Page 34 of A Virgin for the Cruel Duke

The door slammed in her face, leaving her numb and cold all the way to her bones. She could not even feel angry. She had taken Stephen out and he had nearly died for it. What else was Herbert to think? And what else was she to think except the horrible little thought that was planning roots in her mind that she could not tear out fast enough?

Shortly afterwards the door reopened and Selina and Diana emerged, each taking one of her arms and leading her to the drawing room where they could wait together.

“We know you had nothing to do with it,” Selina said firmly. “Herbert is worried about Stephen. He will come around.”

“Of course he will and of course you did not,” Diana said, pressing against Elizabeth’s side and bringing some much-needed warmth to her. “You are our dear sister, you are not to be suspected in such a manner.”

“If anyone says anything bad against you they will have me to deal with,” Selina added and the two girls nodded at each other over Elizabeth’s head.

Elizabeth could not speak. Her words had been stolen from her, like the joy she had dared to feel on a windy, sunny day with her husband by her side.

Now there was just fear and horror and barely daring to hope.

CHAPTER 16

Time had not been solid for a while. He could recall searing pain, a feverish panic that Elizabeth might also be - then his consciousness ebbed like a tide. There were snatches of awareness, a long night where every time he tried to sleep people shouted and jostled him and walked him up and down a room and then fed him something slippery and foul that drove him to vomit.

He could remember just wanting to rest, hearing his family begging him to keep awake, why was Diana crying? What was happening? Why were they so -

It had felt endless. But then it had slipped away too and he was being woken by a man poking and prodding him and feeding him strange smelling liquids, then being woken again and then again in a shifting sea of slipping in and out of consciousness.

When he finally came to himself and felt like his grasp on his faculties was firm, he felt weak and ached in his very bones as though he had been subjected to some great exertion. It tookeffort to sit up, but once he had done so it became easier slowly to move and he was able to swing his legs off the bed, bewildered to find himself in just a night shirt after all that.

Bright daylight was streaming into his room and the sheets had a bitter scent of sickness to them. Diana was curled up on the chaise at the end of the room and Selina had dropped off in a chair near the bed, both of them pale, their sweet faces creased with worry.

But Elizabeth. Elizabeth was nowhere to be seen. Stephen pushed himself to his feet and then sat again, heavily, his heart thudding with adrenalin. Elizabeth was not here and he could not remember her present in the fevered rememberings of his sickness after the poisoning. Was it possible that she had eaten the poisoned food before he had been able to warn her? With her frailer constitution it was possible that whatever had struck him low would have killed her outright.

“Diana!” he bellowed. “Selina! Wake yourselves!”

Diana squeaked and fell off the chaise in a heap while Selina started to her feet in one movement, bleary with sleep. Both of them flung themselves to his side, and he had to struggle out of their arms in order to get their attention.

“No, attend me. Where is Elizabeth? Was she affected too? Is she -” he did not speak the word. He could not speak it in case it would infect the air and bring about what he was most frightened of.

“Stephen, Stephen,” Selina caught his hand and squeezed it firmly between her own. “No. Elizabeth is well. She did not eat whatever it was that was tainted. She came home and brought the whole house back to where you were so that you would be saved.”

“She’s fine, brother dearest, fine,” Diana chimed in, tears streaking down her cheeks. “We nearly lost you. We nearly lost you.”

This time when they fell on his neck, sobs wracking both of them, he allowed it and wrapped his arms around them. “My poor girls,” he said softly, stroking their hair. “It has been a hard time for you both. How long have I been ill?”

He could feel himself slowly relaxing with the knowledge that his wife was safe. His wife was safe, his sisters in his arms and likely his brother out raising hell trying to find whoever had done this ill deed.

“It has been three days since you collapsed,” Selina said, sitting back a little and trying to compose herself. She always held herself so firmly in hand, forcing herself to bear whatever trials or dangers they faced and remain the steady anchor of their household.

“The physician said you might have died, had we not reached you as quickly as we did,” Diana added, leaning into his side like she was a little girl again.

Stephen bent and kissed her forehead. “Where is Elizabeth?”

Both of his sisters glances at each other, their expressions darkening. It was rare he saw Diana angry, and it made his stomach twist unpleasantly. “What is it? What has happened?”

“She was the only one with you when you were poisoned,” Diana said slowly, her hands twisting together. “And she used to be a Barnes, so -”

“Herbert was a fool and declared her at fault for the whole business,” Selina finished, crisp in her fury. “It’s clearly nonsense, but in your absence the servants are looking to him to order the household and we could only protest.”

“I beg your pardon?” Stephen said, feeling an ice-cold rage wash through him and brush away any lingering weariness. “He didwhat?”

“Exactly,” Selina said. “Both of us knew that Elizabeth would do no such thing, but his suspicion of her is too great to be reasoned with.”

“Go and fetch him for me,” Stephen said, his voice cold. “I shall be dressing and fetching my wife from wherever he has put her, but I shall have a few minutes before then for us to have words.”

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