Graham came to the other side of Adelaide on the settee. “What happened yesterday?”
Adelaide shook her head. “Nothing. My aunt is…she is not well. It’s clear.”
Emma let out a long breath, and all three turned as James reentered the room. His face was drawn and pale, and he moved to Emma to embrace her.
“Are you harmed?” he asked, his gaze only for her as he settled a hand on her swollen belly.
“No,” Emma reassured him before she leaned up for a brief kiss. “We are fine. What in the world did you do with Opal? And with that horrid man?”
He sighed as he sank into a chair, pulling Emma to sit on his knee as he smoothed his fingers over her belly over and over. “Opal calmed the moment we were out the door. She even apologized for her outburst, but dear God, Adelaide, why didn’t you tell us how terrible things had become?”
Adelaide let out a shaking sigh that tore through Graham’s heart. He took her hand silently and held it with both of his. She glanced at him once, then said, “She normally isn’t so wild. But my…virtue, or lack thereof, is an issue for her.”
Emma pursed her lips. “Is it true then? That you and Graham have engaged in an affair?”
Graham inched closer to Adelaide, once again driven to protect her in some way. From harm, from censure, from anything that could hurt her.
“Yes,” he admitted softly.
Adelaide turned toward him, and he saw the worry in her eyes. “Graham, if Sir Archibald is dead, murdered near the theatre, we must—”
He held up a hand. “Wemust do nothing, I’ll go and investigate.”
She lifted both eyebrows. “That will not work and you know it. I’m coming with you. I’m not asking.”
Graham almost smiled despite the terrible circumstances they had all just endured. By God, but this woman tested him. And he found he liked that. He needed it. He ached for it.
More than that, he needed the protection she had offered. Adelaide had thrown herself in front of him to keep him from being arrested for a murder he hadn’t committed. She had done it with what was an obvious knowledge of what her confession could do to her future and her reputation.
And she hadn’t cared.
No one had protected him like that since the mother who had died for him. His heart swelled at that thought. At the woman before him.
“Do either of you wish to explain what you’re talking about?” Emma asked softly.
Adelaide jumped as if she had forgotten about the presence of James and Emma. She faced them with a blush. “I know I keep saying this, but Iwillexplain everything to you, Emma. I promise you I will. Right now, though, I must go with Graham. We have to find out the truth about what happened to Sir Archibald.”
Emma opened her mouth as if to argue, but James settled a gentle hand on her knee. “We have very little space to talk about propriety, don’t we? Graham will keep Adelaide safe wherever they must go.”
Emma blushed as she glanced down at her husband. Then she threw up her hands. “Since I have no idea what is actually going on right now, I feel I have no space to argue. If you must go with Graham, I certainly won’t stop you. But I do hope you’ll let me in on all these secrets.”
Adelaide and Graham rose, as did James and Emma. Adelaide moved to the duchess for a brief embrace. “I will,” she promised softly. “And your husband should take you up to bed in the meantime. There has been far too much excitement for a pregnant lady. I want you and that child to be safe.”
“Oh, posh,” Emma began. “I don’t need to—”
“She’s going to bed the moment you two leave,” James interrupted with a playfully stern look for Emma. Adelaide smiled as she and Emma led the way to the foyer. But as soon as they were out of earshot, James leaned into Graham. “Do you need help? I can come. I can wrangle up three or four of the others to assist, as well.”
Graham smiled at James, the best friend he had ever had. The one he’d almost lost. He couldn’t help but think of the one he had. And wish that Simon were here, too, to offer support. Kindness.
“We’ll be fine,” he replied. “I don’t think we’ll be in danger where we’re going.”
“And what of Adelaide?” James asked softly. “She made a great sacrifice for you today.”
Graham felt the breath go out of him with that statement. The truth of it curled through him once more. “I know,” he said as they entered the foyer. “Don’t think I don’t know. And as soon as this other matter is attended to, I promise you I’m going to deal with that.”
His carriage was brought around, and he sighed as he offered Adelaide an arm and guided her to the rig. He wouldhaveto attend to the things she had said, the way she had protected him to her own detriment. But for now all he could think of was to keep her safe.
He gave a direction to his driver and then climbed in across from her. He shot James a look out the window, and then they were moving and he returned all his focus to Adelaide.
