Tobias shuffled from the room, bowed to Mercy. “Is he well, Your Grace?”
“He is wonderful,” Mercy said as she laid her hand on Tobias’ arm. “Thank you for rescuing my son. Now, have that cut seen too. Wilcox will take care of you.”
“Leopold was correct before in the drawing room. You do the family proud.”
Mercy scowled at him. “How long were you listening and where were you?”
“Long enough to hear my brother gush over your beauty.” He glanced at the bed. “Are all the women in your family so pretty?”
Mercy shook her head. “Well, you are certainly a different kettle of fish than your brother. Honey drips from your tongue.”
Tobias pressed his lips together hard, eyes alight with mischief. “If I tell you what image your words evoked, I fear my brother would indeed kill me. I’d best take my leave of you. Until another time, Your Grace.”
When he followed Wilcox down the hall and out of sight, Leopold’s gaze moved to Mercy and Edwin where they stood clutching at each other. His heart swelled as he listened to Mercy and Edwin. His family. The two loves that would break him.
How would he bear not knowing how they fared?
Leopold took them in his arms and squeezed. They were everything to him now, his reason for living, his reason for breathing. But could he stay here with them on the outside of their lives, pretending to be happy with the arrangement and always wanting more?
Yet, the longer he stayed, the greater the chance of Mercy conceiving. She couldn’t bear his child outside of marriage without facing utter ruin and he couldn’t ask her to marry him and give up her title to become his wife. So where did that leave them? His heart might break in two, but he would have to go on pretending he was happy as a cousin.
Edwin wriggled, as if to get down. When Leopold moved to give him space, Edwin jumped into his arms, clinging with a tight grip about his neck, and hung onto him as if he would never let go. His eyes stung with unshed tears and he closed his eyes at how much he wanted to remain with Mercy and Edwin.
“There now. Isn’t that so much better?” Mercy said. “You have family now, Edwin. One big, wild family. We will likely never be lonely or bored again.”
Leopold looked beyond Mercy to where Blythe lay all alone. “What do you want done about your sister, sweetheart?”
Mercy’s smile dimmed. “I’m not sure what to do or think about Blythe’s actions anymore. But we should send for Dr. Heyburn. The physician can decide if Blythe’s health is in any immediate danger.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Mercy paced the hall outside the bedchamber where Blythe had been carried. Dr. Heyburn had been in there for an hour or more now and she was long past the point of merely worrying for her sister’s health. Shouldn’t she have roused by now?
Mercy had no idea what to do, but she couldn’t leave her spot outside the door until she heard his prognosis. She had asked Leopold to take care of their son while she waited on the doctor, and he’d been happy to put Edwin to bed. Tobias was downstairs somewhere, watched over by Wilcox and another footman, and she wanted to speak to him before nightfall.
Dr. Heyburn stepped into the hall and shut the door firmly behind him. “She is unchanged, Your Grace.”
Mercy put her hand to her throat. “Surely there is some sign that she will come back to herself soon.”
“Her heart beats strongly. Her skin is warm. But her gaze is unfocussed, as if she sleeps.”
He sat his little bag on a table and removed a bottle. “I have given a bottle of this remedy to the maid inside; I’ll leave another with the housekeeper before I go. She is to drizzle a spoonful into Lady Venables’ mouth on the hour, every hour, until I return tomorrow.”
Mercy turned the bottle over in her hands, wondering what the concoction would do for her sister. The bottle was unremarkable in appearance and she handed it back to the doctor. “Is there anything else that can be done tonight?”
He shook his head. “From what little you’ve told me, she’s suffered a fright of some kind. Once she’s had time to rest, she may very well wake on her own with no ill effects suffered. If she does not wake on her own, I will begin more vigorous treatments to rouse her.”
