“He was th-there in m-my bedroom,” she stammered, obviously in a state of shock.
“Who was in your bedroom?” Case pressed.
“Lucas,” she choked out.
Justin looked at her in surprise. “Lucas? You mean your husband?”
Case pulled her gently to him, paying no heed to her wet clothing. “Jilly, he’s dead,” he said softly.
She pulled away. “Isawhim, Case. He was there. I woke up and he was standing at the foot of my bed, staring at me.”
The two men exchanged looks. Case hugged her to him once more, stroking her hair soothingly. “Jillian, it was just a dream, probably an effect from the laudanum.”
Justin observed Case holding Jillian and was gripped by annoyance. Good God, he wasjealous. The realization was as clear as if someone had said the words aloud. He wanted to be the one holding and comforting her. Was there really nothing more to Case and Jillian’s relationship than friendship? It seemed inconceivable. Case would have to be ten times a fool not to notice Jillian’s alluring beauty. Case may be a lot of things, but Justin had never considered him a fool, particularly when it came to beautiful women. He had watched them closely over the last few weeks, though, and it seemed they had genuine affection for one another. He had seen nothing to indicate they were more than friends, other than his own assumption that they were lovers. Perhaps he would have to add yet another thing to the growing list of things he was wrong about.
Edward hurried in with a blanket and a pot of tea. Justin gently wrapped the blanket around her shoulders and Case busied himself pouring her a cup of hot tea. She grasped the cup, as if desperately seeking its warmth.
“Your grace,” Edward whispered urgently. “There is nothing suitable for her to wear.”
“Get one of my dressing shirts and a robe. It will have to do.”
Edward hurried off to find the requested items.
“You shouldn’t be out of bed, Jillian, you’ve sustained a rather nasty blow to the head,” Case said in a worried tone.
“I’m not going back there,” she said, setting the cup down. She shook her head in blind determination. “I won’t,” she whispered. “He was there, I saw him.” She seemed dangerously close to tears.
“All right, Jillian,” Case said calmly. “You can stay with me, of course. We’ll get this sorted out some way.”
“I have a better idea,” Justin spoke up. “Case, why don’t you go have a look at Jillian’s room. If someone was indeed in her bedroom, they would leave some evidence of their presence, especially on a night like this.”
“Good idea,” Case agreed. “Perhaps it would make Jillian feel better if I investigated.”
“Jillian can stay here and get into some dry clothes. You can bring her something more appropriate to wear when you return.”
As Case was leaving, Edward returned with one of Justin’s shirts and a robe. He handed over the items to Justin and discreetly left the room.
“Jillian, you need to get out of those wet clothes.” He handed her his shirt and robe. “Do you need help?”
She blushed. “No, I can manage.”
“All right, I will be out in the hall, call out if you need me. Once you are through changing, we’ll go to my study. The fire there has been burning longer, and it’s a good deal warmer than it is in here.”
A few minutes later, Justin stuck his head back through the door. “Are you finished?”
“Yes, do come back in.”
She was wrapped securely in his robe and stood by the fire attempting to warm herself. The robe hung loosely and had been wrapped twice around her. It fell in a bunch at her feet and she looked swallowed up whole. He walked over to her and scooped her up in his arms.
“Justin, I can walk,” she protested. He ignored her and strode to his study. He deposited her on the settee directly in front of the roaring fire. Then he walked over and poured a whiskey.
“Here, drink this,” he said, handing her the glass.
She took a gulp, choking as it burned its way down her throat.
“Careful,” he cautioned. “You don’t want to drink it too fast.” He sat down beside her.
“You think I’m crazy, don’t you,” she said in a low voice.
