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When Jo finally reached the marchioness’s chambers, the viscount already had his arms around his wife. Lady Ashbury and Lady Vane silently walked out of the room, trying not to disturb the couple.

The viscount didn’t seem to care whether anybody was in the room, however. He pressed his wife close to his chest and whispered soothing nonsense in her ear.

Despite the tragedy of the scene, Jo couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy. She wanted that.

No. Not the tragedy. But the tremendous love of the couple before her. She wanted to have someone to rush to her side without knowing what upset her and to hold her in his arms without caring who looked on. She wanted tender love and not just passionate trysts.

Lady Vane approached Jo and silently led her away from the room. “Evie’s cousin, Mary, the one we were just talking about… she died.”

Jo threw one last horrified gaze toward the embracing couple and followed Lady Vane. She couldn’t believe it. They were just happily discussing her birthday celebration. It was quite obvious that the duchess cared a lot about her cousin. But the woman had already been dead. Jo’s throat constricted.

“How old was she?” Jo croaked out.

Lady Vane swallowed. “She would have turned six and twenty in a few weeks.”

Jo gasped. “So young.”

Lady Vane nodded. “Evie loved the girl dearly. But she was… she had health issues since she was born. Maladies of the heart. The doctors had not expected her to live even this far. They expected the worst about a decade ago.”

Jo still felt shocked by the news, and she didn’t quite know how to react. Six and twenty!

“I hope it doesn’t affect Evie’s condition,” Lady Ashbury said, wiping her tears.

The duchess was in the early months of her pregnancy. And the stress of her relative’s passing couldn’t have been good for her. Lord Ashbury and Lord Vane strode to the corridor, worried scowls on their faces. The ladies recounted what had happened and silence dawned on the group.

“Evie will want to attend the funeral,” Lady Ashbury sniffed into her husband’s waistcoat. “I don’t know if we will make it in time, but I want to accompany her nonetheless.”

Lord Ashbury nodded. “Of course, dear.”

“You don’t mind if I leave, do you?” Lady Ashbury turned toward her sister.

“Not at all,” Lady Vane answered with a sad smile. “Evie needs you more right now. And I am certain the Clydesdales would appreciate all the support.”

“Yes,” Lady Ashbury said on a sniff.

“Let’s not stand in the corridor,” Lady Vane offered. “I shall order some tea and biscuits to my chambers and we can just… talk.”

Suddenly uncomfortable, Jo felt like she was intruding on a private moment again. “I shall leave you to it,” she said.

“Are you certain? We don’t mind your company, Jo,” Lady Vane insisted.

Jo smiled. “I am certain. This is a family affair. I’ll… go find Selena.”

With a quick curtsy, she left the grieving family and found herself wandering the empty corridors.

She didn’t want to go to her room yet. She felt suddenly lonely and her empty chamber would just emphasize her loneliness.

She felt sad for the young woman she’d never met and for the family that grieved her loss so much. And perhaps she was being overly emotional about the entire situation, but tears pricked at the back of her eyes.

“Jo,” Richard called from behind her. She turned to him slowly, and he rushed toward her as he saw her face.

He pinched her chin between his thumb and forefinger, his brows furrowed. “Are you unwell? What’s wrong?”

Tears appeared in her eyes, and she fell into his arms. She didn’t know why she was crying. But Richard’s presence, his reassuring strength, allowed for the weakness within her. She disengaged from him and wiped her tears away with her wrists.

Richard pulled her hands away from her face and rummaged through his pockets. He pulled out a handkerchief and softly wiped at her cheeks.

“What happened?” he asked.