Mercy swallowed, afraid of what that might mean. She’d had little experience with doctors and their treatments, but if he thought such measures were required, she would have to consider them. She hadn’t told Heyburn about what Tobias Randall had done to bring Blythe to the point of collapse. Keeping quiet about the terror Tobias had caused spared his reputation. And Blythe would hate to be involved in any gossip concerning him so Mercy held her tongue. There was nothing she wouldn’t do to protect her family. “Thank you for coming on such short notice. May I see my sister now?”
He smiled kindly. “I cannot see why not? Try not to become too agitated by her state. The care of the sick can tax a woman’s strength of will and cause a similar state in a perfectly happy woman.”
Mercy blinked. Did the man think women were feeble minded? It was rare Mercy heard opinions of this kind voiced in her presence. Did he realize he’d just insulted a duchess with his remarks? When he bowed, picked up his hat and hurried away, Mercy glared after him. She had thought him an open-minded fellow once upon a time.
She stepped into her sister’s room. Blythe lay in the center of the large bed, hair unbound; face smooth as if in sleep. Mercy moved toward the bed.
“The doctor said not to do anything out of the ordinary to disturb her, Your Grace,” the young maid assigned at the doctor’s request warned from the shadows.
Mercy sat on the side of the bed and picked up her sister’s hand. “I have always behaved as I wish, child. Wait outside if you please.”
When the maid hurried out, Mercy patted Blythe’s hand. “There now. It’s just us again. You can open your eyes now and talk to me. Everyone has gone.”
Blythe made no response. Mercy had been hoping Blythe was merely pretending to sleep to avoid the embarrassment of her actions as she had frequently done as a young girl. She couldn’t understand why her sister had taken Edwin and kept him from her. She was his mother. He was her responsibility.
She lifted Blythe’s limp hand to her cheek and pressed a kiss to the back of it. “Wake up, Blythe. I need to talk to you very badly. What did I do to turn you away from me? Leopold fears it was you who killed those poor animals and left them about the abbey. How could you do that when little Adam had one as a pet? Wake up and tell me it cannot be? Please.”
Blythe remained still.
Mercy blinked back tears. “I am so sorry that Tobias Randall frightened you by coming through the window as he did. But I had to have Edwin back in my arms. I cannot bear to be apart from him for long. You know that about me.”
Mercy took a deep breath. “I hope you can hear me because I have something important to say and I wanted you to be the first to know so there are no more secrets between us. I’m going to ask Leopold Randall to marry me. You can wake up and scold me all you like, but I love him. You were right before in the drawing room. I did meet him years ago, but I never knew his name. Edwin couldn’t give me a child and the old duke demanded one. Leopold is Edwin’s father. I am sure of it now. He came back to me as I’d hoped. I don’t want to lose this second chance to be loved.”
She searched for signs that her plans had outraged Blythe’s strict sense of propriety. She would be giving up her rank, her position in society for the love of her life. But nothing changed in Blythe’s bearing. Her chest rose and fell evenly. Her skin remained pale.
Mercy placed Blythe’s hand beneath the covers so she wouldn’t grow chilled. “I will also ask his brother, Tobias Randall, to stay here at the abbey. They have spent so much time apart and I am willing to forgive him, slowly mind you, for the trouble he’s caused. You need to know that for when you wake. You will likely find him searching for clues about Oliver and Rose’s location alongside Leopold and I and I do not want you to be alarmed. Did you get
very far in deciphering those books? I wish you would wake and tell me. I want to tell Leopold about the room soon. If I have the deciphered journals to show him, maybe he will not be so upset with me for keeping secrets.”
Mercy sat back and waited, hoping Blythe would blink and speak her mind. When she remained silent for another hour, Mercy pressed a kiss to her brow, summoned the maid, and left her to sleep and heal.
~ * ~
There were worst things in life than putting your child to bed with a bedtime story and a long hug. In fact, Leopold could grow used to such events very easily. He trudged down the stairs to the library and peeked inside. Tobias sat draped over a large leather chair, drinking directly from a bottle in hand. He stepped into the room, surprised and pleased to see his brother had remained at Romsey Abbey. “Are you jug-bitten already?”
