Carrying her through to the drawing room, he thought about how this would be the last time that he would ever see her. He was to spend the rest of his life with another lady, and he couldn’t have been happier about that. He wanted to drop her onto the floor, but instead he pretended that she was Jackie, and it made everything much easier.
“Thank you,” she whispered as he laid her on a settee. “For what you have done for me. Not just this, but everything.”
“You need not thank me. I was simply doing my duty.”
“But I must show my gratitude,” she protested. “Because of how things had ended between the two of us. I had never wanted it to be that way.”
“Nor did I, but now the two of us are all the better for it. Now, if you’ll excuse me—”
“Don’t go!” She begged.
Once upon a time, the pleading in her voice would have destroyed him, but this time he could not even force himself to feel anything for her.
“I am in so much pain,” she whimpered. “I do not wish to be alone. I do not—I do not wish to be without you.”
“Johnson?” He called, and a servant came in soon after.
“Yes, Your Grace?”
“Lady Ophelia has been injured, and I must send for the physician. Would you mind keeping an eye on her? She says she is in too much pain to be left alone.”
“But I want you!” she pouted. “It is not only my ankle that is hurt, but my neck too. Come and look a little closer at it, I think it might be bruised.”
Again, Philip thanked himself for not being that big of a fool.
“Johnson shall keep an eye on you,” He replied coldly before walking away.
He would have sent for the physician had he considered her to be in any real pain, but he knew the truth. She had thrown herself at him in some bizarre bid to have his attention, and then when they were alone together, she had encouraged untoward behavior. However, the motives for such actions would have to go unknown, as he only had one interest in that moment and that was speaking to Jackie.
He hoped that she had not taken what had happened badly, for it was exactly that behavior that he had assured her would not happen. He was supposed to be proving to her that she was the only lady he wanted, which was the truth, yet he had shown the opposite to be the case.
Philip was also annoyed with Lucien, who had insisted on accompanying him during his work that day, only to have seen the ladies outside and insisted that they join them. Now, once again, Lucien had stayed with Jackie instead of helping his friend handle another matter. It was becoming more than he could take, but it was not the time to pull Lucien aside. He had to see—
There was mayhem when he returned outside.
His mother and Lady Elizabeth were seated beside Lucien and Jackie, watching on in shock. Philip ran toward them before seeing Lucien rubbing her back gently and whispering in her ear, his face concerned. Jackie’s was pink, and her eyes were red and damp from tears. The sight of her turned his stomach, but what made it even worse was the way Lucien was doting on her.
“A drink will help,” he suggested sweetly, pouring her a lemonade. “And you mustn’t drink it quickly. Sip it.”
She smiled and thanked him, drinking it bit by bit. Whatever had happened, Philip had arrived far too late to do anything meaningful to help, and why was that? Because he had been with Ophelia, at Lucien’s suggestion of all things.
He was furious, but mostly with himself for agreeing to it. He hadn’t cared about Ophelia’s antics, knowing it was more than likely simply her trying to have the last laugh, but now that it had affected Jackie it changed everything.
“Jackie,” he said gently. “Are you alright?”
“I am perfectly fine,” she replied bitingly.
“She choked,” Elizabeth explained. “I cannot be so sure how, but that is what happened.”
“I said I’m fine,” Jackie snapped, rising to her feet and starting to leave.
“Lady Jacqueline,” Lucien said, following after her. “Please, stay with us for a while so that we can—”
“I need a moment, Lord Montague.”
“Jackie, I—”
“Is it painful for you to listen to me? I am perfectly fine, and I do not wish to be followed, so accept my words and leave me be.”
