Page 127 of The Secret Love of a Gentleman
‘Does your father know?’
‘Yes, but he is the only one. I will manage it myself.’Manage it…He scoffed at the words. He had chosen to do nothing in response to the attack. He had chosen to give the bully no control by not responding. But he could not risk him hurting Caro.
‘Does Caroline know?’
‘No. It would worry her.’
‘Why does he care? He divorced her.’
‘He might have divorced her, but he still wants to keep possession of her.’
His uncle sighed. ‘What am I to do, then?’
‘As I said, nothing. Ignore him. I will be careful and ensure Caro is always with someone until we leave.’
‘If that is what you want.’
‘It is.’
71
Caro turned onto her back, her arm lifting as she woke from a dream about Albert in a temper, shouting close to her face. There was no one in the room.
She sat up, breathing hard. Her skin was damp with sweat. She thought these dreams were in the past.
Her hand touched her tummy, as she thought of the child. Then… She was wet. Her dress was wet between her legs. She touched the cloth. Blood.
With both hands holding her stomach as if she could hold the baby inside her, she crossed the room and pulled the cord to call a maid.
When the maid came, she told her to fetch Mary and sat down on the bed, waiting.
Mary’s knock was gentle.
‘Come in!’ Caro’s voice was desperate. She had thought she could live with this, but that was before she believed the child would live.
‘The maid said you were distressed, what is it?’ Mary hurried across the room.
Caro reached out and clasped her arm with bloody fingers. ‘Please help me! I am with child but I am bleeding… I cannot bear to lose another child, Mary.’
‘I will fetch Mama. She will know what to do, and Kate will call the doctor. Lie down. I will be quick.’
72
As Rob walked through the front door of John’s house, his father hurried down the stairs.
‘Thank God you are back. Caroline is not well.’
‘What happened to you was nothing compared to what I will do.’
Nausea clutched at Rob’s stomach. ‘Why? What has happened?’
His father’s eyebrows rose. ‘The child. She is bleeding.’
‘No!’ He passed his father and moved the quickest he had moved since the attack. Hobbling up the stairs. She would expect to lose the child. The thought cut into his heart.
Drew paced the landing outside Caro’s room, his hands fisted.
‘Drew! How is she?’
