Page 46 of Captured By the Cold Duke
He made a face. “It doesn’t smell very appetizing.”
His cook gave him a reproving look. “Nor did I say it would. But it will have Her Grace feeling better in no time.”
“Hmm.” Aidan gave the mixture in the bottle one more sniff, then nodded. “Thank you, Mrs. Trench. Your apothecary skills are second only to your cooking. I appreciate this very much.”
“Anything for Her Grace,” Mrs. Trench, curtsying clumsily. “And please do tell her that we all hope she is feeling better in no time.”
“Thank you, I will.”
Aidan took the piece of cork Mrs. Trench handed him and stopped up the top of the bottle. He then smiled at Thomas and motioned for him to follow him.
The two of them left the kitchen, traipsed back along the corridor, and headed up the narrow staircase. Only when they were out in the hall again did Thomas turn to Aidan with concern and curiosity.
“What is that?” he asked, nodding at the potion in his friend’s hand. “Is Her Grace unwell?”
“She has been feeling under the weather of late,” Aidan said, a mysterious smile curling his lips.
“Then shouldn’t you fetch a doctor?” Thomas asked. “Why would you rely on a potion brewed by your cook when it comes to the duchess’s health?”
Aidan chuckled, and Thomas got the distinct impression that he was missing something.
“Thispotionisn’t just for making the duchess feel better,” Aidan explained. “She also has very particular tastes these days anddoesn’t like to eat or drink much. This drink is something that Mrs. Trench’s family have used for generations to appease the particular appetites of women in the duchess’s condition.”
“The duchess’s condition…?” Thomas frowned, not understanding.
Aidan laughed and shook his head. “Cassandra is with child, Thomas.”
“Oh my—” Thomas’s eyes went wide, and he stopped in his tracks. “Aidan! Why didn’t you say so at once? Congratulations, my old friend! You are going to be a father!”
“Yes,” Aidan said, and his eyes grew moist. “I’m going to be a father.”
Both men had stopped walking, and Thomas suddenly found himself unable to speak. Tears choked his throat, and his eyes burned. Next to him, Aidan looked equally as emotional.
“I couldn’t quite believe it,” Aidan said after a moment. His voice was hoarse, so he coughed and cleared his throat. “It was all so sudden. We only married two months ago…”
“Sometimes that’s all it takes,” Thomas said with a wink, and Aidan burst out laughing.
“We were rather… enthusiastic,” Aidan admitted, resuming his walk across the hall. “On the honeymoon, I mean.”
“You two are deeply in love,” Thomas said, and his heart seemed to clench with sadness and longing at the same time. “And I know that you will both be excellent parents.”
They reached the stairs, and Aidan began to mount them. “Do you mind if I drop this off at the duchess’s room?” Aidan asked. “I could give it to a servant, but ever since I found out about her condition, I have found myself eager to attend to all her needs personally.”
“So that’s why you were in the kitchen? You had to personally oversee the concoction of this mysterious, magical drink?”
Aidan laughed. “It’s an old folk remedy that is supposed to bring long-term health to both the mother and the baby.”
“Ahh, I see. Well, your butler was very disapproving of your need to oversee its preparation.”
“Yes, he thinks I am rather undignified these days,” Aidan said with a chuckle. “But then, he has never had children. So, he does not understand the urge that has overtaken me of late.” He smiled to himself, a far-away look in his eyes.
“I just want to take care of her, Thomas,” he burst out as if this were some tawdry secret. “I want to make sure every one of her needs are satisfied, that she’s comfortable and happy all the time, that she’s rested and feels well. She is giving me the greatest gift on earth, after all: she is giving me a child and an heir. Not to mention she already gave me the greatest gift bymarrying her. And now I want to be of service to her. Give back as much as she is giving me.”
“It’s not as if she did it on her own,” Thomas pointed out. “You also contributed to the making of this child.”
“Yes, but she is the one that will have to carry it. It’s an awesome burden, my friend. The female body goes through so much during pregnancy and labor. So, I just want to make her as comfortable as possible.”
They reached the duchess’s room, and Aidan knocked softly.
