Lord Sinister (Secrets & Scandals Book 3) (34 page)

Megan glanced to her right.  Exiting the parlor was Jack bold-as-you-please Townsend.  Blast!  Spying the door he was just about to pass, she ran toward him, grabbed his hand and pushed him into the coat closet.  And knowing he would make a sound, she followed him inside.

“Megan, what are—”

“Shhh.”

Hands sneaked around her waist.  She tipped her head up.  Although she couldn’t see anything in the dark, she knew the blasted man wore a very wide smile.  “Jack,” she whispered as quietly as possible, “you must remove your hands.”

“There’s not a lot of room in here.  My hands need to go somewhere.”

Sure they do.

She pressed her ear to the door.

“Although I don’t mind in the least, why are we here?”

“Inspector Hastings is here,” she whispered back.  “He was coming down the stairs with Father.”  Realizing the blasted man still hadn’t removed his hands, she unwound them from her.  “I am happily married, Jack.”

He sighed.  “Don’t remind me.”

She could hear voices.  One of them her angry father.  Hopefully, this wouldn’t take long.  Jack tried sneaking his arms back around her.

When the voices died down and angry footsteps marched away, Megan cracked open the door.  They had left.  She bolted out and nearly ran into Lord Fielding.

His brows shot up when he noticed she and Jack had been in the closet.  Megan lifted her chin.  “Don’t even think it, Lord Fielding.  I couldn’t allow Inspector Hastings to see Jack.”

He winked.  “It’s a deuce disconcerting when people get the wrong impression, is it not?”  Then he strutted off, whistling.

Megan shook her head.  Spying her father bolting back up the stairs, she excused herself from Jack and hurried after him.

“Father.”

He halted and turned, holding a knife in his hand.

“What is going on?  I saw Inspector Hastings.”

“Come, I’ll explain on the way.”  To a passing maid, he said, “Have the duchess meet us in Julian’s bed chamber.”

Now that really worried Megan.  “Is Amelia all right?”

He paused at the top of the stairs.  “I’m not certain, sweet.  But it’s Julian that now has me concerned.”

“Julian?”

Her father nodded, his expression grave.  He held up the knife.  “This was poisoned when Giles threw it.  It grazed Julian’s arm.”

CHAPTER 35

Amelia halted and tensed for another pain to strike.  Sweat dotted her brow and ran down her back.  So close now, the pains practically one on top of the other.  She closed her eyes.  Not yet.  Just a little longer.  She almost had the antidote ready.

Her hands shook hard, and she could hardly crush the herbs under the pestle.

“Are you all right, dear?”

Amelia glanced over to Margaret sitting beside Julian.  She managed a weak smile.  “Yes, just a little tired.”  She had told no one of the pains.

Megan sat on Julian’s other side, bathing his forehead in cool water.  She glanced up, worry in her expression as well.  “Perhaps you should rest a while.”

Amelia looked at her husband, to his deathly pale face.  Her heart surged up her throat.  “No, this potion must be given to him without delay.”  She turned away as another pain tore through her and prayed no one would notice.  Not yet.  Time ran short.  Julian grew weaker with each breath.  He wouldn’t last much longer.

When all the herbs had been crushed, she added boiling water.  After the dregs had been strained, the antidote could be administered.  “Margaret, spoon this into Julian’s mouth.  Careful, though, it’s hot.”

The duchess rose and approached.  She looked worried.  “You are so pale, Amelia.  Why don’t you rest a while?”

Amelia nodded, but before she could respond, a fiery bolt shot through her belly.  She grabbed her stomach and gritted her teeth.  Very close now.

“Oh, dear,” Margaret whispered.  “Is it the baby?”

Megan came forward, concerned.

“Yes,” Amelia answered, panting.  She couldn’t hide it any longer.

Margaret and Megan exchanged looks and Amelia knew their thoughts.  Working to make the antidote, she had pushed the worry aside.  But she couldn’t any longer.  The baby would arrive, but early.

“Well, why didn’t you tell us sooner?” Megan asked as she led Amelia to the next room while Margaret administered the antidote.

Slipping in between the cool sheets, Amelia released a sigh.  “The remedy needed to be prepared without delay.”

“I understand.”  Megan rose.

“Where are you going?” Amelia asked, frightened.

“Just to see if Dr. Benson has arrived.”  She held up her hands when Amelia started to argue.  “I promise to be right back.”

With a nod, Amelia forced her body to relax.  She should rest as much as she could because in the near future, she’d need all the strength she could muster.

Oh, please, let Julian be all right.  Her hand moved over her middle.  And the baby.  Let her be all right as well.

