Page 47 of Taming a Beastly Duke
Adelaide sobbed with relief, wrapping her arms around her lover.
“Yes, Marcus, it is me,” she said, silently thanking the heavens that he was still with her.
Marcus groaned, slowly shifting his arms and legs back into positions that resembled normalcy. He looked up at Adelaide, who sat on the edge of his bed as he fought to speak again.
“Adelaide, I am sorry,” he said, reaching with a weak hand to stroke her face. “I know how frightened you must be.”
Adelaide shook her head, smiling through her tears.
“You only need to worry about getting better,” she said, kissing him softly on the forehead.
Marcus gave her a tired smile, his hand falling onto her lap. She took it in both of hers as he grunted again.
“I do not know if… If I…” he said, wincing as his entire body tensed. Adelaide prepared for another episode, but he gradually relaxed.
“You need not say anything, darling,” Adelaide cooed. “Rest now. There will be plenty of time for talking when you recover.”
Marcus’s head lolled, and Adelaide thought he was trying to shake it. But he took a big, labored breath and turned back to face her.
“Will you stay with me, Adelaide?” he asked, sounding more vulnerable than ever.
Adelaide kissed his hand, nodding fervently.
“I will not leave you, dear,” she whispered.
Marcus nodded, opening his mouth to speak again. But approaching footsteps interrupted their tender moment, and she looked at Marcus with wide eyes.
“Hide,” Marcus hissed, sudden strength returning to his voice. “Keep out of sight. You may not be safe if you are discovered.”
Adelaide frowned, confused. She wanted to ask what he meant, but the footsteps were upon Marcus’s chamber door. She slipped into the shadows, hiding behind the heavy curtains pulled shut across his window. She had just stilled their movement when the door opened.
She could see nothing but blackness, and she dared not move for fear of discovery. She wondered what worried Marcus enough that he forced her to hide. Why was he concerned about her safety when he was the one lying in bed near death?
“How long do you believe his current condition will persist?” Lord Edwin asked, startling Adelaide so badly that she nearly gave away her hiding place.
A low, deep voice made a throat clearing sound, tapping on something that sounded like glass.
“The body, although delicate, is complex,” said an unfamiliar voice. “It is difficult to be precise with such predictions. However, I am confident that it will not be much longer.”
Adelaide could not move. She guessed based on the discussion that the other voice belonged to Mr. Fletcher. Yet his words were cold and ominous. Physicians should evoke feelings of warmth and hope. Why did Adelaide feel as though he had injected ice into her veins?
“Not long?” Lord Edwin asked. “This is excellent news. However, we did discuss how this must look to everyone.”
The alleged physician chuckled dryly.
“I assure you I did not earn my reputation by fulfilling anything less than my word,” he said. “Precision takes patience, my lord. Patience, and faith in the results. You have seen the results thus far, including how different the past few days were compared to today. Everything will go to your satisfaction, my lord. That is a promise.”
Adelaide covered her mouth to stifle a gasp. Anyone else might have thought they were discussing beneficial treatments for Marcus. Perhaps Adelaide might have, as well. However, when Lord Edwin spoke again, her worst fears were confirmed.
“It is rather odd how unpredictable life can be, is it not?” he asked with satisfied smugness. “It will be a terrible shame to see my cousin’s heavy burdens claim him.”
Adelaide did not dare to breathe. Tears fell from her eyes and down the back of her hand, but she did not dare peek from behind the drapes until she heard two sets of footsteps approach Marcus’s chambers. She strained to listen for the click of the closing door, breathing a sigh of relief when she heard two muffled sets of feet moving away from the door.
She stepped out from behind the curtain, horrified to find Marcus motionless. She placed her head on his chest, praying he still lived. She heard the slow but steady beat of his heart and a raspy rhythm as he drew and released delayed breaths. He was unconscious again, but he was still alive.
She collapsed into the chair beside Marcus as the pale moonlight offered the only source of light in the room, and she silently wept. She wished she could convince herself that she was as mad as she thought she was. But the ominous tones and lack of affection gave the words spoken by the men a sinister tone. There was something happening to Marcus, and it seemed like there was someone behind it. Was the cryptic conversation between Lord Edwin and the physician truly innocent and her worry made her think there was something more to it? Were Lord Edwin and Mr. Fletcher behind Marcus’s illness? Were they covering for whoever was responsible? Adelaide did not know. However, she knew that Marcus would die if something was not done, and she was helpless on her own. What if the people she thought she could trust about the situation were the most untrustworthy?
Marcus stirred a few moments later, his fever-bright eyes fixing on her face, which she tried to hurriedly wipe to keep him from seeing her tears.
