“Twenty-four hours.”
Gabe moaned like a wounded animal. “You couldn’t have lied to me?”
“I always try to tell the truth.”
They reached the library, with maids bustling by them carrying water and linen.
“That bloody overpriced physician better be here posthaste,” Gabe muttered.
“You called?”
A young man who looked about twenty appeared before them. He seemed too young to know the workings of a human body, let alone how to deliver a baby. With him was an older woman dressed in pale gray.
“You make sure both she and the baby survive.” Gabe grabbed his lapels.
“I will of course ensure both your heir and your countess are well, Lord Raine. But to do that you must first release me.”
Forrest had to hand it to the young man: he did not seem overly concerned at the rabid earl threatening him.
“Gabe, release the doctor. Now,” Forrest added when he didn’t move. “He cannot go to Dimity if you are holding him.”
The earl lifted his hands into the air and backed away.
“Run, Doctor,” Forrest said.
The doctor gave them both a calm smile and walked away, clearly unaware of just how close to death he’d been.
“Move.” He nudged Gabe toward the study. His brothers and the duchess were still in there. She was reading to Ella.
“Pull yourself together, man. Babies are born every day!” She raised her head to snap.
“Not my baby,” Gabe gritted out.
“We saw Lord Amble the other day, Duchess,” Michael said quickly. “Seems his house was broken into and things stolen.”
“Good.” She thumped her cane down hard. “Man’s a rotten toad.”
“Have his aunts ever been found?” Zach asked her. “I know they were your friends.”
He’d seen the duchess angry, crotchety, and even happy, but never sad. She looked that now.
“They have not. I have feared for them for some time now. I approached him, that fool, to ask after them. Where they had gone. He said he did not know or care.”
“What did you do to him?” Nathan asked.
“Jabbed him hard in that flabby stomach of his. Winded him nicely too.”
Forrest did not have the right to tell her where the Amble sisters were. They needed to be asked if they wanted their whereabouts given to the duchess first.
“I miss them.” She sighed.
“Zach, a word, if you please,” Forrest said.
“What word? Is it a quiz? Word games?” He looked at his brothers.
“He wants a word in private with you, you fool,” Nathan snapped.
Forrest rolled his eyes and stepped outside. All those with the surname Deville followed.
