He was bound to find her in one of those places. He knew she would be with Selina at this time of day, but he decided he wasn’t going to allow her to continue to avoid him. Especially when it meant he got to see his sister less.
Morgan had taken a few steps past Barbara’s door before he heard muffled sounds coming from inside. He waited in the hallway, tilting his head to the side as he listened attentively.
He could hear two voices beyond the door, he was sure. He walked back to the door and cleared his throat before knocking softly.
The two voices fell silent like conspirators that had been suddenly discovered. Morgan knocked again, a little louder and waited for a response.
“Come,” Selina’s voice said just as Morgan planned to barge into the room.
Morgan stepped into the room and saw Barbara and Selina working on some embroidery together. Selina set down her work and got up from her seat, diverting her eyes from Morgan’s.
“Your Grace,” she said, curtsying. “Good morning.”
“A good morning to you, Ms. Knight,” Morgan said officially, wearing a mask of cold indifference. He turned towards Barbara with a softer countenance. “Are you well? The kitchen staff said you didn’t come down for breakfast this morning?”
Barbara glanced at Selina and then twiddled her thumbs. “I’m well, brother. I just wasn’t feeling too hungry, that’s all.”
“Be that as it may, you should eat,” Morgan replied. He turned to Selina who had remained standing. “As you were.”
She curtsied again before taking her seat. This time, she raised her head to look at Morgan. Her eyes shone in her face, and snatched the breath from Morgan’s lungs.
As he held her gaze, he couldn’t decide whether to look away or to get lost in her dreamy eyes. They looked like green pools of water, so deep that the bottom looked like endless darkness.
Morgan blinked twice, as if he had just woken up from a trance. He had no idea how long he and Selina had been staring at each other like that, but he knew it was long enough for it to be awkward.
He cleared his throat softly, then broke the stare painfully to look at Barbara. She was still intent on her work and it seemed she didn’t witness what had just happened.
Morgan walked forward and kissed Barbara gently on the forehead. He turned to Selina and bowed slightly to her. “Ms. Knight.”
With that, he turned around to leave. Morgan stopped in his tracks and turned around. Barbara raised her head to regard him, as did Selina.
Morgan looked past them both towards Barbara’s bed, a slight frown on his face. He took a step forward, cocking his head to the side as he stared at the bed.
Barbara and Selina exchanged nervous looks, then got up simultaneously. They both turned towards whatever it was that had caught Morgan’s attention, and then Barbara blanched, her face twisted with worry.
Selina stepped forward, blocking Morgan’s path. “Is there something wrong, Your Grace? Did you need something else?”
Morgan glanced at the two ladies, then he approached the bed with purpose. “What is that?” He asked quietly, his voice cold.
“What’s what, brother?” This time, it was Barbara who responded. “I really think you should leave now. Selina and I are in the middle of learning. And this is rather distracting.”
Morgan shot her a look that froze her to the spot. Selina edged backward, still blocking his view with her hands extended placatingly.
“Lady Barbara is right, Your Grace,” Selina pleaded. “She’s far behind other girls her age and still has a lot of catching up to do.”
Morgan’s patience was wearing thing and he resisted the urge to shove Selina out of his way. “What is this?” Morgan glared at Selina. “Let me through.”
Selina and Barbara protested together, blocking Morgan’s path and infuriating him more. Despite the blockade, he still stood more than a head taller than both women.
He tiptoed slightly and squinted at the bed. “Is that… is that…” He pushed right past the two women and stood at the edge of the bed. He spun around angrily at Selina, pointing a finger toward the bed. “Is that blood?”
“Tell me!” Morgan yelled. “Is that blood on the bed?”
Selina shivered and glanced toward Barbara, who looked like she had seen a ghost. Morgan had never felt angrier in his life. He turned back to the splotch of red on the sheets and felt a sense of panic.
He knelt in front of Barbara. “Are you hurt? Where did that blood come from? What happened?” As he spoke, he turned her around, inspecting her for injuries.
Barbara shivered but couldn’t answer any of Morgan’s questions. Morgan turned to face Selina, towering over her. “Ms. Knight!” Morgan roared. “Tell me what happened to my sister!”
