It was heartbreaking to hear the poor child’s logic of what would cure her.
She began to groan. The pain she must’ve been hiding made her little body shake.
Mark stood. “Livingston was just here. He’s as good as a physician. He’ll know what to do.”
The duke, with a click of his fingers, had the carriage moving.
I caught Mark’s arm and kept him from falling out.
Katherine clasped her hands together; her gray gloves made her pose look severe, dour. “Where are we going? What are you doing?”
“Honoring Lydia Wilcox’s request.” The duke rocked her like she was a babe.
Lydia had given up her dream of being his duchess for something that could be attained now. She wanted the duke as a brother.
I wasn’t marrying the duke.
I knew Katherine hated him.
Scarlett. What did she want?
“I’m going to make you better. I’m not letting you leave me until you are.” The duke kissed Lydia’s forehead.
“Take us home, Your Grace.” Katherine looked scared, very scared.
“No, to James Street. We’re not far. I have a doctor who can get there quickly.”
“Your Grace,” I said, “Lydia gets colds very easily. She refused to miss this drive. We didn’t know she was ill again.”
“ ‘Again’? Ask Sebastian. I always have doctors and researchers at Anya House. It would be no trouble to get her the best help possible.”
Katherine shook her head, but she didn’t say no again. The duke had the means to give Lydia the best.
“Lady Hampton, you could return with the young lovers for an afternoon drive. We can’t forget our current mission. Then, when you all return, a simple dinner will await. It will be simple. We are in Lent.”
“I’m not leaving her. I’ll—”
“When you return, I suppose you’ll see that I do know what to do for my Lydia.”
“Your Grace, you don’t need to do—”
“Nyet!”
Talk about changing colors. The duke was beyond red. I wasn’t sure dragons had such a color.
“Lady Hampton,” he said, in a slightly calmer tone, “I’ve waited for you to ask for my assistance. To tell me what to do to make things right, but you’re too stubborn to allow me to be a bigger benefit to Georgina, and now you’ll risk Lydia’s health to spite me.”
“Jahleel, please. I wouldn’t.”
I wanted to say something, but this fight wasn’t their typical one. It was deeper and darker, the glimpses, the looks between them, worse than anything I’d ever seen.
And Katherine looked scared.
With a huff, she sat up straight. “I’m sorry, Your Grace,” she said with her teeth gritted like a snarling mama bear. “Now give me Lydia.”
“Nyet.”
“This is none of your business.”
