“Did they wake you?” he asked, pointing to the eaves outside of the window. “I have been standing here for quite some time trying to convince them to quiet down, but they refused. I am sorry.”
Mira smiled faintly. “It was a lovely thing to awaken to,” she said, rubbing her eyes. “What are you doing here, alone with me? Does Isabel know?”
“Not to worry. She knows.”
“How long have I been asleep?”
“Since last night,” he said. “It is almost the nooning hour now. The physic gave you something to sleep last night.”
“Why?”
“Because you needed it.”
Mira’s smile faded. She took a deep breath, heaving a heavy sigh. “It was not a dream, was it?”
“What, love?”
“Raymond.”
Douglas came away from the window, making his way to the bed and taking her hand to kiss it. “It was not a dream,” he said softly.
Mira gazed at him a moment before gently removing her hand from his grip and holding both of her hands up to look at them. They were battered, with scabs, and she flexed her sore fingers gingerly.
“What did you do to him?” she asked, lowering her hands to look at him.
Douglas shook his head. “What do you mean?”
