Page 66 of A Deal with the Earl (Necessary Arrangements 1)

Chapter 18

Robert came home late the next afternoon. He was tired from the sleepless night. Julie had spent most of the night tossing and turning, screaming, and struggling in her sleep. Whatever the nightmare she was having, it was scaring the wits out of her, and he had to soothe her for several minutes each time she awoke. He had some Parliament business with his father from the early morning, and he hadn’t seen Julie most of the day. While all he wanted was to come home, have a hot bath, and snuggle with his wife.

“Mr. Benjamin Tule is waiting for you in the drawing room, My Lord,” the butler bowed as he took Robert’s coat.

Robert froze in the middle of taking off his gloves. “He’s here? For how long?”

“Quarter of an hour, My Lord. He insisted he’d wait.”

Robert finished taking off his gloves and handed them to Hudgins along with a hat and a scarf. “Tell him to come to my study. I will wait for him there,” he said, already striding away.

“Robert,” he heard a soft voice of his wife. He raised his head and regarded her standing on the landing, a slight frown marring her face between her brows. She descended the stairs, floating slowly along the steps. He couldn’t take his starved eyes off her.

“Are you all right?” she asked when she reached him. She raised her hand slightly as if wanting to touch him but checked her movement and returned it to her side. “You seem—” she paused, studying his face. “Worried.”

Robert feasted on the sight of her. God, how he’d missed her. All he wanted was to press her into him and kiss her senseless. He tore his gaze from her mouth and looked into her troubled eyes. “I have a visitor. Mr. Tule is waiting in the study.”

“Oh,” she said, biting on her lower lip. “The reformist? The one who’s helping you with the asylum?”

He nodded. “Although who is helping who is debatable.” He smiled slightly before he raised his hand and grazed her cheek gingerly with his knuckles.

She lowered her eyes at the contact before meeting his gaze suddenly, with resolute features on her face. “I’ll come with you.”

He was about to protest, but she took him by the arm and tugged him toward his study.

“It concerns the both of us,” she said resolutely.

Robert didn’t want to involve Julie in the asylum’s business. He knew it was upsetting for her to deal with. He’d rather solve all the problems and come to her when the issues were dealt with. Julie, however, looked differently on those same issues. She didn’t want to be left out of making decisions; she wanted to be heard to impact their daily lives. With all her inquiries and her silent support, it was as if she told him: we are a unit. A husband and a wife. And Robert couldn’t help but bask in the warmth the thought brought him.

Robert settled Julie closer to the hearth and took the chair beside her just as Mr. Tule entered the room. Robert stood and indicated the chair opposite him and Julie.

“Mr. Tule, a pleasant surprise. Please, have a seat.”

“I am afraid this isn’t a social call,” Benjamin Tule said from the doorway and strode inside. “My Lady,” he bowed over Julie’s hand and turned to Robert. “Clydesdale,” he bowed shortly and sat on the indicated chair. “I apologize to cut straight to business, but the things with the asylum haven’t moved in weeks. You haven’t sent the letter to the papers. Are you prepared to make a claim against them?”

Robert shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He hated letting this man down. He was driven and ambitious in the best way possible. He wanted to make life better for the most vulnerable. So did Robert. But he had a more personal matter at stake.

“I am,” Robert finally said. “Alas, not at the moment.”

“What do you meannot at the moment?” Tule shot from his chair.

“Mr. Tule,” Julie interrupted mildly, trying to appease his mood, “perhaps you would like some tea, biscuits, or sandwiches?”

“No, thank you,” he said absently, returning his gaze to Robert.

Robert took Julie’s hand and squeezed it comfortingly. “I have to apologize, Tule. I should have informed you right away, but some things have changed.”

Tule raised his brow in irritation.

“My sister-in-law.” Robert cleared his throat. “She is ill. The doctor says she might not recover. Although we are not particularly inclined to believe this, we’d rather take all the precautions and not upset her. At least not while we are in London. I don’t want her time here to be that of finger-pointing and scandal.”

“I’ve never heard of you running from scandal before, Clydesdale,” Tule observed dryly.

“I never have,” Robert said evenly, still holding onto Julie’s hand.

She weaved her fingers with his, a tiny gesture of affection that gave him confidence he was doing the right thing.

“And I still wouldn’t, have this been solely about me.”

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