Chapter 26
The night passed by slowly, with each second seeming to stretch out infinitely.
Roderick had watched Cecily walk Lavinia up the stairs before retiting to his study.
He had been able to keep up the air of a calm and controlled duke, but he had spent the night pacing his office.
His mind was full of worries, especially when he thought of how Lavinia’s eyes had rolled back in her head. It was the same look that Oswin had…
No.
He could not think of such things.
She was not that deeply unwell… She could not be.
The next morning, Roderick waited outside her room as the physician arrived.
“She is in here?” the physician asked.
“She is,” Roderick confirmed. The physician nodded and entered quickly. Roderick leaned against the wall outside the door. The ticking of the clock on the wall seemed to echo in his mind. He ran a hand down his face, his eyes burning after a night of no sleep.
Mr. Pike arrived a moment later, holding a cup of tea which he forced into Roderick’s hands.
“I need you to do something for me,” Roderick murmured to him.
“Anything, Your Grace” Mr. Pike replied.
“There was a man that the duchess spoke to. A Mr. Thornbury. He had said that he would be willing to speak publicly about my father. I need you to go and tell him that it is time,” Roderick explained. “Please take the black box of documents from my study and hand them to the magistrate as well.”
“Is it wise to do this when Miss Lavinia is unable to give her consent to the timing of this plan?” Mr. Pike asked.
“Possibly,” Roderick said. “But she was the one who came up with this plan. She is in no state to give instructions. The sooner that we dispel the rumors around her, the sooner she can leave that part of her life behind. Between her father’s temper and Mr. Thornbury’s age, I do not know how much time we have. ”
“I see,” Mr. Pike sighed.
“I just hope she will forgive me for making another decision for her,” Roderick said, sipping the tea.
“We can only hope,” Mr. Pike said with a nod.
The physician stepped out of the room a moment later and looked at them.
“What happened?” Roderick asked. “Is it a fit? An illness? A—”
“It is exhaustion,” the physician said kindly. “It is nothing serious. Once she has had a chance to restin a a calm environment, then she will be right as rain.”
“Oh, thank heavens,” Roderick said, relief flooding him.. “Mr. Pike will see you out…”
The physician nodded and followed Mr. Pike down the hall.
Roderick stood there for a moment, the teacup shaking in his trembling hands. He had managed to convince himself of every worst-case scenario there could have been.
Eventually, he managed to pull himself up, leaving the rest of the tea on a sideboard, walking toward the window that looked over the gardens. He leaned his head against the cold glass, taking a shuddering breath.
“You look worse than the patient,” Oswin commented as he appeared behind Roderick.
“I did not sleep,” he said roughly.
“I can tell,” Oswin leaned against the wall. “You need to stop circling Miss Devereux and make a decision.”
“I know,” Roderick groaned.
“Excuse me, Your Grace,” a maid said as she approached. “One Lady Harcourt has arrived.”
“Mother?” Oswin said, standing up. “She is early.”
Roderick rushed past them both, running down the hall and the stairs like a child on Christmas morning, pulling open the front door with an almighty bang. Standing on the gravel drive, just outside her carriage, was Millicent. She smiled and walked toward him, pulling him into a tight embrace.
“You look tired,” she said gently.
“I feel exhausted,” he admitted against her shoulder as she patted the back of his head.
“I can understand that,” she chuckled. “Come now, show me where this Miss Devereux is.”
“She fainted yesterday; she is in no state for visitors,” he explained.
“Well, you will just have to tell me everything that Oswin failed to tell me in his letters,” she said with a chuckle.
“It is complicated…” he admitted. She looked up at him and gently patted his cheek.
“There, there,” she said softly. “Things worth having often are. Let me inside, and we shall talk about it all.”
Roderick nodded and helped Millicent inside, getting her situated in the drawing room. He asked Cecily to sit with her while Roderick had a guest room prepared. As he worked, a footman entered holding a delivery of hothouse flowers.
“Sorry to disturb, sir,” the footman said. “But these have arrived for Her Grace.”
Roderick nodded and took the flowers from him. He inspected them and the note.
For the duchess.
I do hope that you feel better soon. I ask that as soon as you are able, you send me word on your state.
Lord Casterleigh.
Roderick refolded the note, handing it and the flowers back to the footman.
“Please take them up to Her Grace’s chambers,” he said. The footman nodded and headed up the stairs. Roderick watched him go, an uncomfortable feeling twisting in his gut.
