“Lisbeth, you must wake up,” his friend said to his wife.
Thomas’s eyes connected with Rose’s. “She has to be okay. I can’t lose her. Do you understand me, Rose?”
She squeezed his hand reassuringly. “Lisbeth will be fine. She is still breathing.”
Sinclair said from behind them, “The doctor should be here soon. He isn’t far.”
Thomas nodded, squeezing his wife’s hand. His voice cracked as he said, “Lizzie, please wake up. Alice, Jeremy, and I need you.”
Chapter Thirty
Lisbeth sat inher bedchamber with Thomas sitting next to her in a wingback chair. “You must get some rest.”
He glared at her, and she rolled her eyes. The man had sat in the chair all night. He had to be sore.
“I’m not leaving your side until the doctor says you are fine.”
She sighed. “Thomas, he said I was fine last night.”
“No, he said he believed you were fine but would check on you today to confirm.”
Her husband rubbed at the scruff on his face. Lisbeth had to admit he had a rakish appeal right now, looking rumpled and grumpy.
“I’m happy you didn’t break anything,” Rose stated.
She sat at the foot of the bed next to her feet. Her friend arrived early this morning with Sinclair. Lisbeth sighed. “I’m sorry I caused such a dramatic ending to your ball.”
Rose gently squeezed her ankle. “I couldn’t care less. You matter to me more than another few hours of dancing.”
She frowned. “I hope Sinclair’s mother wasn’t too upset.”
Her friend shook her head. “Everyone did what they were supposed to at a ball—see and be seen.”
Lisbeth giggled. Rose was not the typical duchess. She doubted that her friend would ever prefer dancing at grand affairs to toiling over ancient text. Rose smiled. “I did enjoy the desserts and spending time with the ladies from the Historical Society for Female Curators.”
Thomas snickered, but Lisbeth said, “That is a start.”
Rose nodded. “Augustus’s mother has asked me to join her as a patron for a charity that supports several orphanages. I think I will enjoy that as well.”
“Good for you.”
“Will you return to one of the excavation sites?” Thomas asked.
Rose blushed. Thomas and Lisbeth glanced at each other, both intrigued by her response. Their friend sighed. “We are not sharing this broadly, but I’m with child.”
Lisbeth screeched and pulled Rose towards her. Her friend laughed, hugging her back. Thomas smiled. “Congrats, Rose. A mother and a duchess.”
Rose nodded. “Yes, but we do plan to return to Syria after the baby is born, at least for a few months. My father, his mother, and his sister are the only ones who know for now.”
Lisbeth squeezed her hand. “I’m honored you told us.”
She leaned back against the bedframe, grimacing. Rose frowned. “Did I hug you too hard?”
“I hugged you. I’m fine, just sore.”
“What happened?” Rose asked. “One minute you were standing with me on the landing, and then you were tumbling down.”
Lisbeth shook her head. “I’m not sure.”
