Page 80 of Her Daring Earl
“It’s hard to tell and we are not exactly in the best place to assess her,” she said. “Her breathing is easy, however, and she doesn’t appear to be in any distress. I guess that she was simply overwhelmed, but let’s get her home.”
Archibald passed them, leading out Lady Danger. “I’ll have Hudson come to your townhouse, Fitzroy.”
“Are you sure you wouldn’t like him to take a look at your head first?”
“I’ll be fine. He can see me after. It’s handy having a brother-in-law for a physician.”
Fitz nodded, although he didn’t have it within him to engage in such a conversation at the moment – not when he wasn’t sure if Eliza was well.
Henrietta led them through the door to the connecting room, then through to the back of the building. Here, at least, the air was less suffocating than it had been within and, fortunately, the ladies’ carriage was nearby.
The detective who accompanied them – one whom Fitz could not blame, for he knew what it was like dealing with his sisters – helped him settle Eliza within for what was, thankfully, a short drive home.
Fitz sat on one side of the carriage, Eliza lying before him with her head in his lap while the others crowded on the other side. Eliza had curled into him as though they were cuddling in bed.
He kept an arm around her, holding her close, while Dot placed a hand on her forehead and inspected her as best she could in their surroundings.
“I suspect that the excitement of the evening overcame her,” Dot said. “But we will be sure all is well, Fitz, don’t worry.”
He nodded, even though he couldn’t say anything, for his throat was far too tight.
Soon enough, they made it home and he carried Eliza inside, passing by the waiting servants without a word until he could lay her down on the sofa in the front parlor.
“If everyone could stay back except Fitz?” Dot asked as she examined Eliza, scaring Fitz when she even looked beneath her skirts.
“Just to make sure there is no bleeding,” she murmured, which nearly had Fitz losing consciousness himself at the thought.
Dot opened a vial from a bag that one of the maids had brought at her request and waved it before Eliza’s nose as Fitzwaited breathlessly. After a moment, Eliza began to stir, and Fitz was immediately in front of her face, needing her to awaken.
“Eliza?” he called out before patting her cheeks. “Eliza!”
“Fitz,” she said, a caress in her voice as she slowly blinked her eyes open. “You are well. Thank goodness.”
“Iam well?” he said, nearly choking back a laugh. “Eliza, you fainted!”
She pushed herself up, with Fitz and Dot helping her until she was leaning back against the sofa cushions. Fitz quickly rectified that by taking a seat next to her and holding her against him.
“I am home,” she said, looking around her, the simple expression causing Fitz’s entire body to warm.
“Yes,” he said, “home. You’re home. With me.”
“How do you feel?” Dot asked. “Your cheeks are slightly pink. I expect the exertions of the day overwhelmed you, did they not?”
“I think so,” Eliza said as she took a deep breath, blinking. “How did I get here?”
“In the carriage,” Fitz said, trying to be patient. “What do you think happened?” he asked Dot as the door opened and the physician – Hudson – walked in with his medical bag.
“The physician might know better than I, but I did notice that you didn’t eat much at dinner, Eliza,” she said without judgment.
“I couldn’t,” she said. “Not with the anticipation of tonight.”
“Between not eating enough, the many emotions that you must have felt tonight at the club, and the heat of the room, it was all likely too much,” Dot said. “Good evening, Doctor Hudson.”
“Good evening, everyone,” he said, before kneeling in front of Eliza. “I hear we had a fainting spell.”
“I wouldn’t call it a fainting spell,” she said, nearly indignantly. “I have never fainted in my life.”
“Well, we shall call it a pregnancy-related episode, then,” he said. “I would guess that your sister-in-law is correct, however. It is good to see you, Lady Dot.”