Roderick spent most of the day with Millicent, explaining the situation to her, with some help from Oswin and Cecily. The older woman took everything in, nodding sagely. Around noon, a maid brought in additional refreshments. However, they were soon disturbed by Lord Fenwick.
“Would it be possible for me to speak with the duke in his study?” Lavinia’s father asked. Roderick could see the man was in a terrible mood.
“Of course,” Roderick said, standing and following him out of the room.
They walked down the hall to the study. Lord Fenwick shut the door hard behind them.
“Lord Casterleigh has been incredibly attentive to my daughter in the last few days,” Lord Fenwick started.
“That he has,” Roderick agreed.
“Do you believe we are any closer to a formal proposal?” the lord asked. Roderick’s hands tightened into fists, but he did his best to keep his expression neutral.
“I have not heard anything yet. I believe the lord intends to speak with Miss Devereux—”
“Surely he does not need to,” Mr. Devereux scoffed. “It has all been arranged, after all.”
Roderick bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from saying anything he might regret.
“I am leaving them to sort out their own relationship; I said I would support it financially, I said nothing about the speed of the engagement,” Roderick replied.
“Your Grace—”
“No,” Roderick replied. “If you are worried about such things, speak to them directly. Although, we both know how that went last time, do we not?” Roderick asked coldly. He watched Lavinia’s father flinch and nod slowly.
“I suppose,” he grumbled.
“Is that all you wished to speak to me about?” Roderick asked.
“Yes, Your Grace,” Lord Fenwick growled before quickly leaving the room. Roderick ran a hand through his hair, trying to calm himself again.
That man is infuriating at the best of times…
Soon, there was a knock at the door. Mr. Pike looked inside.
“It is done,” he said. “Mr. Thornbury has been seen speaking publicly in the village square about the duke’s heart condition with his sisters help. It would appear he has been deliberately speaking to people who were seen whispering about Miss Devereux.”
“Excellent,” Roderick said. “Finally, some good news today.”
“There is more,” Mr. Pike said. “The magistrate has reviewed the documents. He was shocked at the extent of the debts and the corruption. Word is already spreading. Even as I was walking back to the house, I could hear people speaking about what has been said with more compassion toward Miss Devereux.”
Roderick nodded, taking a seat behind the desk. A wave of relief ran over him. Lavinia’s plan had worked. All he had left to do was hope she would not be furious at him for going forward without her consent.
“I need air,” he murmured. Mr. Pike nodded and stepped out of the room.
***
The gardens were full of life, bees buzzing from flower to flower.
Roderick wandered over to the old oak, leaning his back against it.
He took in a long breath of fresh air. His fatigued mind soaked it in like a lifeline.
The breeze against his face reminded him what it felt like to be awake, for a moment, before the fatigue crashed over him again.
“Your Grace?” Cecily greeted.
Oh, good heavens, can I not have a moment of peace?
“Is everything alright?” he asked, turning to face her.
“More than alright,” she said, nodding. “Lavinia is awake.”
Roderick’s eyes widened.
“What?”
“She is in the small sitting room. Apparently she is even feeling strong enough to take tea with Lady Harcourt.. So, it appears that they will be meeting shortly,” Miss Cecily said.
“I should go inside and moderate,” he suggested. “I do not trust Lady Harcourt not to bring up an embarrassing childhood story.”
“Again?” Cecily said with a grin. Roderick furrowed his brow in confusion, then pinched the bridge of his nose.
“I do not wish to know what she has told you,” he groaned.
“Then I shall not tell you,” she giggled.
Roderick nodded and walked with her, finding Millicent halfway up the stairs.
“I thought that would bring you inside,” Millicent said as she ascended.
“Do not embarrass me further today.” Roderick pleaded.
“I make no promises,” Millicent chuckled as they moved toward Lavinia’s sitting room.
Lavinia sat near the window of her sitting room, a soft blue blanket covering her legs.
She looked fatigued, her skin pale, but she did not look nearly as bad as she had the day before.
Roderick watched as Lady Harcourt stepped inside.
His eyes drifted over to the table where Lord Casterleigh’s flowers were set..
He hated seeing them but did not wish to examine why.
Lavinia watched them enter and rose carefully. Before Roderick could say anything, Lady Harcourt had crossed the room and taken Lavinia’s hands in her own. Millicent inspected her face carefully before smiling widely.
“You are exactly as Oswin described,” Lady Harcourt said warmly. “Strong, and disarmingly beautiful.”
“Thank you,” Lavinia replied, taken aback. Millicent nodded and squeezed her hands affectionately.