Page 61 of A Wicked Duke's Redemption
Mrs. Gunderson’s face said everything. Leo stormed to the stairs. Violet lay limply against the floor. His heart raced, beating so loudly that the sound of it reverberated inside her skull. He sank to the ground and gathered her limp body in his arms. There was no blood, not like there had been with Lydia.
“Give them space!” Mrs. Gunderson shouted.
Leo remembered how hard he had tried to save Lydia, pressing his jacket against her still-bleeding head and praying that it would be enough to keep his wife alive while waiting for a physician to arrive. She had died in his arms.
Violet kept breathing, but she was silent and still. She had clearly fallen, and she was injured even if he could not see evidence of it. Leo swallowed hard. This was too much. Groveswood was supposed to be safe.
He took a shuddering breath and tried to force his thoughts into coherence. Why hadn’t he tried harder to find the person responsible for hurting Violet? Surely, if he had just thought more or harder about who might want to hurt him or Violet—
He remembered Lady Priscilla, who came to Groveswood with her condolences and sympathies before Lydia’s death was even announced. Leo frowned. She had appeared haggard, with scratches on her arms and pins pulled out of her hair. Leo had assumed that someone must have told Lady Priscilla what happened, and she had hurried to his estate.
How was it possible that he was living through this same situation again? One time, one bride, was an accident. But two? That seemed impossible, especially given the carriage accidents in London.
“Your Grace! Mr. Johnson is here!”
Leo was so concerned with Violet that he could not have said who spoke those fateful words, but the physician joined them at the bottom of the stairs. “We should move her to her room,” Johnson said.
Leo carefully lifted her and climbed the steps with Violet in his arms. He took her to her bedchamber and laid her on the bed. If he had not found her at the base of the stairs, he might have assumed that she was merely sleeping. There was no outward indication that anything was wrong.
“I must inspect her,” Johnson said.
Leo nodded. He took the chair from Violet’s vanity and placed it beside the bed. Johnson carefully moved his hands over Violet, gently feeling along her neck and the back of her head. He grimaced.
“What is it?” Leo asked.
“She struck her head, and I can feel a lump. There is no blood, though. She may have injured herself elsewhere. Sometimes, it can take time for bruises to form.”
Mrs. Gunderson joined them, and Leo stood, offering his seat. The housekeeper smiled gratefully and sat.
“She appears fine,” Johnson said.
“What about…” Mrs. Gunderson trailed off. “What about the baby?
Leo’s head snapped towards her. “The…the baby?” he asked. “What baby?”
Mrs. Gunderson looked guiltily at him, and in that expression, Leo saw all his questions answered. He gasped. “She was pregnant? Why didn’t she tell me?”
“She intended to tell you,” Mrs. Gunderson replied. “She was going to do it over dinner tonight, but she did not have the opportunity to. I am terribly sorry, Your Grace. I know that she wanted to tell you herself.”
Leo almost laughed. “I am going to be a father,” he said, scarcely able to believe it. “A father! She really—she really has my child inside her!”
“Yes,” Mrs. Gunderson said.
“I cannot say if the baby is fine or not,” Johnson said. “If Her Grace does not bleed within the next day or two, the baby will likely be fine.”
Leo swallowed hard. He did not doubt Johnson’s skills as a physician, but he wished that there was a more accurate answer. He wished that Johnson could promise that both Violet and the baby would be safe. Violet still remained unconscious, breathing steadily. She was still alive, and Johnson had said that she was fine.
“There is nothing else I can do,” Johnson said. “I can come back tomorrow and ensure that Her Grace is still well.”
“That would be much appreciated,” Leo replied. “I will escort you out.”
The physician nodded, and the two men entered the corridor. Once they were away from the door, Leo cleared his throat. “She…really will be fine?” he asked quietly. “You are certain of that?”
“I am,” Johnson said. “She is a young, healthy woman.”
Leo nodded and forced a smile. He paused, something small and bright catching his attention. Leo bent down and picked a small, emerald earring from the carpet. He recognized it. This was Lady Priscilla’s earring, but there was no reason for it to be at the top of the stairs. Leo frowned, his mind working quickly. Pieces were coming together in his mind, but he could not make sense of them. Even though the thought was too awful to contemplate, Leo knew there was only one logical solution. But why would Lady Priscilla ever do such a terrible thing?
Chapter 31
