Page 26 of The Duke’s Matchmaker

Colin reached out and took Dorothy’s hand in his.

Nathaniel sucked in a breath. He’d never seen Colin reach out to anybody like this. He had always turned inward, always resisted any attempts at comfort or connection. There was something about Dorothy, though, that had made him open up effortlessly.

No, it probably isn’t her. It’s the fever. He’s confused, and he doesn’t realize what he’s doing. That’s all it is. It looks like something meaningful, but in actuality, he’s just holding onto a hand that’s near him. If I’d been the one to sit down on the edge of the bed, he would have taken my hand.

But Nathaniel hadn’t sat down. He had rushed to Colin’s side to reassure himself that Colin was all right, but it hadn’t occurred to him to move himself closer to Colin, to offer the comfort of his physical presence. This was why he needed a woman around, a mother figure. Dorothy had done by instinct something Nathaniel had never thought of.

“He’s warm,” Dorothy murmured, placing her hand against Colin’s cheek. Even that was a more tender touch than Nathaniel had offered—he had been measuring Colin’s temperature, but Dorothy cradled the boy’s face and Colin leaned into the touch. “He should have something to drink, Nathaniel. Do you want to tell me where I might find the kitchen, and I’ll fetch him a drink of water?” She started to rise to her feet.

But Colin clung to her. “No, Mama.” His voice came out in a little sob. “Don’t go. Stay here.”

Mama.

At the sound of the word, Dorothy had frozen. Her eyes went wide, and she looked at Nathaniel, clearly waiting to see if he was going to say or do anything.

He had no idea how to respond.

“She’s going to stay, Colin,” he said, his voice husky with emotion. He knew he hadn’t asked Dorothy, and that perhaps he was being unfair in speaking for her like this. Maybe she wanted to get out of this room. But he needed her here. He desperately needed someone to help him provide for Colin.

She turned back to face Colin, her other hand moving to wrap around his so that she was holding on with both hands now. “Of course I’ll stay, Colin,” she murmured. “Nathaniel will go and get you something to drink, all right? And after you’ve had your water, I want you to try to get some sleep. Will you do that for me?”

Colin nodded, his eyes drifting shut.

Nathaniel moved toward the door to find a servant who he could send for water.

A shudder passed through him as he stepped back out into the hall. He couldn’t believe how easy he had found it to walk out of that room, after he had been so thoroughly panicked about the idea of leaving Colin on his own. Somehow, having Dorothy in the room made him feel entirely better about the situation, as though everything was secure and taken care of.

This, he thought, was what it would be like when he eventually married. When Colin had a mother. There would be someone in the world who made him feel comfortable and safe, and Nathaniel wouldn’t have to worry any longer about what was happening when he himself was out of the room. He would be able to breathe easy knowing that his brother was finally being taken care of in the way he deserved.

He just couldn’t believe that Dorothy had been the one to show him firsthand what that was going to feel like.

CHAPTER 14

“He’s going to be all right,” Dr. Joseph said.

The two men were standing in Nathaniel’s study, the physician having completed his examination of Colin. The smile on the man’s face told Nathaniel that he could be trusted, and that Colin really was going to be well, but it was still difficult to relax. Even as his mind acknowledged that all was well, his body was still in a bit of a panic about it.

He drew a deep breath and forced himself to listen to the doctor’s words. “How long will it be until he recovers?”

“It’s impossible to say for certain,” Dr. Joseph said. “But I’m confident that he’s going to be all right. I’m going to leave you with some medicine that will help to bring the fever down.”

“Are you sure that will work?”

“It works in most cases,” Dr. Joseph said.

“Most but not all?”

The physician held up his hands. “Nothing is ever guaranteed,” he said.

“So, in fact you can’t guarantee me that my brother is going to be all right.” Nathaniel’s heart beat madly. His fear ballooned toward anger, though he knew he had no reason to be angry. Dr. Joseph was doing his best. But it was easier to be angry than it was to grapple with the fact that he had no control over the situation.

Dr. Joseph stood his ground. “This tonic usually works,” he said evenly. “And if it doesn’t, it’s best to just let the fever burn itself out. Eventually, I’m sure your brother will be just fine.”

“Well, how long is eventually?”

“Again, I can’t say for certain, and I don’t want to make you any promises when I don’t know the answers for sure. He’s young, and he’s a bit frail, so that is going to pose a problem in terms of recovery.”

“Frail?” Nathaniel frowned, thinking of Colin’s resistance to doing anything he didn’t want to do. “I don’t think of him as frail.”