****

Either he suffered the worst case of bottle-ache in the history of mankind, or he had been poisoned.  Since he’d had only one glass of port, it must be the latter.  And Julian had no idea if he would survive.  With a groan, he opened his eyes.  Blurred vision sharpened.  His mother hovered over him, her worry melting into relief.

“Oh, Julian, the antidote is working faster than I thought.”  She patted his hand.

He licked his dry lips.  “How?”

Anger shot into his mother’s eyes.  “That despicable Mr. Giles.  The blade he flung at you was dipped in poison.”  She squeezed his hand.  “If it hadn’t just grazed you…”   She let the end of the sentence hang in the air.  Julian knew the dose would have been lethal.  The way he felt now with just a scratch attested to that.

He looked past his mother.  “Where’s Amelia?”

“She’s resting.”

If his mother didn’t detest gambling so much, she would be one of the best.  She had the most sensational ability to bluff.  He would have bought the lie except that she had answered him a little too quickly.  He narrowed his eyes.  “What is wrong?”

All pretense melted away.  “Amelia is going to have the baby soon.”  She pressed him back down when he started to rise.  “You are too weak, Julian Alexander.”

“I must go to her,” he said and started to pant.  He fought the dizziness.

She shook her head.

How could he explain his urgent need to be there with Amelia when she had the baby?  The truth, a tiny voice said inside.  “Don’t you understand, Mother?  I wasn’t there the first time.  And I should have been.”

She probed deep into his stare.  “All right.  But let me summon Nicholas to assist you.”

Julian had gotten as far as setting up on the edge of the bed when Nick sauntered into the room.  “By God, it’s good seeing you up.”

“Get me a shirt.”

“At your service, my lord,” Nick said with a grin and retrieved a shirt.

“You forgot to bow.”  Julian slid the garment on and fastened three buttons until he grew frustrated and left the others.  “I’m ready.”

“Nervous?” Nick asked as he helped Julian to his feet.

“Immeasurably.”  Julian held on to his friend as they made the slow trek to the next room.

Megan stood with Father and Jack, all three wearing worried frowns.  His sister rushed forward.  “Oh, Julian, you shouldn’t be out of bed.”

His strength had drained down to nothing.  “I’ll be fine.”  His voice sounded strained.  “Take me to my wife,” he told Nicholas.

Nick assisted him to the bed chamber, almost carrying him the last few feet to the chair beside the bed, then left the room quietly.

Dr. Benson turned from pouring hot water into a bowl.  He gave Julian a frown.  “My lord, you are too weak to be here.”

Julian paid the man little attention.  He focused on his wife lying so still in the bed.  Damp curls clung to her pale forehead and neck.  “Amelia?”  He took her hand in his and brought it up to his lips.

Her eyes opened, dull with pain.  “Julian?”

“I’m here, love.”

Her head moved slightly from side to side.  “You should be resting.”

“I’ll rest here.”

She opened her mouth to argue and he placed a finger over her lips.  “I missed you giving birth to our first child, Amelia, I’m not going to miss another.”

Relief sprang into her eyes before she closed them and drew her brows in pain.  She squeezed his hand.

“What is it, Amelia?”  He gave the doctor an anxious glance.

“It’s a labor pang,” Dr. Benson said, unconcerned.

Her grip lessened.  “Where’s Alex?”

Julian began to shake his head when Dr. Benson stepped forward.  “Pardon, my lord, but I couldn’t help overhearing the question.  Lord Fielding is instructing Master Alexander in the art of charcoal drawing.”

“Oh.”  Amelia’s grip tightened, she gritted her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut.  Then she relaxed and panted.

“Amelia?”  Julian never felt so helpless.

“It’s close.”  Her face scrunched up.  She had to be in agony.  Dear God, what could he do?  How could he help her?

“Yes,” Dr. Benson said after checking her, “very close.”  He turned to a maid Julian hadn’t noticed until that moment.  “Bring me some more linen, please.”

Julian held on to Amelia’s hand, trying to wish away her pain.  She looked too weak and fragile to be going through this.  Fear sprang up his throat.  He turned to the doctor.  “How long has this been going on?”

Dr. Benson gave a reassuring smile.  “Everything is going perfectly well, my lord.”

“But she’s so weak and small.”

The doctor shook his head.  “Lady Amersleigh is stronger than you think, my lord.”

“Julian.”

He turned to his wife.  “Yes, sweet, what is it?”

“Do not worry so.”

Swallowing the lump in his throat, he nodded.  “I’ll try.”

Twenty minutes later, Julian didn’t think he would make it.  Every moan and shudder from his wife sent a hot poker straight through his heart.  How in God’s name did women ever survive childbirth?

