Marina grinned, feeling triumphant. “Excellent,” she said. “I’m glad we have come to an agreement.”
“Nothing is agreed upon,” he said. “I merely said I am considering it. You should also know, before you get your hopes up about me spending quality time with Lilly, that she will not agree to it. She’s not comfortable with me.” A muscle flexed in his jaw as he said so.
“Perhaps,” she said, not surprised. Evan clearly cared for his daughter, but he was not the best at expressing his emotions. Lilly was five and would not understand why her father was stony-faced all the time. “But I’ve spent my whole life craving love and affection from my parents, only to never get it. Do not make the same mistake with Lilly.”
His gaze darkened for a moment before he looked away. But before he could respond, a piercing scream made them both startle. Marina scrambled to her feet while Evan checked his pocketwatch. He muttered a swear under his breath as he stood up. “We had dinner much too late. I should have been keeping a better track of the time,” he said. “I must go.”
“What’s happening?” she asked. Fear made her heart pound in her chest. “Let me summon the constable and the physician.”
“That is not necessary,” he said. “Lilly is having a nightmare.” He started walking quickly to the stairs that would take him to the second floor.
Marina hurried to fall into step next to him. “How do you know?” she asked. She felt a little dizzy just from walking quickly to keep pace with him, but she ignored it. It did not matter if she was still feeling unwell, not if Lilly was in danger.
“Because this happens every night, at the same time.” He grimaced. “I usually pay better attention to the time. I should have done so tonight.” He glared at her. “This is why she needs stability.”
Marina nodded, understanding.That’s why he said he wanted her to find safety in a routine. So these nightmares would stop plaguing her.Her stomach twisted with sadness for the little girl. “Let me come with you to comfort her.”
He shook his head. “Not tonight. Get some rest. The last thing I need is you passing out on me.” He spun on his heeland disappeared up the stairs without another word. Marina watched him go, feeling helpless.
How am I supposed to help such a troubled girl?
Chapter Fourteen
It took a few days for Marina to fully recover from her fainting incident, but she did not let that stop her from getting settled into her new life as duchess and as Lilly’s new mother figure. The morning after learning about Lilly’s nightmares, Marina had a quick breakfast before going to speak to Lilly’s nanny.
“Good morning, Your Grace,” the woman said, curtsying. She looked cautious, as if she expected to be turned out without wages or a reference.
Marina smiled cordially. “Good morning. I understand that you are in charge of Lilly’s well-being. I wanted to talk to you about the nightmares and her schedule. I want to understand her better.”
The woman looked regretful. “I am afraid I will not be the most helpful. I only started this position two months ago. From what I understand, His Grace goes through nannies quite quickly.”
“Yes, he is a difficult man to satisfy, isn’t he? He cares for his daughter very much, after all.”
The nanny’s lips pursed. “If you say so, Your Grace.”
Marina fought the urge to defend Evan to the woman.You are not here to convince her to change her opinion of the duke. You are here for Lilly.“Tell me about Lilly’s nightmares, please.”
“They happen at the same time every night,” the nanny said. “His Grace usually gets to her first. He wakes her up. I tuck her in afterwards.”
Marina noticed the dark circles under the woman’s eyes. She doubted the nanny had gotten a decent night’s sleep since she started her employment at Pemberton Manor. “What are the nightmares about?”
“She refuses to talk about them with anyone,” the nanny said. “All I know is they make her scream and cry. However, the dog, Prince William, brings her comfort and helps her get back to sleep.”
Marina filed that information away for later. “Tell me about her schedule and her studies,” she said. “His Grace wants me to help with those.”
“Lilly has a difficult time focusing,” she said. “She gets frustrated with her studies, especially when she does not understandsomething right away, and she has no patience for her embroidery sampler. However, she enjoys tea time.”
Marina smiled, remembering the little girl mentioning tea parties. “Thank you,” she told the nanny. “Why don’t you get some rest? I will stay with Lilly this morning.”
The nanny hesitated. “His Grace insists that I stay with her at all times.”
“I’m sure he does,” she said. “But he put me in charge of her education and schedule, and I am telling you that I would like some alone time with her. I also need you to be well-rested to tend to her later in the day.” It felt strange wielding her authority like this. She was used to fading in the shadows, but she could not afford to be so meek, not when Lilly’s well-being was at stake.
The nanny nodded and bobbed a curtsy. “Thank you, Your Grace. Good luck.”
As the woman left to go to her room, Marina knocked on Lilly’s bedroom door. “Lilly? Are you awake? It’s Marina.”
“Come in,” Lilly said quietly.
