Page 29

She had not felt this glimmer of optimism in some time, and it was as though a breath of spring had crept in through the window. Julius’s recovery, her ability to aid him, and their unexpected conversation had buoyed her spirits in ways she had not anticipated.

She hummed quietly to herself as she tidied the tea tray and gathered the used cloths from the table near his bed. Her hands moved briskly, and her step was light with purpose. Julius, thankfully, remained peaceful in his doze.

Retrieving a fresh bandage and her jar of honey, she gently roused him and helped him to sit. Once he was settled, she unwound the previous bandage and examined the sutured wound. Satisfied with the healing progress, she cleaned the site with practiced care and applied a fresh dressing before easing him back onto the pillows.

Just then, Patrick and Rose arrived at the door. Both servants looked visibly pleased to see Julius awake. Audrey requested fresh sheets and their long-awaited breakfast.

As the door clicked softly shut behind them, she suddenly remembered, with a jolt, that she had yet to reclaim her gown and personal garments. She could hardly remain in borrowed clothing now that her patient was awake and lucid!

With haste, she crossed the room and flung open the door, hoping to catch Patrick or Rose before they disappeared down the servants’ stairs.

Instead, she stopped short at the sight before her. Patrick and Rose were embracing just outside the chamber. The discovery startled her, stealing the breath from her lungs.

The couple leapt apart, clearly nonplussed at having been discovered. Rose’s eyes glistened as if she had recently wept, and Audrey suddenly understood. Patrick had been offering her comfort.

An awkward silence stretched between them, all three of them shifting their gazes in different directions, each waiting for someone else to speak. After several ticking seconds, Audrey cleared her throat.

“Patrick, do you have my dry things?”

The servant swallowed hard, visibly relieved that she was choosing to overlook the moment.

“Aye, Miss Gideon. I shall collect them along with the sheets.”

“All right … Thank you.” She inclined her head, then hurried back into the chamber, shutting the door behind her with a soft but decisive click.

Julius was awake and watching her, his pillows arranged behind him to support his upright form, one arm casually thrown across the coverlet. A broad grin split his face, and his shoulders trembled with contained amusement. Audrey paused, startled by the transformation. He looked altogether different now—alert, laughing, and undeniably handsome.

The ease of treating him had vanished with his delirium as she grew ever more aware of the impropriety of them being alone together.

She stiffened her spine, willing herself not to notice how at home he looked reclining there in rumpled linens, the morning light dancing along his cheekbones. The warmth rose unbidden in her neck as she remembered that she was still wearing borrowed garments, and that they were quite alone.

He found his voice at last, the laughter tugging at his words. “You are pondering the nature of Patrick and Rose’s relationship?”

Audrey blinked, momentarily thrown, then flailed her hands in an uncertain gesture, her palms pressing together in question. “Are they⁠—”

“They have been married for at least twenty years.”

Audrey stared. “Oh … I thought servants in great households were prohibited from marrying?”

Julius chuckled aloud, his lean features illuminated like stained glass beneath sunlight. Audrey felt her breath catch. He was devastating in repose, and that smile … good heavens.

She pressed her lips together, focusing on his words. Yesterday, she had been absorbed entirely in the work of healing. Today, his presence was more difficult to ignore.

“Aunty Gertrude is a woman of tradition. It is a secret that they are married,” he said.

Audrey frowned. “So they married, yet live apart in the men’s and women’s quarters?”

“No, they have a room in the attic.”

She tilted her head, baffled. “So Aunty Gertrude knows about them?”

He shook his head, a smile playing about his mouth. “Aunty Gertrude is a traditional peeress who would never allow such a thing.”

“Then how …?”

He shrugged. “It is the way of high society. If no one acknowledges it, it is not true. Rose and Patrick enjoy their marriage, while Aunty Gertrude is willfully ignorant but ensures that they share a room. She is kind, after all, and would not stand in the way of love.”

Audrey groaned. “These rules make no sense!”