“There we are,” the doctor said as a wail rose up.

Julian slumped in relief.  Oh, thank God that was over.  He pressed a soft kiss on Amelia’s lips.

When the squalling baby had been cleaned and wrapped in a blanket, it quieted.  The maid settled the warm bundle carefully in his arms.  “Your daughter, my lord.”

Julian sat still as a statue and regarded the tiny pink face peeking out of the blanket.  He could hardly draw in a breath.  The baby would forever be a part of him and Amelia.  He already loved her.

Amelia watched Julian with their new daughter and felt close to tears.  The tenderness on her husband’s face, the love in his eyes, choked her with emotion.

“What shall we name her?” he asked, glancing over at her with the same tender expression.

She couldn’t speak for several seconds.  “I chose the first time.  It’s your turn.”

He glanced back down, a small smile forming on his lips.  “Phoebe.”  He lifted his head.  “Phoebe Nicole.”

Amelia swallowed thickly.  “Phoebe is my middle name.”

“Yes, that’s why I chose it.”  He grew serious.  “Amelia, there’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you for a long time.”

Her heart pounded faster.  “What’s that?”

“I love you.”

She closed her eyes, soaking up those words like a flower does the sun’s rays.  “Oh, Julian, I love you too.”  She was filled with such happiness, she thought she would burst.  Tiredness overwhelmed her suddenly, making her frown.  She heard Dr. Benson barking orders to someone, then Julian’s voice raised.  The baby began to cry.

Amelia had no strength to tell Julian to give Phoebe to her, that the baby probably needed to be fed.  She grew terribly cold.  And the world went black.

****

Alexander’s eyes continued to wander toward the doorway.  He couldn’t keep his mind on the drawing.  The piece of charcoal hung suspended in mid-air, his mind on how his mama fared.  He couldn’t stop thinking that something was wrong.  With a sigh, he lowered his arm.  “Lord Fielding,” he rose and dusted the black smears from his fingers, “I need to see how my mother is doing.”

The marquess inclined his head.  “Yes, let us both go.”

Midway up the stairs, he heard the faint sound of a baby’s cry.  He quickened his pace until, breathless, he raced into the room where his family waited.  His grandmother held the wailing baby, trying to sooth it.  Megan was in Nicholas’s arms.  And his grandfather spoke softly to Sir Mortimer.  They all turned to him at once.

The back of Alex’s neck prickled.  Something was wrong.

No one moved or said anything for several seconds.  He could feel the tension in the room.  “What?” he asked in a choked voice.  “What has happened?”

His grandfather came to him.  The sadness in his eyes twisted Alex’s insides.  “Your mother had problems with the birth.”

Alex staggered back a step.  “Is she…?”  He couldn’t say it.

“No.”  Grandfather placed a hand on his shoulder.  “She is still with us.”

“I want to see her.”

“The doctor is working to save her, Alex.  Give him a little time.”

Alex slid his gaze to the closed door.  Where his mother lay at death’s door.  “How is Father?”

“Julian is much better.  In fact, he has been in there with your mother for a while.”

He simply nodded.  The sounds coming from the baby caught his attention.

“It’s a girl.”  Pride rang in his grandfather’s tone.  “Phoebe Nicole.”

Without meaning to, Alex found himself drawn to the fussy infant.  His grandmother smiled at him.  “Would you like to hold her?”

Alex meant to shake his head no.  “Yes,” he said instead.

“You are the exact age Julian was when I had Megan,” she said as she placed the light little body in his arms.

Phoebe’s wails calmed.  Alex could only gape as his tiny little sister as she quieted and opened her eyes.  He had no idea how to hold a baby, so he stood very still, hardly drawing in a breath.

“Oh, Alex, she loves you already.  See how she’s looking at you?”

He nodded.  His heart melted, and he loved her too.

The door opened.  Alex watched the doctor move tiredly into the room.  No one moved, no one breathed.  Everyone waited for the man to say something.

“The bleeding has stopped.”  He mopped his face with a handkerchief.  “It’s in God’s hands now.”

****

Amelia drifted out of a dream, though she could not recall what it had been about.  She could hear Julian speaking softly, and she struggled to turn her head.  Weakness like she had never known made her limbs incredibly heavy.  She focused on him sitting in the chair a foot away, talking to something in his arms.  Their baby daughter.

“…And see, Phoebe.  Your mother will make it through this.  She has to.”  His voice turned gruff.  “Because I love her so much, and I’ll not let her leave me.”

Amelia swallowed.  The words she had waited so long to hear had finally been spoken.  Julian loved her.  “I’m not going anywhere.” 

Julian snapped his head up.  “Amelia.”