Page 33 of Taming a Beastly Duke
“That is absurd,” she said. She sounded as though she had no intention of having her mind changed, yet her eyes were filled with concern and uncertainty. “I am sure that the fresh air will benefit all of us, especially Marcus. Lamenting here will not serve any purpose but to make us feel worse. Light and company often prove the best remedy for dark thoughts, and thus, Marcus’s condition will surely improve.”
Edith bit her lip, as certain that her grandmother was wrong as Augusta was that she was right. However, she knew better than to argue with Augusta Lockhart. She simply nodded, glancing at Adelaide, who wore a similar expression of doubt and worry. Adelaide met her gaze and her friend’s eyes were filled with strained concern. Did Adelaide suspect that something was amiss, as well? Or was Edith merely imagining things because the situation was so distressing?
Chapter Fifteen
Marcus stood before the window of his study, vaguely aware that shadows seemed to gather around him, despite the morning light, and matched his dark mood. His shoulders were rigid as he repeated the butler’s announcement over and over again in his mind.
Your Grace… There has been an accident… Mr. Morrison is dead…
He did not need to look to know that it was Thomas who closed the door behind him, nor was he upset about a private moment alone with his friend. He was, however, at a loss for words in the moment, still trying to understand how something so horrible could have happened. The tremor in his hands was more pronounced with his deadly grip on the window frame. His reflection showed a face carved from granite, yet his emotions and thoughts were anything but stone.
Thomas approached cautiously with his hands clasped in front of him. He studied Marcus, undoubtedly seeing the barely contained horror and angst in his friend’s posture. Marcus was in discomfort from his illness, of course. But the news of his physician’s sudden death was all the more devastating.
“I am truly sorry for such a deep loss,” Thomas said awkwardly, looking up at Marcus with uncertainty. “It is shocking news, and I cannot imagine how difficult it must be for you to comprehend.”
Marcus chuckled bitterly, though no dry smirk reached his lips.
“It seems like rather convenient timing to me,” he said bitterly, sneering at his own reflection. He thought about the deep concern in Mr. Morrison’s eyes as he tried to understand what illness plagued Marcus. He had said he wished to visit him again as he believed he had the answer. Now, he would never know for certain what the physician had suspected. Nor could he forget the questions about Marcus’s food and drink preparation. A strange dread began building within Marcus once more. It seemed too odd to be a coincidence. Yet he could not make sense of the things he knew for certain. It was as if he was constructing a puzzle that was missing all its vital pieces.
The air between Marcus and Thomas grew heavy as Marcus’s remark lingered. He wondered if Thomas thought he was going mad. Truthfully, part of him wondered it, as well.
“What do you mean?” Thomas asked, breaking the silence at last.
Marcus exhaled, the shock and grief making the act cumbersome on his lungs.
“Just yesterday, Mr. Morrison was confident that he knew what was making me so ill,” he said hoarsely. “He said very little to me, but he was very concerned about my meals. He promised to return in a day or two to discuss it further and check my condition, as well as to bring a medicine that he said would confirm whatever he suspected. And now… this.”
Thomas fell silent. After a long pause in the conversation, Marcus dared to glance at his friend’s reflection beside his own in the window. Thomas did not look as though he thought Marcus was mad. Rather, he wore the same expression that Mr. Morrison had had when he left the previous day. What was happening to Marcus? And why did it seem that everyone but him could figure it out?
***
Thomas failed to keep his features from betraying his unsettled state. He had spent many sleepless nights trying to conjure all the possible afflictions that could have befallen his friend. The outward effects of the malady had many potential causes, as Mr. Morrison had surely considered. From what Thomas understood, he had been close to understanding what was wrong and how to help Marcus. It was terribly unfortunate that the accident had occurred at all, but the timing was horrible. Now, he would never have the opportunity to tell Marcus what he believed ailed him or how to treat it.
Edith was right, he thought as he tried to make sense of what he knew. The weather was lovely yesterday. A storm that had not occurred could not cause a fatal carriage accident.
Dread formed in Thomas’s stomach as a horrible thought came to him. Someone had to deliver the message to Mr. Jenkins that a storm caused the accident. Yet how could anyone know with certainty what had happened? And who would have brought such a message to the Lochville estate before it reached the newspaper?
“What precisely did Mr. Morrison say before he left yesterday?” Thomas asked carefully, watching Marcus’s reaction.
Marcus shook his head, running a hand through his hair.
“He asked several odd questions about my meals,” he said. “He did not say anything other than he had some suspicions. He seemed rather agitated, however, like something was troubling him deeply.”
Thomas nodded slowly as his dread grew.
“Did anyone know what you told him?” he asked. He was reluctant to share his concern with his friend, as nothing made sense. However, something was amiss; Thomas could no longer deny that.
Marcus looked at him as if he were quite deranged.
“What is the matter with you?” he asked. “You sound just like Mr. Morrison now and frankly; the strange questions are growing tiresome.”
Thomas moved to put a hand on Marcus’s back, but Marcus recoiled. Thomas sighed, wondering how he could explain something that he did not understand himself.
Before he could give Marcus any answer, Augusta swept into the study. Her smile suggested that she either did not notice the tension between the two men or that she was ignoring it.
“We shall be departing for Sydney Gardens within the hour,” she said with cheerful determination. “The fresh air will do wonders for you, Marcus.”
Predictably, Marcus looked at his grandmother with disdain, though her tone brooked no argument.
