Nathaniel tipped his hat and stepped out, smiling.
Colin leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, and immediately, a vision of Anna played in his thoughts. More specifically, the image of her in his arms; how soft and responsive she had been. The memory heated his blood and made his heart pound. Fulfilling his nocturnal duties with her was certain to be delightful, and he was quickly growing impatient to marry her.
A moment later, Mrs. Willis walked in. “You called, Your Grace.” She was the only person whose voice held warmth when she addressed him formally and he smiled inwardly every time he heard it.
“How is Miss Hampton faring?” he asked, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the desk.
“Quite well.” Her brows then furrowed ever so slightly. “May I express a concern, Your Grace?”
“Of course.”
“You may want to call a physician for Miss Hampton. I believe she is injured. I saw some of them...”
“What did you see?” Colin asked quickly.
“Only some bruises on her arms but I have cause to believe she is hiding another wound. She would not allow me to help her dress in the morning, and she would not try on the new dresses you bought her.”
He recalled the manner in which she had flinched when he had held her tighter. “Have the physician called, please, and inform me the instant he arrives.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“And help her get acquainted with the manor.”
Mrs. Willis smiled. “I believe she does not need my help with that. She is quite inquisitive.”
He could see that she wanted to ask more questions about Anna, thus he said, “She is a fellow soul.”
Mrs. Willis immediately understood. “I will do my best to ensure she is happy here, Your Grace.”
“I know you will, and I appreciate it.”
“I shall send for the physician now.” She curtsied and left.
Colin was tempted to find Anna but he knew the less he saw her, the better it was for both of them. Theirs would be a union of convenience and nothing more. There would be no bonds between them except for the child they would have. He removed the gold watch that was always in his waistcoat and stared at it; a token from his past, and a loud reminder that the rules he had made for Anna were the right ones.
Placing the watch back, he rose and picked up a pencil and a compass, then every thought in his mind vanished as he drew and calculated.
“His Grace insists, Ma’am,” Mrs. Willis said, and Anna clenched her teeth.
“And where is His Grace?” she asked. He had sent a physician to examine her without giving her any prior notice. She did not appreciate it even though he had done it out of concern for her well-being.
“He is in his study. May I tell him that you wish to see him?” There was a shimmer of amusement in the housekeeper’s eyes, and Anna wondered what had caused it to appear.
“Yes, please.”
She wrung her fingers together when the housekeeper left her bedchamber. A bath had already been drawn for her, and she was quite hungry, thus, part of her annoyance was from the disruption of her dinner preparations.
A knock sounded at her door and she pulled her robe tighter around her before calling for them to enter. Ashden walked in with Mrs. Willis behind him.
“You did not tell me you were sending a physician to me,” she said.
He folded his hands behind him and regarded her calmly, then inclined his sandy head. “Forgive me. I thought you needed one.”
“I do,” she admitted. She could no longer ignore the pain in her ribs. Even breathing was beginning to become a laborious task. “But I thought my consent would be requested and my opinion respected.” She caught another amused look in the housekeeper’s eyes when she glanced at her.
“I will remember that next time, Miss Hampton.”
“Good.” Her understanding of respect might be deformed but she thought to ask for it, nevertheless, and both her instincts and Ashden’s treatment of her made her think he would give it to her.
