Font Size:

“Excellent. Will you send for him?”

“Of course.” Colm’s gaze narrowed a bit. “But I suspect that isn’t the thing you need me to keep secret.”

“Eve was embarrassed to admit that they haven’t money enough to pay a doctor. She’s been worried about the gratuities expected for the servants.” Duke didn’t feel he was betraying her confidence in mentioning that. What he had already understood about their financial situation before Eve’s further revelations would have told him as much. “While everyone, the Huntresses especially, knows the O’Doyles are quite thin in the pocketbook, Eve was so clearly embarrassed by her inability to afford those two things that I am certain we oughtn’t reveal it to the others. But we also need to find a way for the sisters, without being further humbled, to be relieved of those expenses.”

Colm dropped a hand on Duke’s shoulder and steered him back down the corridor, clearly not intending to go for his ride as he’d originally planned. “No gratuities will be owed to the servants, fromanyone. Mother and Father arranged for that, knowing quite a few of the Huntresses and the Pack are stretched thin. See if you can’t communicate as much to Eve.”

“I will.” Duke was breathing a bit more easily.

“And my parents would likely be offended if any of their guests thought a doctor summoned to Fairfield would not be recompensedby Fairfield. So, Eve has no reason to worry on that score either.”

Relief washed over Duke. “I told her that would be the case, though I wasn’t completely certain. I would have paid the doctor if need be, but Eve insisted that if I did, she would repay me over the years to come, which she absolutely cannot afford to do. I’d hoped you would be willing to help me work around that.”

“Consider it worked around. I will send for Dr. Wilstead. The estate will pay for his services and for any medicines he says Nia needs. Eve has nothing to be concerned about except looking after her sister.”

“Thank you,” Duke said.

“I am newer to this group of friends than you are, Duke, but they all matter to me. It’s been too long since I’ve allowed myself to really care about people.” A little emotion had crept into his admission, but Colm pushed it out of his expression. “Don’t you dare tell my mother I said that.”

“I’m good at keeping secrets,” Duke assured him.

Colm answered with a crisp nod. Duke watched his cousin continue down the corridor, no doubt to ask the butler to have a message sent to Dr. Wilstead in Epsom. “It’s been too long since I’ve allowed myself to really care about people.” The friendship Colm had with the Pack and the Huntresses was helping him find some happiness and connection, helping him heal a little after the brutality of war. If their family caused distress to Colm’s newfound friends, he would lose this chance to solidify those bonds of friendship. Duke couldn’t sit idly by and allow that to happen.

* * *

Duke stood in the corridor, a bit to the side of the door to Eve and Nia’s bedchamber. Dr. Wilstead had arrived a few minutes earlier and was checking on Nia. Duke wanted to be close at hand should anything be needed.

“Dr. Wilstead can be depended on, Eve. I promise you.” Aunt Penelope was inside. She’d offered variations on that reassurance more than once already, a sure sign that Eve wasn’t hiding her worry very well.

“Nia is almost never ill,” Eve said. “And on the rare occasion when she is, she won’t admit to it. She had a miserably sore throat a couple of weeks ago, and though we could all hear it in her scratchy voice, she still insisted she was fine.”

“We Irish are a stubborn people, aren’t we?”

“Stubborn enough not to admit we’re stubborn,” Eve said.

A moment passed in silence. Duke was sorely tempted to peek inside, but he would not invade their privacy that way. Part of him wasn’t certain he was within his rights to be as near to doing so now as he was.

“I knew she had been tired,” Eve said, “but she told me this morning that she’s been in pain as well. Something about the long carriage ride increased her suffering enough that she could no longer pretend all was well.”

Duke thought Nia had done a good job, actually. He’d not guessed she was hurting. That she was exhausted had been obvious. But he had seen no indication that she’d been in pain.

From behind him, Colm walked almost silently to where Duke stood. “The doctor arrived, I heard.” He spoke quietly.

Duke nodded. “He’s in there now. Thank you again for arranging this.”

“Of course. What has Wilstead said?”

“Nothing yet. I suspect he is still in the midst of his evaluation.”

Colm met Duke’s eye once more. “You’ve likely not long before the Huntresses hear that Nia has required a doctor. Do you mean to stand guard and prevent them from breaching the threshold?”

Duke raised his brows. “Doyou?”

Colm held up his hands in a show of denial. “I tiptoed uncomfortably close to death enough times in the army not to wish to repeat the experience.”

“You think Artemis would murder you?”

“Readily and eagerly.” Though Colm made the declaration with an air of somberness, there was laughter in his eyes.