Page 60 of The Not So Perfect Duke

By telling her, you dolt.

And he would as soon as this health crisis was addressed.

Chapter 18

Althea awoke to find that complete darkness had filled the room. “Damon?”

She thought he was still in her room, holding her in his arms, comforting her. For his alluring scent still clung to her pillow and quilt.

But she was alone.

It had taken her a long time to fall asleep. When Mrs. Bartle arrived with a fresh mug of tea and her favorite sandwich—ordered by Damon, the housekeeper had told her—she had welcomed the distraction. In fact, the food assisted in relaxing her so she could drift off.

The complicated duke cared for her; it was evident—by word and deed. Damon was falling for her; he had said so. But she had spoken the truth. Althea could not sift through her confused emotions right now. That brief but intense encounter in his bedroom only confused things more. Althea believed she could act on her desire and not have it touch her emotions.

But she had been dead wrong. It only heightened them. Enhanced them. It was not what she expected; it had been more than she could have dreamed.

Damon Cranston looked the part of a fairytale prince with his golden perfection. But he was not perfect—and Althea found she was glad of it. The future was so uncertain in many ways. Althea turned over and pulled the quilt up to her chin. And until some of that ambiguity was cleared up, she could not make any personal plans.

Especially regarding her not-so-perfect duke.

A knock at the door woke her this time, and sunshine poured through the gap in the draperies.

“Althea, we have a late breakfast ready. Please come and join me,” Sybil asked pleadingly through the closed door.

Rubbing her eyes, she glanced at the clock. Good Lord, it was past ten. “Yes, I will be down directly,” she called out.

Althea took her time dressing, aware of her sporadic shakiness, then made her way downstairs. In the dining room sat Sybil, Eleanora, and Christian.

“Come and sit, Sister,” Eleanora said in a soothing tone. Which was not like her at all. “Mrs. Bartle made your favorite. Plenty of bacon and scrambled eggs with cheese and chives. Christian? If you will pour her tea?”

“I am not an invalid,” Althea snapped. Then she sighed. “I’m sorry. Please, no hovering, Ellie.”

Christian poured her tea and passed her the cup and saucer. Mrs. Bartle entered and set the plate in front of her. Despite her worry, Althea was hungry. Mrs. Bartle departed, leaving them alone.

“I am sure Sybil told you of the growth on my leg. Corbett is bringing a doctor who is skilled in bone tumors.”

Eleanora gasped.

“Call it what it is,” Althea continued. “It could be something, or it could be nothing at all. Come, let us eat and change the subject. How is the railway case coming?”

“At its conclusion,” Christian replied, cutting into his ham. “It appears the scheme involves two members from the board. You would think people would have learned from the railway mania boom and bust of the mid-forties, but then, that was fifty years ago. Today’s young investors would know next to nothing about it. We have recovered the money invested by our clients, and it is up to them if they wish to press fraud charges.”

“Well done,” Althea smiled as she bit into a piece of crisp bacon. “And you secured payment for services rendered?”

“Absolutely,” Eleanora replied. “Took it out of the recovered money. So, we are available to help with Chellenham’s case.”

Althea’s smile disappeared. “Yes. I think I will need assistance. Have we heard from Archie about opening the safe?”

“I saw him this morning,” Christian stated. Archie stayed in a small guest house at the rear of Christian’s townhouse. “He was heading to the East End to speak again with the person in question. We will know more later this afternoon.”

“We have been tasked to find one of the children’s mothers,” Althea told them about Adina Desmond and her predicament.

“Five of the children are possible half-siblings?” Sybil stated with shock in her tone.

“Damon thinks there are multiple dozens, and I think he realizes it will be impossible to track them all or assist them as he originally hoped,” Althea replied between bites.

At least she was able to eat. Perhaps she was over the worst of the shock.