Page 85 of A Bride for the Icy Duke
“You must miss her,” Lydia sighed.
His arms tightened around her. “With you here in my life? I could never wish anything was different.” At least, he didn’t wish that she were anywhere but in his life. He did, however, wish that he had not re-entered her life for such a devastating reason.
Still, he would be telling her everything this night, and from there, she could decide what was to be done. Until then, he would treasure every moment he got to hold her in his arms.
Finally, the house came into sight, and he entered a side door so as to avoid the bulk of the ballroom and its guests.
“You can put me down,” Lydia said, her arms wrapped around his neck.
He knew what hecoulddo. But he merely held her tighter. “Not yet. You’re still cold.”
“Alexander, I can—”
“Lydia.”
Her breath whistled from between her teeth as she capitulated, settling against his chest once again. He felt the steady rise and fall of her breasts, and it steadied his own breathing, his own panic.
Lady Harrogate entered the room in a swirl of skirts. “Lydia! What in heavens did you do?!”
“I went for a rather foolhardy walk…” She pushed against his shoulders, and reluctantly, he let her down. “I meant nothing by it, and I’m sorry for worrying you all. I-I just needed some time to think.”
“I’ll take her home,” Alexander assured the other lady. “And I’ll make sure she is all right. In the meantime, do you have a blanket?” He unhooked the cloak from around her neck, holding it aloft as it dripped across the tiled floor. “And a hot brick for the carriage.”
“Of course! I’ll call for your carriage immediately.” Lady Harrogate hurried to the door and called for assistance, stating her needs. The butler went to deal with it, and she came back to Lydia, cupping her hand in both of her own.
“I think you may have been mistaken in him,” she said in a low tone, so quiet Alexander almost couldn’t hear her. “Keep an open mind, dearest.”
“I will,” Lydia murmured back, but another shiver racked her body, and Alexander couldn’t bear it. He pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her and holding her against his chest. When the blankets arrived, he wrapped them all around her shoulders, leaving none for himself. He felt fine, and his concern was for his wife alone. If after all this, she caught a chill and fell ill, then—
No, he wouldn’t think it. Not anymore.
“You can stay, you know,” Lady Harrogate said.
“No,” Alexander rejected the kind offer immediately. “We have… much to discuss tonight.”
Lydia gave Lady Harrogate a long look, then nodded. “I think he is right… We do.”
“Well, the carriage is here.” Lady Harrogate sighed. “Look after her, Your Grace.”
“There is no need to fret, Marie.” Lydia squeezed her friend’s hands. “I’ll be quite all right. And I’ll tell you everything tomorrow. Again, I’m sorry.”
He hoped she wouldn’t, but a lady needed her friends; he knew that much now. She needed more than merely a house to live in—she needed ahome. Andacceptance.
After years and years of running, he had finally begun to realize that he did, too.
CHAPTER THIRTY
The journey home seemed to both take no time at all and hours upon hours. With the hot bricks under her feet and the blankets across her shoulders, Lydia was warm enough, but every time she thought of Alexander telling Marie that they needed to talk, her chest tightened.
Theydidneed to talk. And yet, the mere thought of whatever he had to say made her feel as though she might purge the contents of her stomach everywhere.
Once they arrived back at the manor, Alexander hurried her inside. The servants were waiting, armed with sweet tea and hot cocoa, and when they finally made it up to her bedchamber, the fire inside roared a hearty warmth.
Alexander did not wait to call for Rosie, her maid, stripping her wet clothes off her himself. And Lydia, confused and concerned, stood still and mute and waited until he deemed her safe and warm enough to continue.
“Now…” she murmured, dressed in a nightgown—he had not given her naked body more than a cursory glance, despite everything they had done in the carriage on the way to the ball—and sitting on the bed. “Now can you tell me what is going on?”
He came to sit beside her. “You don’t have a chill?”
