Page 98 of Foolish Bride
“Yes, sir.”
“Now, everyone out of the room, the boy needs food and rest,” the doctor commanded.
The group dispersed and chattered happily as they left the room. Michael and Tabitha stayed behind. Elinor made to leave as well, but Michael took her arm and pulled her close as he addressed the doctor. “Is there anything else we should do?”
“Just keep him quiet for a few days, your grace. He’s young and should make a full recovery. It would be best if you didn’t travel for a least a week. The last thing he needs right now is to be jostled around in a carriage for hours.”
Tabitha whispered to Everett and brushed the hair from his forehead.
He smiled up at her.
“Thank you, doctor,” Michael said.
He nodded. “I’ll check on him daily for as long as you stay here at Marlton Hall. I assume you have a family physician in London you can call upon when you leave.”
Michael confirmed that they did, and the doctor left the room.
He looked at Elinor and his bright blue eyes swam with unshed tears of joy. He touched her cheek, and smiling, she nuzzled deeper into his hand.
Weariness swamped her. Her legs wobbled, and she longed for somewhere soft to lay her head. “It’s late. I am going to bed, and you should get your mother to sleep as well. She’s exhausted.”
Michael went to the bed. “Mother, go and rest now. You heard the doctor. Everett is out of danger. I will stay with him a while.”
Tabitha Rollins nodded and kissed both her sons. “Sheldon is in bed, but he will be happy to see you in the morning.”
Everett smiled for his mother.
Tabitha touched Elinor’s cheek as she left the room.
Holding onto the doorframe to keep her feet, Elinor marveled at how similar the brothers looked.
Michael shifted from foot to foot before he finally sat. “I am glad you are all right.”
“I am happy to see you recovered, Lady Elinor,” Everett said.
Michael nodded mutely.
“Was it an adventure?” Everett asked.
Michael looked over his shoulder at Elinor, and his expression warmed. “It was. If you will try to rest, I will tell you all about it.”
Everett closed his eyes.
Michael began the tale from the point where Sheldon ran toward them.
Unable to listen, Elinor stumbled down the hall to her bed.
Chapter 22
It wasn’t like Elinor to take a meal in her room, but she was too tired to face an entire house of people wanting to know what had happened. What would she tell them? She had already decided not to tell anyone other than Sophia and Dory about having killed Roxton.
Michael seemed willing to let it be his hand that had done the deed, and the scandal of her having killed a man would be terrible. However, she couldn’t lie to her two best friends. Besides, they could be trusted to keep the information private. Elinor suspected that Marlton and Thomas Wheel already knew the truth. The four men often communicated in some silent way.
Unable to eat, she sipped her tea. Michael hadn’t come to her last night. She worried that he might have changed his mind about the marriage after seeing her kill Roxton.
Her stomach knotted. What man would want to marry a woman who had murdered? She had potentially saved his life in the process. Would he take that into account? When he spoke to the doctor about Everett, she’d stayed by his side. It was like she was part of the family and should be present for any important conversations. That was a good sign. Perhaps he was just tired last night and that was why he hadn’t come.
She was startled out of her reverie by knocking at the door. “Come in.”
