Page 46 of Elixir of a Duchess' Passion
Melissa knew well what that was code for, that she wanted someone around to attend luncheons and other events with so she would not seem quite so alone when Anthony refused to join her for occasions he thought pointless, ones where she seemed to get most of her gossip from.
When Daisy looked as though she was going to insist again, Melissa quickly cut her off. “I promise I will consider it.”
Yet even as she started to say farewell to her friend, she decided it was likely best to remain at home in Oxford, where she was safe in her isolation. Even if she did continue to feel the urge to run across the fields to check up on Lord Spurnrose at the drop of a hat.
Chapter 22
“Well? How are you feeling?”
It was the same question Harold had asked every morning at breakfast for the last several days.
Ever since he had returned from Lady Belmont’s home, surprising Elijah extensively, he had been a changed man. Or perhaps it was Elijah’s admitting his illness that had changed him.
Either way, Elijah was relieved. Not having his cousin shove doctors at him like he had Doctor Wallis was a great relief. Even more satisfying was the thought that his cousin had finally given Lady Belmont a chance. He had made no secret of judging her previously, and if it took Elijah being seriously ill to change such a prejudice in even one person, then he would take it, especially when the person suffering was a woman as good as Lady Belmont.
“I feel even better than yesterday,” Elijah admitted, looking down at the bowl of porridge oats in front of him. Though he missed his usual breakfast of sausages, bacon, eggs, and other such things, he was willing to eat just about anything if it eased his stomach pains.
“In that case,” Harold said, reaching over the breakfast table to the fruit bowl set in the middle.He grabbed an apple from the top and threw it in Elijah’s direction.
The viscount caught it just in time. Harold laughed, saying, “An apple a day will keep the doctor away.”
Elijah couldn’t help chuckling at that. Shaking his head, he laughed again. “I’m glad you’ve changed your tune.”
He only just managed to get the words out before the laughter turned to coughing. Though it was not nearly as bad as it had been, it was enough to stop him in his tracks.
When he looked up from coughing into his handkerchief, Harold’s face had paled remarkably.
“Are you quite certain you’re feeling better?” Harold enquired, pausing in eating his own breakfast, eating in solidarity.
“I am perfectly fine, Harold. Even Lady Belmont’s cures can’t possibly be instant,” Elijah pointed out. “I ought to probably go and get a little more tonic.”
Though he made to get up, his cousin beat him to it, bouncing up like a jackrabbit.
“I shall fetch it for you,” Harold insisted. Though they were of similar age, with Harold only a few months younger, Elijah couldn’t help thinking of how young and innocent he looked as he hurried to fetch Elijah’s medicine from his room.
For once, Elijah was glad of his cousin. They finally seemed to be on the same page.
“I can get it!” Elijah called after him, but Harold was already well on his way to the door, even ignoring the butler when he offered to go instead.
As Elijah heard his cousin’s footsteps receding down the hall, the sound of the brass door knocker upon the front door sounded throughout the house.
Discreetly, the butler bowed and disappeared from the room, leaving Elijah alone for several minutes.
Who could that be?he wondered, and for just a second, he allowed himself a little hope. Perhaps after several days, Lady Belmont had finally come to see how he was doing. Maybe he would finally get a chance to apologise for their last encounter when he had been entirely too intimate with her.
Even now, he remembered the discomfort on her face as she had pulled away from him and hurried from the bedroom. It caused his stomach to clench painfully, and he tried to force all thoughts of it from his mind.
He was distracted once more by the return of the butler. The man bowed and began to announce, “My Lord, your …”
Before he could finish his words, a swishing of skirts heralded Elijah’s mother sweeping into the room, descending upon the house like a whirlwind. “Oh, Elijah, I came as soon as I got your cousin’s letter.”
“Mother!” Elijah exclaimed in return, quite surprised to see her. He hadn’t received word over the last few days that she was making the journey to visit from London. “Is Father with you?”
Lady Durham shook her head and said, “Your father’s business kept him in London.”
“Of course it did,” Elijah muttered under his breath so that his mother could not hear him.
Before he could say another word, she added, “But I did bring someone else with me.”
