Page 58 of Bound to a Wicked Duke

“Madeleine!”

Percy was sitting at White’s reading the paper and trying not to think about Madeleine when her brother came charging through the club. Spotting Percy, Cecil stormed over to where he sat and glared down at him ferociously. He looked as if he wanted to punch Percy in the face. At first, Percy thought that maybe he was mad at him for calling off his courtship with Madeleine, but the fear he saw beneath the anger in his friend’s eyes said otherwise.

“What has happened?” Percy asked. Concern for his friend wrinkled his brow.

“Madeleine has fainted and has not come around. I must find Dr. Moberly. I was informed that he was here. Is this you? Is this your curse?” he demanded to know. “Have you done this to her?”

Percy shook his head. “I am no longer courting your sister. I called an end to our association at the Chesterfield ball.”

“That does not mean that you do not love her,” Cecil pointed out accusingly.

Percy opened his mouth to argue that he was not in love with Madeleine, but he could not do so with a full surety of truth, so he offered to help Cecil find the doctor instead. “I believe that I saw the good doctor in the library. He was reading a recently published medical text.”

Cecil nodded and turned toward the club’s library. Percy arose and followed after him. The two men found Dr. Moberly muttering to himself over a dissection diagram. “Dr. Moberly,” Cecil interrupted. The doctor was so absorbed in his task that he did not look up at first.

“Dr. Moberly,” Percy raised his voice with a stern edge of concern. He would not be ignored.

The physician looked up, peering at Cecil and Percy over his glasses. “Ah, Your Grace, and Lord Cecil Gillett, how may I be of service, My Lords?”

“Miss Madeleine has fainted and will not awaken. We are in need of your assistance,” Cecil explained impatiently.

The physician nodded. He closed the book that he was studying and left it on the table. Standing, he followed Cecil out of the club with Percy on their heels. All three men climbed into the Gillett family carriage and headed for the Gillett’s townhouse. Upon their arrival, Cecil and Percy jumped out of the carriage, and the doctor followed them into the house.

“Mr. Greeves, please see His Grace, the Duke of Greyhall, to the library,” Cecil ordered, not giving Percy a backward glance as heled the physician up to his sister’s room. It was clear that he was blaming Percy for what was happening. Percy was not certain whether he was right or wrong.

“Your Grace, if you would follow me,” Mr. Greeves requested respectfully.

As much as Percy wanted to barge past the butler and up to Madeleine’s room to see her with his own eyes, he knew that he should not. Instead, he followed Mr. Greeves to the library as instructed. He did not sit down but paced back and forth, waiting impatiently for news of Madeleine’s condition. The butler, taking pity upon him, brought him a tray of tea along with a snifter of brandy. Percy gave him a thankful nod and downed the brandy, not bothering with the tea.

Time seemed to crawl as he waited for news of Madeleine’s condition. When the physician finally emerged from Madeleine’s room, Cecil and the Earl joined Percy in the library. “She fainted due to lack of proper sustenance. She has not been eating properly, and it has weakened her. She cannot continue to eat so little and sustain herself. It will continue to have detrimental effects upon her health unless she immediately resumes a normal, healthy diet,” Dr. Moberly explained.

“Thank you, Dr. Moberly.” The Earl paid the physician then sent him on his way.

Cecil turned to Percy, his eyes angry and accusing. “This is because of us. We used to mock her as children, and she took it to heart. I think it would be best if you left here, now.”

“I did not know,” Percy breathed, the agony of his guilt gripping his heart like a vise.

“It matters not. The damage has been done.” Cecil gestured for Percy to leave.

Percy nodded, accepting Cecil’s verdict. Shame and worry caused his shoulders to sag wearily as he moved towards the door. “I am sorry,” he murmured as he passed his friend.

“It is too late for that,” Cecil snapped, angry tears in his eyes as he turned his back on his friend.

Percy left the Gillett abode alone, the weight of his sins and the world upon his back.

Madeleine awoke to find her entire family standing over her with worried looks upon their faces. After speaking with the doctor, she ate then took a nap to regain her strength. “Dr. Moberly said that I would be well as long as I remembered to eat as I should. There is no need to worry,” she reminded them.

“I think that we should reschedule the annual dinner party,” her father stated.

“There is no need,” Madeleine argued. “Besides, did the doctor not say that I should eat? What better time to eat than a dinner party?”

Her father chuckled in amusement at her reasoning. “If you are certain.”

“I am,” she confirmed. “Now go and do what you need to do. There is no need to hover.”

Nodding, her father kissed her forehead and offered his arm to the Countess. “Shall we leave our daughter to rest and recover in peace?”

“As you say, my dear,” the Countess agreed, throwing Madeleine a kiss from her fingertips. “I will return to look in on you shortly.”

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