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She didn’t answer right away. His face was blank and her eyes were crossing. “Water,” she stammered.
Arthur didn’t want to leave her here all alone when she was obviously having some kind of attack. He gently lifted her from the bench and carried her out of the room. Carmen’s head lolled against his shoulder. Arthur caught the sweet smell of jasmine that clung to her skin and inhaled her scent deeply. His grip on her tightened and he was aware that he was touching her just under the curve of her breast. She was soft and pliant in his arms.
Arthur swallowed deeply. It wasn’t the appropriate time to have thoughts of this kind. He easily carried her down the stairs. For a woman who was more fire than skin and flesh, she barely weighed anything in his arms, and he realized just how vulnerable she was at that moment. She seemed like a different woman with her eyes closed.
“Your Grace,” Ramon said hurrying up to him. He noticed Carmen in his arms. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know. She lost conscious all of a sudden,” Arthur said.And I may have had something to do with it, he thought to himself. He started to carry her into his chambers without thinking much of it and lay her down on his bed.
“Your Grace, are you sure?” Ramon said, his voice hesitating. “The servants might talk.”
“That should be the last thing we should be thinking of now,” Arthur said. “Besides I trust you to be discreet about it.”
Ramon nodded once and then left the room. When he returned a few moments later, he carried a wet washcloth and a jug full of water that he placed by the bed. Arthur kept the wet washcloth on her forehead and held the bag of smelling salt under nose. A few moments later, Carmen startled awake, her eyes widening as she finally found her bearings. When she found herself on his bed, she started struggling against him almost violently. Arthur had to hold her arms back and press her into the bed. “It’s only me,” he said.
Carmen blinked up at him, her eyes clearing. He saw the pain and terror clearly in her wide brown eyes. What had happened to her? Arthur realized that he had almost climbed upon her in his haste to get her under control. He promptly got off the bed while he cleared his throat.
When he looked towards Ramon, the other man had his eyes averted. Arthur was so grateful for the man’s presence.
Carmen slowly sat up on the bed, her hand clutched to her head as if struggling to gain her bearing. “What happened to me?”
“You lost conscious all of a sudden,” Arthur said gruffly. “So, I brought you here to rest.”
Her pale skin blushed. “I’m sorry, Your Grace, I-I didn’t mean—”
“You don’t have to explain yourself,” Arthur said. He didn’t want to bring it up again, but he felt like he had to ask. “Did I say something to hurt you in any way?”
* * *
The Duke thought he had set off her episode and maybe he was partly responsible, but he had no way of knowing her past. Carmen shook her head. “No, it’s just that I’ve been having terrible nightmares lately and find myself unable to sleep at night.”
“I’ll call on a physician to look upon you,” he replied, a great big frown appearing on his face.
“No, there won’t be any need for that,” she said hastily. The valet who stood to the side gave her a short look before exiting the chambers. “It’s just things have been more stressful than lately at the music hall. We took in a new girl and we don’t have many funds to spare.”
“Would it help if I pay your wages now instead of a few days later? The month had almost come to an end,” the Duke said.
He was being almostsweet,and Carmen couldn’t help but notice at the difference in him. She shook her head. “No, my lord. I think we will manage just fine.”
“Are you certain?” he said, his voice insistent. “Let me help you.”
She shook her head. “Unfortunately, you can’t help me in this matter.” But she appreciated the fact that he at least cared to ask. This wasn’t the same proud and arrogant peacock that she had met only a few weeks ago. He was gentle and today he had almost stumbled upon her secret…
He had asked about her teacher, the man that had brought such a terrible storm in her life, one in which she had been stuck even after so many years. Even though he was gone, he always lurked at the back of her mind and with everything happening lately, she had lost control.
“Do such episodes happen often?” he asked.
Carmen shook her head. She decided to be truthful. “No, the last one occurred a few years ago. It comes over me all of a sudden and sets me off.”
Arthur nodded in understanding. “I know the feeling.”
“With all due respect, Your Grace, you don’t,” she said.
“But I do,” he said. “Something similar ails me too.”
This caught her curiosity but he didn’t elaborate. Carmen wanted to ask him but she didn’t know how. She had already intruded enough in his life. She had ended up on his bed for god’s sake. “Dear me,” Carmen exclaimed trying to dispel the silence between them. “I shouldn’t be here.”
She started to scramble off the bed. Arthur stepped forward to help her get down. “Easy there,” he murmured. “It’s no problem at all.” Carmen wasn’t sure how it happened, but one moment he was catching her by her waist, and the next second they had ended up in each other’s arms, their lips pressed in a frenzied kiss. Their mouth moved fiercely against each other.
