“I am fine.” Vivian grimaced and clutched her side. “Really, it is nothing.”
“Clearly, it is not. I heard you cry out in pain, and there are tear stains on your cheeks.” Thomas frowned at her. “I was told you do not have a fever, but I have sent for the physician just in case.”
To his surprise, Vivian’s eyes widened, and she clapped her hand to her mouth. “Oh no, please cancel the summons. Really, it would be a waste of his time.”
“Making sure you are well is not a waste of anyone’s time. If you are worried about—” Thomas began, but Vivian cut him off.
“It is my courses!” Vivian blurted, her face turning bright red.
It took Thomas a moment to process what she had said. His own cheeks flushed, and he swallowed. “Oh. I see.”
He tugged at his collar and looked away, spotting a footman who happened to be walking down. He waved the man over. “Kindly tell the physician we have no need of him. If you are swift, you might catch the messenger before he leaves.”
“Of course, my lord.” The footman bowed and hurried from the room.
“I am sorry. I did not expect you to be so worried. I would have tried to come down for breakfast, but—” Vivian began, but Thomas waved her explanation away and looked her in the eyes.
“You have nothing to apologize for.”
“But—”
“I mean it. With any luck, the summons will be intercepted. If they are not, I will deal with it.” He looked at the paleness of Vivian’s face. “Though if this level of pain is not usual for you, perhaps we should summon a midwife or perhaps an herbalist.”
“It is neither usual nor unusual. My courses have always been a little unpredictable, as has the pain they bring. With any luck, by tomorrow the pain will have died down.” Vivian clutched at herstomach and doubled over so violently she nearly tumbled from the bed.
Thomas moved to steady her, gently shifting her so that she was more secure beneath the bedclothes, and waved over one of the maids. “Have Cook brew up a pot of sage tea with honey. There should be some in the glasshouse; if there are none, go to the Duke of Caverton. He will have some.”
“Of course, my lord.” The maid curtsied and left the room.
He turned to face Vivian, who was panting even as she arched an eyebrow at him. “Sage tea?”
“Apparently, it can help with the pain.”
“And how do you know that?”
“When my cousin Cecily first started hers, we both thought she was dying. I took her to Grandmama, who insisted that I learn about such things.” He smiled at the memory of his grandmother ignoring his protests that surely this was not suitable for men to know of. “As far as she is concerned, men should be prepared for the fullness of a woman’s body, not just the bits he enjoys. And he should know how to care for a woman in pain.”
“A rather unusual ah—” Vivian gasped, and her face paled. “Approach. My own mother thought my behavior was dramatic; she believed the best course of action was to stay in bed if I couldnot make myself fit for company. That way, it would pass with minimal inconvenience to everyone around me.”
Thomas kept his face neutral with an effort. He remembered how frightened his cousin had been when hers had started, how much they still pained her.
I cannot imagine asking someone to simply hide that away.
“She did not suggest anything that might alleviate the pain?” Thomas forced himself not to clench his hands into fists.
“It was not anything she had ever experienced, but my maid, Henrietta—ah.” Vivian gasped again as she nodded to her lady’s maid, who was standing nearby holding a bundle of cloth in her arms. “She prepares hot-water bottles for me to hold, and that helps.”
Henrietta moved forward, and Thomas shifted on the bed to allow her to hand the bundle to Vivian. He studied her face, noting the beads of sweat, then took a cloth from a maid and held it, hesitating before dabbing at her brow.
“May I?” he gestured with the cloth. “I always find it helps me when I am in pain.”
“I shall have to remember that.” Vivian panted, her smile strained.
“With any luck, you will not need such knowledge.” He gently wiped away the sweat, watching as her shoulders relaxed and she eased back in the bed. “And once the tea has arrived, that should help as well.”
“You really do not have to—ah—keep doing this. I do not want you to waste your time.” Vivian let out a groan accompanied by a string of curses that would make even the hardiest of sailors blush.
Behind them, Thomas heard several of the maids gasp. He turned to face them, his face stony.
