Graham turned his head away again and said hollowly, “I thought I had, but it seems the past couple of days have set even my senses a bit on their ends.”
Alaina was about to reassure the duke once more when the door handle smacked the wall as her mother rushed into the room.
“Alaina, my dear, we must leave at once!” Charlotte nearly burst as she flew halfway across the room to her daughter, clearly distraught.
“Mother, what is wrong?” Alaina asked, surprised.
Charlotte remembered herself, if only a bit too late, took a breath, and continued. “My apologies, Graham, but it is your father, Alaina. He has taken a bad tumble off his horse in Hyde Park. It knocked him unconscious, and he has yet to wake, based on the note we just received, but that was from the time it took the letter to get here. Things could be better or worse by now! I sent Christopher to find Evelina to pack, but we must leave posthaste. I hope you will forgive us, Graham.”
Graham moved closer to Alaina and her mother and gave a short bow. “No forgiveness is needed. I will help to get you on your way quickly, however I can.”
Trying to ignore the tinge of sadness in Graham’s voice, Alaina expressed her gratitude. “Your grace, we appreciate your offer of assistance. If you would be so kind as to have our carriage readied, we should be able to embark to London within the hour.”
Alaina hurried out of the room after her mother, her blood hammering in her ears. She fixed a vision of her father in her mind, hale and healthy, and forced it to stay. A trip to London would be long enough without thoughts of the worst.
Chapter 14
Alaina sighed and resettled herself in the chair they had set up next to her father’s sick bed. It had been close to a week since Alaina, her mother, and her sister had raced to London to see to Edward. The Dowager Duchess Eleanor and Lady Georgiana had been outside waiting to say goodbye, assuring them of their support should they need it.
Alaina regarded her father, who looked to be sleeping once more in the massive four-poster bed. His condition had improved, having regained consciousness a few days after their return to London, but he still suffered from headaches and fatigue. Out of an abundance of caution, the doctor had recommended they keep a close watch. Even with a fair amount of blustering from Edward, who had insisted on returning to his normal activities, the ladies of the house had kept almost constant watch should his condition worsen. Eventually, Edward acquiesced to their presence and rested as the doctor had ordered.
Lost in thought, Alaina had missed the fact that her father had stirred from his afternoon nap, and she was surprised when he made a keen observation. “You look as if the world is on your shoulders, Alaina. Surely you are not so concerned for my health still. The doctor even proclaimed it will only be a few more days before I am up and out of this blasted bed.”
Alaina jumped in her seat and looked at her father, whose eyes twinkled with the teasing she had heard in his voice.
“Papa, you are awake, and feeling well I see,” Alaina chided, hoping to avoid any further prying.
“Now now, you cannot avoid my inquiry so easily,” Edward said, only half-teasing, knowing his older daughter well enough to know something of import weighed on her mind.
Instead of rising to what would surely be an uncomfortable conversation, Alaina stood up and stretched her arms, trying to relieve the stiffness from sitting for long hours in a chair intended only for comfort during brief visits. She busied herself tidying the room. In truth, there was not much to tidy, and Alaina found herself standing at the foot of her father’s bed with nothing more to distract her from her father’s persistence.
Unfazed by his daughter’s silence, Edward pressed on. “I had hoped to be regaled with tales of the garden party you and Lady Georgiana planned. So far, I have heard not one word. Even Evelina has been relatively mute, steering clear of any details. All I got from your mother is that your courtship with the Duke of Ashford is over, but, in truth, I know of nothing else. Was it really so bad?”
The last question hung in the air for only a moment, and Alaina responded, “No, it was a wonderful party; fun games, rides along the countryside, and the most magical, if a bit chilly, ball in one of the Ashford courtyards. Only a bit of mischief caused by Percy and Lady Barbara marred an otherwise pleasant stay.”
“Lady Barbara and Graham’s cousin? What on earth?”
Alaina waved her hand in dismissal, not wishing to cause her father any stress in his condition. “They were not invited, if that is your concern. They were the reason Graham had been called away from London, thieving, vandalizing, and terrorizing the Ashford Estate. I had a run-in with Lady Barbara, but I am fine, really. I am sure they have been appropriately apprehended by now.”
“Then what happened with Graham?”
“Well, I was able to figure out that I did not love him and thought it unfair to continue with the courtship,” Alaina explained, not wishing to share every detail just yet, if only to save her heart from speaking it out loud.
“But I was under the impression that you held some affection for Graham,” Edward spoke softly.
Alaina turned from her father to face the window opposite his bed, forgetting that the curtains had been drawn to shut out any light as Edward slept. Frustrated in her attempt to appear distracted and nonchalant, Alaina turned back to face her father with a sardonic chuckle. “I suppose I would be required to explain everything?”
Edward pondered her question and took a soft approach. “It would be nice to know what has happened to make you so melancholy, but I know sometimes matters of the heart are difficult to discuss. Your mother thought I should give you time, and I have tried to do so, but the look in your eyes when I woke up worried me enough to ask. Can you blame me for being concerned?” Edward paused, searching his daughter’s eyes, finding a lost look he had never seen before. At Alaina’s shrug, he continued, “Besides, I am bored and stuck in this room. I need some entertainment. Come sit and tell me whatever is troubling you.Please.”
Alaina relented to her father’s cajoling and came back to perch on the chair next to his bed, where she had passed so many worrisome hours. As she started to talk, she could feel the floodgates of her thoughts and emotions open. “Well, remember when we talked before and I mentioned being unsure of my future with the duke? I was able to discern my heart’s desire, whom I love and see a future with, but I am unsure if he wants to share a life with me. I just know for sure that Graham is not the one.”
“This other gentleman: I assume you knew him prior to the party? It is hard to imagine a whirlwind romance.”
“Yes, Papa, I knew him before. I would not do something so rash.” Alaina rolled her eyes.
“Love has no timetable, my dear, and I suspect you loved Christopher before you left for the country.” Edward reached out for his daughter’s hand, clasping it within his large sturdy ones for assurance.
Alaina, who had been staring down at her lap, slowly raised her eyes to meet her father’s. “But how did you know who?”
