Page 49 of Good Duke Gone Hard

Margaret lay back in her bed. Yes, she could rest. She could let Jonathan be. It was only two days. She’d be distracted by having guests to entertain. Certainly she would pass some time painting.

There was no need to see Jonathan right away. He was going to be fine. The doctor confirmed it. She had to let him heal. Then in two days she could disrupt the buttons right off of him and tell him she was wrong and that of course she would marry him.

She had spent years without him. What was two days?

Chapter 18

TWODAYSWASAwhole hell of a lot, was what it was.

Day one was actually hell. She stayed in her room nearly all day, wanting to avoid the guests with a particular penchant for gossip. Unfortunately, as she sat in her room reading and painting, she grew exceedingly irritated by the innumerable steps of the footmen that were going to and fro Jonathan’s room.

She couldn’t imagine the needs of one man for one day. How many books could he possibly be requesting? Meals? Medicine? She stopped trying to make sense of it halfway through the day and instead focused on her painting.

Both her mother and Bella had knocked on her door to see her, but she had declined the visitors pleading a headache. It wasn’t exactly true, but it wasn’t precisely untrue either. Her headwasaching as it tried to process everything.

More than once she wanted to slip out of her bed and see Jonathan, but the doctor had seemed quite stern with his demand for Jonathan’s rest. Considering his normal jovial comportment, she decided she would respect his instructions. At least for now.

If she thought day one was hard, day two’s first few hours were some of the most excruciating hours of her life to date. She had hoped to breakfast with a few guests, as that idea seemed more diverting than being alone in her room again; however, she hadn’t anticipated every single guest of the house to be present quite so early.

It seemed as though no one was attempting to be discreet about their ear for gossip. On second glance, that wasno oneminus Lyle. Margaret noticed he was unusually absent this morning.

“How’s the duke doing?” Kat jumped right in and voiced the question on everyone’s mind.

“He’s doing well. He needs a couple of days of rest is all,” Dr. Walker met Kat’s eyes and then gave Margaret a reassuring lok.

“Has he been cupped?” Reggie asked.

“Actually, I don’t practice bloodletting with my patients. Experience has shown them to grow weaker after such actions.”

“You don’t believe in it?” Reggie probed.

“Not particularly. As I said, it has usually left them done to a cow’s toe,” Dr. Walker chuckled, and then proceeded to explain more the medical reasoning behind his opinion. “Specifically…” His voice droned off in answer to Reggie’s question.

Margaret overheard Agatha whisper to Bella who was sitting right beside her, “I didn’t know cows had toes. I think I need to spend more time in the country.”

Bella laughed quietly. “You may enjoy spending more time in the country. I know I do. But you won’t learn about cows and their toes. The doctor just means bloodlett patients were usually left fatigued.”

Agatha smiled and patted Bella’s arm. “Well that makes perfect sense, then. You’ll have to tell me more about the country sometime.”

“I would love that, above all else.” Margaret observed as Bella beamed a smile at Agatha.

As the women resumed eating, Margaret decided she needed to make plans with Bella for the morning to avoid losing her mind while waiting for Jonathan to get better.

“Please, Bella, my dear cousin, tell me that, above all else,” she gave Bella a sparkling smile, “that you would love to paint with me in the garden after breakfast.”

Bella smirked. “While I can’t truly commit to that particular task above all else, since I cannot paint a distinguishable blue sky from green grass, nonetheless, I will join you in the gardens.” And then she added, “My dear,dearcousin.”

Margaret gave an unladylike chortle. What felicity to have a cousin such as Bella.

With breakfast finished, the cousins grabbed a few needed items and then headed to the gardens together.

Margaret asked a footman to carry and set up her easel, and Bella was simply kneeling next to the garden bed needlessly picking at some weeds.

Margaret stared at the white canvas in front of her. She needed to paint. She needed to clear her mind and refresh her thoughts. She needed to not think about one thing, one someone, in particular.

So it was uncommonly irksome when Bella blurted out, “What’s going on with you and Jonathan?”

Margaret gaped at her.

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