Page 82 of Raising the Duke’s Unexpected Twins

“Oh, I’m so glad!” she said, touching her hand to Olivia’s forehead. “Not too warm at all. Thank God!” She laid back with relief on her pillow and let out a soft laugh.

He too felt giddy as he rose from his bed and wrapped his dressing gown around him. He heard the shift of her also getting out of bed as gently as possible. His eyes were on her as she looked down at the children.

“Perhaps I can dare to hope?” she asked in a whisper.

“Yes, I think so.” He approached from behind her to look down at the children’s peaceful faces. “It was all due to you. Your efforts, and your idea to bring them back together again.”

She sighed but was smiling when she turned back to look at him. “I’ll be sure not to tell the doctor that I did that. It was a risk.”

“You like risks – if I remember rightly,” he teased.

“Do I?” she crossed her arms. “I have always felt the prim prude next to you, Nicholas. And your years of riling me up only brought that further to my attention.”

He chuckled, savoring the moment of ease between them. “Shall we go to breakfast? Together?” he asked, feeling like a nervous little boy as he awaited her answer.

She glanced at the children and then nodded. “Yes, I think so. Mrs. Browning can return the children to their beds upstairs.”

“Let them sleep for now. They certainly need it.”

Cordelia left to dress, and he did the same, a decision forming in his mind. Tim had recovered; Olivia was safe. His delay in returning home could have cost Tim his life, but yet now he’d been given another chance. It felt like the opening he needed to take a new step in his life.

I will perhaps promote Darren indefinitely. Let him manage the club more often so that I can remain home as much as possible.

Before, the thought of that would have terrified him, to think of leaving what he’d worked so hard for in the hands of another, but now, it felt right to do so. He would still run the place, and it would still be his, bringing him joy and comfort after all his hard work, but perhaps it now no longer needed to consume him.

Feeling bolstered by this new decision, he went to breakfast, and he found Cordelia already there, a cup of tea in hand.

“You are late, Your Grace,” she said imperiously, and he grinned as he filled his plate.

“You mustn’t take my place, Your Grace,” he countered. “For I am the one who gets to say all the curmudgeonly lines.”

“Oh, is that so?”

He sat down and looked at her smiling face. She had seemingly transformed overnight, her eyes and cheeks bright, her smile happy. She had dressed in a light green, making the silky brown hair and deep brown eyes and lovely pink lips stick out more to him than ever.

By God, I have a beautiful wife.

This only added to the strength of his newfound decision. As he cut into his meat, he asked, “Are you happy, Cordelia?”

“Oh yes,” she said hurriedly. “So glad to see that the children are doing well. Mrs. Browning was very pleased, and it seems the whole house is relaxing again.”

“Good.” He nodded, wondering if he’d meant her to answer only that or if he’d wanted her to say she was happy in other ways as well.

He cleared his throat. “I wanted to tell you that now that the children are well, I –” He paused, looking at the strange expression on her face. She looked like she was holding her breath, a little line forming between her brows. “What is it, Cordelia?” he asked, worried that he’d said something terrible already.

“You mean to tell me you are leaving?” she asked, dabbing at her lips with her napkin.

He cleared his throat, a little gratified to see her disappointment at that, but he uncharacteristically didn’t wish to flatter himself.

“Well, I wanted to say that I have a few loose ends to tie up at the club today, which I wish to do as soon as possible. And then I will be back.” He smiled, hopefully comfortingly. “I promise.”

She blinked at him for a few seconds, her eyes not leaving his. “Very well. I understand. You have spent a lot of time here in the last few days. Your work must be piling up.”

She took a bite, looking somewhat comforted but not fully. Nicholas frowned. “Not at all. Darren will have had it well in hand. It’s early yet, so it won’t be open. I’ll just go in and handle a few matters. I just want to do a few things so that I can stay away for longer.”

“Oh,” she said, this time, her cheeks reddening. “Yes, of course. That is a good thing. The children will like that.”

She nodded and smiled, and Nicholas felt his heart sink a little. Was it really only about that for her? Had he really lost any such chance that this beautiful, intelligent, strong woman could care for him?