When he reached her, he pressed his palm to her forehead and felt his heart slow to a steadier rhythm. “You’re not as hot as before. I believe your fever’s decreasing.”
“My eyes are still warm and incredibly heavy. It hurts to keep them open.”
“Then close them and try to sleep a bit more. I’m sure you must be exhausted after what you’ve been through.”
“I am.” She’d closed her eyes as he suggested and pulled her covers up higher. Brody helped arrange them. He then checked the bucket and chamber pot to see if either needed cleaning.
“There’s nothing quite like the handsomest man you know looking to see if you’ve got some more vomit available for his perusal.” Harriet groaned.
“Your eyes are supposed to be closed,” he chastised then sent her a broad smile. So he was the handsomest man she knew? He rather liked that, he decided, puffing out his chest a bit more.
She snorted. “I almost hope this is contagious, so I can give you the same kind of treatment.”
“The wonderful kind where I climb into bed and hold you against me?” He was already kicking his shoes off and shucking his jacket.
“I’ll admit that was rather lovely.” She hesitated briefly before saying, “I missed you when I woke and you weren’t there.”
“I’m sorry.” He climbed into the bed and drew her back up against his chest. “There was something I had to take care of. I’ll tell you about it later.”
For now, all he wanted was for them both to get the rest they needed. So he wound one arm around her and searched for her hand, then laced their fingers together and pressed a kiss to the nape of her neck.
“Sleep well,” she murmured, her words quickly fading.
“You too.” He squeezed her hand for good measure and gave himself over to sleep.
When he woke once more, it was not to the gentle calm of the woman he loved being right there beside him, but rather to the sort of gasp every man feared – the kind that warned of an ensuing scandal.
It was followed by a horrified, “Praise the lord and all his apostles, my master’s a bugger!”
21
Harriet shot upright the moment she heard the stricken words. She stared at the maid who stood inside the doorway, her eyes wide with dismay.
“Betsy,” said Brody. Having woken as well, he was already sitting up in bed. “It’s not what it looks like.”
Betsy shook her head. “Ho…How can it not be?”
This was a very good question, Harriet decided. After all, the maid believed her to be a man. And Betsy had not only walked in on Harriet and Brody in the same bed. The bedding had also been partially tossed to one side and Harriet’s nightgown pushed all the way up to the top of her thigh. Worse, they’d been sandwiched together when Betsy arrived, with Brody’s arm snuggly around Harriet’s waist.
Not good.
“I can explain,” Brody told her. “If you’ll please close the door.”
“And risk getting locked up in here with two perverts?” She clucked her tongue. “Not on my life, I tell you. I’m a God-fearing woman, Your Grace, and what you’re about is a hanging offense. I’ll not be a party to it.”
“You don’t understand, Betsy. I’m not…” He stared at the maid while she stared back. “Mr. Michaels isn’t…I mean, we weren’t…Just give me a chance to clarify things.”
Betsy shook her head wildly. “I’m sorry. I’ve always liked and respected you, which is why I’ll not mention a word of this to another soul. That said, this is too much. You give me no choice but to seek work elsewhere.”
“Please…” Brody tried, his expression twisted with pain.
Harriet’s heart ached for him. All of this was her fault. She could not allow this woman to threaten his life and his reputation, as Harriet knew she’d likely do, despite her words to the contrary. Containing this sort of information would be a struggle. She’d let it slip at some point and then the world would believe that Betsy found the Duke of Corwin in bed with his male lover.
The rest of Brody’s servants would verify that Mr. Michaels had indeed been a guest at that time.
She couldn’t allow for any of that to happen. Not after all Brody had done for her.
“Betsy,” she tried, adding as much strength as she could to her weak voice. “The duke is correct. You’ve mistaken the situation.”
