Page 94 of His Duchess to Remember

“Just a question, dear one,” Evelyn said, laughing, her hands up in a gesture of surrender. “And a question that should not be so unexpected, considering how many times the two of you danced last night. You seemed very… close. It was lovely to behold.”

Octavia could not argue with that. She had spent all evening with her husband, whether they were dancing or just sitting together.

“I know you will tell me off for saying this again,” Evelyn continued, “but can you truly not forgive him? Can you really not accept him back into your life, into your house?”

But Octavia had no desire to scold her friend, not this time.

“In truth,” she said haltingly, “I am… scared.”

Evelyn leaned forward, her hand coming to rest on Octavia’s knee. “Scared? What do you mean? Are you scared of him?”

“No, nothing like that.” Octavia smiled sadly. “I am scared of what I feel. I am scared that… he might break my heart and my trust. I am scared of… of loving him, because the feeling is so… vast and intense and…”

A startling bark of a shout and a terrible scream severed the conversation.

She heard frantic hoofbeats and the crunch of gravel, but she could see nothing in the dark. Yanking down the window, she stuck her head out… and realized that they were on the driveway of Huntfield, the carriage jolting to a sharp standstill.

Suddenly brimming with dread, she shoved the carriage door open and jumped down, running to see what the ruckus was.

A moment later, she wished she had not.

There was a large shape on the ground, just in front of the hooves of the carriage horses. The anxious beasts stamped the gravel before the driver deftly urged them to walk backward, putting more space between those hooves and the shape on the ground.

Just then, from within that dark blob, a familiar cry sobbed out, “I am scared, Papa.”

“Oh my goodness!” Octavia yelped, darting closer. “Simon? Simon, are you well?”

The black shape unfurled to reveal Malcolm in his long coat, holding Simon tightly in his arms.

Meanwhile, the driver jumped down and came running. “I’m so sorry, Your Grace,” he blurted out, his face pale even in the low light. “He came out of nowhere. I didn’t see him. I swear, I didn’t see him.”

“Simon, what did you do?” Octavia demanded to know, as she sank to her knees and held onto his arms, searching her beloved boy’s face for any sign of injury.

“I hid,” the boy sobbed. “Wanted to be first to see you.”

“He just… came out of nowhere,” the driver croaked, running a shaky hand through his hair.

“Papa grabbed me,” Simon murmured. “I am not hurt.”

Octavia quickly put the pieces together: her son had shot out of the shadows to try and greet the carriage as it arrived, putting himself in danger of being trampled by the horses. She realized what the other hoofbeats must have been: Malcolm and Rogue, spotting the danger before anyone else, and that crunch of gravel must have been Malcolm throwing himself in front of the carriage to grab their son, to keep him safe, even if it meant him being trampled.

It was at that moment that she realized that her husband had not yet spoken.

“Malcolm?” She stood to her full height, her hands reaching for his face. “Malcolm, are ye well? Are ye hurt? Are ye⁠—”

A gasp escaped her lips as she saw the blood, glistening in the hazy silver light of a half moon. It trickled down from his forehead, a rivulet meandering down the side of his face.

“Evelyn! Evelyn, bring me a handkerchief!” she yelled.

But it was Hugo, who had been riding some distance behind, who got there first. “What is the matter?”

“He is hurt,” Octavia choked. “My husband is hurt.”

She grabbed the handkerchief from her brother’s breast pocket and pressed the silk cloth to Malcolm’s brow.

His hand gently encircled her wrist. “I’m fine, love. It’s just a scratch.”

“Did you hit your head? Do you remember me? Do you know who I am? Do you remember what you said to me last night at the ball?” she asked in desperation, knowing she would not forgive herself if he had forgotten everything all over again, and she had not told him that she loved him.