Page 27 of A Masked Lady for Mr. Kenworthy
The dowager countess whimpered again, but she nodded her head. She tried to push herself up in the bed, but Faye put a gentle hand on her arm.
“It is alright,” she said,” I shall hold the cup for you.”
The ill woman tried to smile at her daughter, but it ended up being a grimace of pain. Faye’s heart felt like it had been trapped in a vice as she sat down beside her mother. The fever was causing her mother a great deal of distress, and, at any moment, it could take her life. Faye felt utterly helpless as she lifted the cup to her mother’s dry, cracked lips. She was glad to see her mother could sip a little of the hot liquid but disheartened when much of it simply dribbled down her chin.
She did not know whether the tea would be of any help at all, but she was desperate to try anything. She knew it had to be better than doing nothing. As she continued slowly feeding the tea to her mother, she thought back to what Mr. Kenworthy and Lord Daleshire had told her. They had promised to send help for her mother, and she trusted them. But with the development of her mother’s fever, she could not help wondering if their help would not come too late. Would her mother die here, right before her eyes?
Chapter Nineteen
Thomas stared blankly at a portrait that was likely of Lady Salisdene’s father-in-law, looking through it rather than at it. It was a fine painting, to be sure, but Thomas’s mind was hardly interested in such a thing at that moment. He could not stop thinking about Lady Faye. She looked more beautiful than even he had anticipated that evening, and it had been exceedingly difficult to keep his mind on the mission, as Rupert had advised him. That had become especially true when he saw Lady Faye dancing with the hideous Lord Turlington. Jealousy still raced through him at the thought. He had wanted more than anything to be the one with whom she was dancing.
Why am I feeling such things?He wondered silently. He still felt a great deal of love for his late wife, and he still firmly believed that he would never be able to love a woman the way he had loved her. Besides, he barely knew Lady Faye. Yet, even as these thoughts entered his mind, they were each dispelled with visions of her smile. He made his best effort to push all things related to her from his mind. The mission must come first. Not only did his job depend on it, but so did Lady Faye’s safety.
“Thomas, darling,” Lady Salisdene said, interrupting his thoughts as she entered the room. Thomas rose and turned to look at her, his heart leaping in his chest as he saw who accompanied the countess.
“Lady Salisdene,” Thomas said, bowing a little too abruptly so that he could look again at her companion. “And good evening, Lady Faye.”
The countess looked at Thomas, eyebrows raised. She watched them for a moment just long enough to make Thomas squirm before she spoke again.
“Well, I am glad that we have this chance to speak,” she said, winking at him. “You are too kind to make this time for me.”
Thomas rolled his eyes at his good friend in a playful, exaggerated fashion. Then, he gestured to the empty seats in front of him, feeling awkward as he did so, as it was not his home. The two women took the seats, however, and Thomas reclaimed his own.
“Thank you for your help, Lady Salisdene,” Thomas said as the women settled into their chairs.
The countess nodded eagerly, smiling fondly at Thomas.
“It is, as always, a pleasure,” she said.
Thomas nodded, glancing at the countess with mild curiosity. He had, indeed, asked her to check on Lady Faye after her interaction with the marquess. He had spotted her drinking champagne rather quickly, and he had been concerned that Lord Turlington had done something damaging to her which had managed to escape his attention. But he had not expected to see Lady Faye there for the meeting he and the countess had arranged.
Lady Salisdene understood his silent question and smiled again.
“I do hope you don’t mind,” Lady Salisdene said, the excitement in her voice palpable. “But I invited Lady Faye to join us for tea. I wished to discuss further her coming to have tea with me again tomorrow if that is alright with you.”
Thomas shook his head perhaps a little too eagerly.
“I do not mind at all, my lady,” he said, his heart fluttering once more.
Lady Faye, meanwhile, was watching his interaction with the countess with curious interest. No doubt, she wondered why a woman she had only just met had insisted that she join her for tea and why she and Thomas seemed connected in some way. Thomas raised his eyebrows to the countess, once more asking a silent question. The countess gave a small nod, settling back against the back of her seat.
“I know you must be terribly confused,” Thomas said, offering Lady Faye a sympathetic smile. “Lady Salisdene here helps Rupert and me with a great many of our cases. I asked her to speak to you to ensure all was well after your encounter with the marquess.”
Lady Faye’s eyes lit up with understanding, and she visibly relaxed.
“Well, the kindness was certainly appreciated,” she said. “That man is truly as horrid as all the rumors suggest.”
Thomas shook his head gravely.
“I am afraid you still do not know the half of it,” he said.
The countess nodded in agreement.
“He is most vexatious, indeed,” she said, the warmth in her expression turning to bitter disdain. “And no one in polite society likes or trusts him.”
Lady Faye nodded slowly, the color slowly draining from her face. Thomas knew instantly what she was thinking, and he reached out and gently touched her arm.
“Do not worry, my lady,” he said softly. “Rupert and I will do everything we can to ensure your safety when you are in his company. That is part of why we have enlisted the help of Lady Salisdene.”
