Page 61 of Captured By the Cold Duke
“I have never been so relieved to see a person behind bars,” Aidan agreed. There was a short silence, and then Aidan turned to look directly at him. “Thomas… about my sister.”
Thomas’s heart hitched.He’s angry about how I kept this secret all these years.
But Aidan didn’t look angry. In fact, he looked the opposite. “The things you said earlier, about how you loved her for years, does she know that?”
“She knows I first had feelings for her many years ago.”
“But does she know you fell in love with her then?” Aidan’s tone was urgent. “Does she know you love her now?”
Thomas swallowed. “No, she doesn’t.”
“Then you have to tell her,” Aidan insisted. “You have to tell her right now.”
“But she isn’t conscious.”
“And she might never be again. But you still have to say it. Before it’s too late. Otherwise, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.”
“You’re right,” Thomas said. It suddenly seemed like the most obvious, simple thing in the world: he loved his wife, and he wanted to tell her that. The confrontation with Rochford had suddenly made everything so clear.
“About the other thing…” Aidan said. “I hope you know I meant what I said to Lord Rochford: I don’t care whether or not you’re your father’s legitimate son. You are still a great man, my best friend, and the Duke of Wheaton.”
“Thank you,” Thomas said. He held out his hand to shake, but Aidan shook his head and pulled Thomas into a tight hug.
“Don’t be silly,” Aidan said. “We are brothers. And we’ve been forged in fire at this point.” He released Thomas, then stepped back to look at him, and his eyes filled with tears. “Now go tell my sister you love her, while you still can.”
Twenty-Two
“Your Grace, you’re awake!”
A face was hovering above her, and it took Cherie several moments to realize it was her lady’s maid, Emily. The girl’s expression was overjoyed, and her eyes were full of tears.
“How do you feel? Do you remember what happened?”
“I—” Cherie was still disoriented and unsure of what was happening. She blinked and tried to sit up, but Emily put a hand on her shoulder.
“Don’t try to sit up,” she said. “Just rest.”
“What happened?” Cherie asked. “Did I—where is Thomas? I saw him here; he was speaking to me.”
“The duke is out, Your Grace, but I believe he will be back shortly.”
“I drank poison,” Cherie muttered, as pieces of what had happened began to come back to her. She stared at Emily. “That’s what happened, isn’t it? The bottle was poisoned.”
“That’s what the inspector and the duke think, yes,” Emily said, nodding her head. “The doctor has been attending to you night and day, and His Grace has hardly left your side.”
“How long have I been out of it?”
“Three days, Your Grace.”
“It was Lord Rochford! He gave us the poisoned bottle of cognac. We must get a message to His Grace at once, so that he can have him arrested!”
“That’s where they’ve gone, from what I was able to glean,” Emily said. “His Grace figured it out as well and is on his way to have Lord Rochford arrested.”
“Good. Good.” Cherie relaxed against her pillow, closing her eyes briefly. When she opened them, Emily was watching her nervously.
“Shall I fetch the doctor, Your Grace?” she asked. “He will want to check you, now that you’re awake, to make sure the poison has left your body.”
“Yes, please do,” Cherie said. “And I’d like to know the moment my husband returns.”