“No, only mellowing.” Tobias peered at his bottle. “I must say the duke keeps a fine cellar. You have no idea the rot they serve up in some of the ports I’ve been. Melt your boots off, but you get used to it, given enough leave.”
Leopold glanced uncomfortably at Tobias’ damaged hand, bound tight in fine white linen, a stark contrast to his ragged clothes. He took the bottle from him, poured a generous amount of liquid in a glass, and put the bottle back on the shelf. He handed Tobias a fresh glass to help numb the pain of his injury. “Thank you, for retrieving Edwin. The duchess would say so too if she could be persuaded to leave her sister.”
Tobias waved away the thanks. “After my mistake, a bit of pain will be an easy burden. Besides, once the ladies get a gander at this they’ll be swooning all over me.”
Leopold raised a brow. “Does that happen a lot? Ladies swooning and you injured.”
“It’s a fluid thing. What’s life if not to take a risk?” He drained the glass and held it out for more. “What did you do with the mad one?”
“Lady Venables is secured in a chamber upstairs. The doctor has come and gone and servants are assigned to watch over her. She hasn’t spoken to anyone since you broke through the window. We fear she’s suffered a great shock.”
“Possibly. Reminds me of the time when a young man on board my first ship, an officer from a well off family, froze in battle. He stood dumb like an oxen on the quarterdeck. Don’t know how he wasn’t killed or set upon. When the ship was taken, and we were rounded up, he didn’t move. The French, being a merciful lot, dumped him over the side. He never came back up.”
“Tobias,” Leopold growled. “That is not very reassuring.”
Tobias shrugged. “I’m out of practice. Spent most of my time staying alive, avoiding the hard jobs, than observing the niceties. The mad one won’t have the same problems that fellow faced. Someone will clean up her drool, force food down her throat, and keep her warm. She’s much better off here than not.”
“What am I going to do with you now?”
Tobias lifted his empty glass and wobbled it. “I imagine you might allow your errant brother a few drinks, a decent meal, and place to sleep before kicking him out.”
Leopold crossed his arms over his chest. The idea of Tobias loose on society as he was now was utterly impossible. “I won’t kick you out. It will be up to the duchess to decide if you remain. It is her house.”
“Then I shall await Her Grace’s delicate foot connecting with my backside.” He shrugged. “I’ll be all right here until then.”
“Do you have funds, land, friends in England?”
Tobias squirmed. “I do all right. Don’t trouble yourself.”
“You’re my brother. I will always trouble myself for you. I have saved every penny, Tobias. Tomorrow, we will discuss what you would like to do with your life.”
Tobias stood and refilled his own glass. “Are you sure you want me to stick around that long? Aren’t you worried about what I might do overnight?”
Leopold snorted. “I’d be more worried if you left here. Besides, I have my spies watching you. Behave yourself and I will see you at breakfast.”
“He will see you at lunch,” Mercy said from the doorway. “After this, we shall be all indulging in a quiet morning tomorrow. You don’t mind if you speak with him later in the day, do you?”
Tobias waved his hand about. “Of course, Your Grace, we wild Randall’s are yours to command.”
An impish grin crossed Mercy’s face. “Perhaps another time. Do excuse me; I need your brother as a matter of some urgency.”
Tobias chuckled. “Urgent again. Perhaps this time he will slip you out of your gown before he ravishes you. Poor form, by the way, brother. Even I know a proper lady requires better treatment for a tryst than a hard wooden bench.”
Leopold had forgotten what it was like to be teased by a brother. He hadn’t missed this aspect of his former life and it would take a while to grow accustomed to the discomfort.
Mercy blushed. “Enjoy your brandy tonight, Tobias. Tomorrow, you and I will also have a long discussion about what a lady likes to hear in her presence. When my sister comes to her senses, you had better be prepared. I should hate to see you gelded at such a young age.”
She stepped out onto the balcony ahead of Leopold.
