Page 26 of A Marquess' Season of Secrets
It took some time, but Juliana finally got both her bare feet on the floor. Her left side hurt, and there were bruises along her arm and probably more under the garment she was wearing. Kitty found her walking about the room moments later and scolded her.
“What are you doing out of bed?”
“I needed to see if I could move around.”
“Oh, get back into bed right this instant! You are injured and have no business worrying about walking just yet.”
“But I have to,” Juliana argued. “How else will I ... you know.”
Kitty frowned at first, but her eyes widened with understanding almost immediately. “I shall bring a chamber pot to you. I’m a fool for not thinking about it sooner.”
Juliana smiled in relief. “Thank you.”
The maid ordered her back into bed and put the tray of food across her lap. “Everything as ordered. I’m rather surprised that you would drink hot chocolate. I do not know of any commoners who can afford it. Did you work for someone who allowed you to have it?”
She was a commoner? Somehow, that didn’t seem right, but Kitty probably knew more than she did.
“I do not know,” she said.
“Oh!” the maid exclaimed in distress. “What is wrong with me? Of course, you cannot know. Why am I so insensitive?”
“You didn’t mean it, Kitty. Do not fret over something so small.”
“I am so forgetful,” the woman wailed. “It will take some time to remember your condition, but I promise I will try harder. Let me get that chamber pot before I forget that as well.”
Juliana smiled at the woman, not at all offended. Kitty was too kind to have meant any harm, and Juliana really liked her.
Removing the lids from her food, the smell of the bread and jam was so familiar that Juliana nearly wept. What was wrong with her? Crying over food?
Shaking her head, she buttered her toast and put on a thick layer of jam before taking a large bite. Juliana finished the toast in no time at all, washing it down with the hot chocolate. The hot beverage didn’t taste like anything she recalled, but it was still lovely.
The rest of her day was spent in the room with Kitty spending some time with her between her chores. The duke came in twice but never stayed for too long, much to her disappointment.
They were the only two people, besides the physician, she had seen since her injury (not that she could recall anyone from before her injury!), but Kitty had told her about the many others who lived on the estate.
Juliana was not looking forward to meeting the duke’s sister because she sounded rather challenging to deal with, but the woman apparently adored her brother and took care of him, so that was in her favour.
It was late the following afternoon when Juliana saw the duke again. This time, he sat down rather than stand in the middle of the room like a lost soul.
“You are looking much better,” he said.
“I feel much better, Your Grace. I have been well taken care of.”
“I am happy to hear that. I’ve given your situation a lot of thought, and I have come up with a solution.”
“A solution, Your Grace?”
Was he going to tell her to go? She wouldn’t blame him, but the thought of leaving the safety of this house and his care terrified her. Juliana had no clue what to expect in the outside world. The little she had seen had been from her window.
“Yes. I cannot simply let you leave this house when you cannot recall a thing about your former life, but neither will you be able to stay here indefinitely.”
The last part of his sentence made her heart sink. Of course, she hadn’t expected to stay here forever, but she had nowhere else to go.
“Is there somewhere I can go to?” she asked. “I wouldn’t want to be a burden to you any longer.”
“You are not going anywhere,” he said with a frown. “Did I not make that clear?”
“You said I would not be able to stay here.”
