Page 26 of Dukes Do It Better
“You go first,” he said ruefully. “I need a few more minutes to get my body under control.”
Emma grinned, then ran an appreciative hand over the front of his trousers.
“Not helping, milady.” He laughed, then gave her another short kiss and nudged her toward the door. “Don’t dawdle. I’ll see you shortly and we’ll finish this.”
At the door, she glanced back. “These few weeks will be delicious, Captain.”
“Plan on it.”
Chapter Eight
A—’s hair is a sweaty mat on his head, and he simultaneously wants all and none of the blankets on him. Nothing satisfies his discomfort. This terror as a parent is overwhelming. I’m so awfully aware of my loneliness tonight. Which is why I write this by the light of a single candle as I sit at his bedside. I need someone to write to. In this way, you can be scared with me.
—Journal entry, April 3, 1824
The lingering effects of the release she’d had at the efforts of Mal’s talented mouth fizzed under her skin like bubbles in her blood.
Charles the footman opened the carriage door and offered his hand down to the steps. “Welcome home, Lady Emma.”
“Thank you, Charles. Could you make sure the staff eats before returning the coach to the Vanfords’?”
Charles nodded. “Of course.”
Inside the hall, the butler took her outerwear.
“I trust it’s been an uneventful evening, Higgins?”
“I wish I could say so, Lady Emma. I believe Nelson has a more thorough briefing of tonight’s events when you go upstairs.”
That didn’t sound good. Emma picked up her hem and took the stairs at a run. Surely if there’d been an emergency, the staff would have sent word to the ball. No amount of dancing, punch, and desktop liaisons were more important than Alton and Freddie.
The mother in her wanted to call down the hall so she could get a report a few seconds sooner. But the smart mother in her noted the late hour and didn’t want to wake children who should be sleeping—and apparently had enjoyed an eventful evening themselves.
As it was, the footman met her at the door. “They’re sleeping now, but they’ve been asleep for only about a half hour,” he said, closing the door behind him so they could speak in the hall.
“What happened?” Emma clutched her hands together, knitting her fingers around one another at her waist. “How is Alton?”
“We think it was the fish,” Nelson said.
Emma paused. “The fish?” The meaning settled over her and she curled her lip.
Nelson grimaced. “Quite right. The staff and nursery ate fish this evening, and several members of the house have spent the night indisposed.”
“I take it you didn’t eat the fish tonight.”
“No, milady. I’m a butcher’s son. I’ll take a slab of beef any day, but I’ve never been fond of fish.” Nelson paused, listened at the door, then resumed speaking. “Miss Lacey is down with it as well. I sent her to bed a couple hours ago and stepped in.”
Things must be rough if the nurse was abandoning her post.
Emma closed her eyes and tried to take a calming breath. “I’m so glad you were here. How are they now?”
“Their stomachs are empty at this point. Alton and Freddie teamed up as usual and comforted each other through it all. I was going to send word to the Vanfords’, but then they finally nodded off.”
“Thank you for taking care of everyone up here. Give me a moment to change out of this gown, and then I’ll take over for the night.”
Emma hurried back to her room, shedding the layers of her evening wear as soon as the door closed behind her. It wasn’t until she’d changed into a comfortable old cotton dress and warm wrapper that she remembered Mal.
“Damn, drat, and double damn.” Her shoulders slumped and she stared at the ceiling. Huffing a sigh, she grabbed a sheet of paper and dashed off a quick note. No matter how long or short their acquaintance, Mal would have to learn he wasn’t the top priority in her life. Alton would always come first.