Leopold glanced at his brother. “It really isn’t too late to end your life, Tobias.”
“No chance of that now. Besides, life is just getting interesting. Imagine us all here at Romsey Abbey. Who’d have thought it could ever be?”
“The old duke. It’s what he feared most. Don’t disappear overnight, brother. We have a lot of catching up to do.”
“I’m not moving.” Tobias wriggled to get more comfortable.
Leopold stalked to the door, eager to catch up with Mercy and find out what she wanted.
Behind him, Toby called out. “I’d like another nephew when you can arrange one. Mother was always said ‘one’ was too lonely a number.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Evening was the time for secrets and lovers, but tonight as Mercy stepped out on the terrace she was determined to dispense with both. She set her hands to the balustrade, listening to Leopold’s footfalls come closer and tried to steady her racing heart.
The danger to Edwin was gone, or so she hoped, but one challenge still remained.
Leopold set his hand to her shoulder. “I take it there is no change.”
“None. She sees nothing. Reacts to nothing. It is unnerving to see her so still.”
“You left a maid with her?”
“I left two. Wilcox was good enough to send to Walden Hall for Blythe’s maid and I have assigned mine instead of the young girl the doctor suggested. When she wakes, she will see friendly faces and they will send for me.”
Leopold’s sigh was loud. “I had thought you might have stayed with her tonight.”
“I want to but I had to make a choice.”
“What choice was that?”
“Sit with her or run the risk of letting you slip away during the night while I was distracted. You have no idea how relieved I was to hear you entertaining your brother just now.” Mercy leaned against his shoulder. “Are we ever going to talk about that night?”
“Is there truly a need? We were both there,” he said softly.
Perhaps there wasn’t. They had both been pawns in the old duke’s games, but in order to move ahead with her plans, Mercy needed to hear Leopold say the words. “Do you regret it then?”
Leopold set his hands to the balustrade and leaned forward. “I do not regret what we were forced to do. But he ensured we both behaved without honor. I still feel bitterness over that. My life has been manipulated by Romsey more than I care for.”
Mercy sucked in a breath, startled by the heat behind his words. “Do you resent me, too?”
She couldn’t bear that. She couldn’t live with herself if he blamed her for the loss of his honor. Not when doing so had given her a man she could love.
Leopold’s gazed fixed on hers as he smiled, showing off the dimples she loved. Her heart did little tumbles of joy. “Never. That would
be impossible.”
Relieved, Mercy grinned impishly and ducked under his arm. She stood between him and the balustrade. Leopold shook his head at her and she curled her fingers into his waistcoat pocket and tugged. “I love you.”
Leopold’s eyes closed, yet his arms curled around her protectively and drew her against his body.
Mercy watched his face, searching for some hint as to what he was thinking. What he planned for his future. She hoped he’d be amenable to her suggestion. “I’ve given our situation considerable thought over the past few days and I think it’s high time you made an honorable woman out of me. You should propose. Tonight. And then we can start living respectably as man and wife. I liked waking up beside you.”
Mercy bit her lip and waited. Slowly, Leopold opened his eyes and stared at her. She smiled her most encouraging smile then looped her arms about his neck. “Really, it’s the perfect solution. You get free run of Romsey to look for further clues of your sibling’s whereabouts and you get to keep Edwin and I safe from further harm.”
“And what are my chances of getting you to behave?”
Mercy slid her hands down his chest. “You would change me?”
“No. But almost getting caught making love to you is not how I would wish to conduct my marriage. We were lucky that Allen walked in on us and not a housemaid. The gossip will be bad enough that you’re considering giving up your title to marry me.”
Mercy shook her head. “Not considering. I will give it all up to be your wife as long as you promise not to keep any more secrets from me. I don’t care what they are, or how scandalous, I want to be your confidant. I don’t want a stuffy, proper husband who keeps me on the outside of his life. I want you to desire me and also care for my opinion. Just as I do yours.”
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