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Caroline brushed passed him, tugged on thedoorand—
There on the front path was Luke, about to be dragged back down the lane, kicking and screaming alltheway.
What in the world? “Luke?” she called, halting the gardeners who seemed intent on discarding herbrother.
“Do you know him, milady?” one of the fellowsasked.
Luke yanked free of the two men and scowled at them. “I’m her brother. Just like I told youIwas.”
Heavens! What in the world was hedoinghere?
“Yes, he’s my brother,” she assured them. “Please, don’tharmhim.”
Luke straightened his jacket and dusted his hands on his trousers, then he frowned at Caroline as he started toward her. “When that footman told me you were here, I didn’t believe him. And then a note came from Prestwick Chase that Haversham had shown up unannounced in Derbyshire with a letter from you, demanding to see Staveley’s belongings. And—” Luke scoffed “—youreallyarehere.”
She hadn’t anticipated having this conversation today, and certainly not with her brother. “It’s a longstory.”
“Oh, I’m sure it is.” Luke shook his head. “If I hadn’t come with a purpose, I would be quite put outwithyou.”
She couldn’t really blame him. She had lied in that letter she’d sent him a number of weeks ago. “I’msorry.I—”
“Whatever it is, you can tell me on the way back to London. Gather whatever you need, we need to leaverightaway.”
The last thing in the world Caroline was going to do was leave Saddleworth Hall. Not for Luke, not for anyone. “I’m not going anywhere.” At least not until Marc returned and then she’d go wherever he went. But she wasn’t leavinguntilthen.
And then her brother’s frown transformed to a sad smile, the very same one, in fact, that he’d worn when he’d found her in London last season to tell her that David had beenkilled.
“Oh dear God.” It couldn’t be. It couldn’t. “No, no, no.” She shook her head and stepped away from her brother as though distance could keep him from confirming her worst fears. How did Luke even know to find her here unless Marc… “No, no, no!” she continued, as despair washed back over her. “Tell me he’s all right, Luke. Tell merightnow.”
“I wish I could, sweetheart.” He started for heroncemore.
Oh, God. She was going to be sick! That was the last thought that entered her mind before she collapsed onto the ground and the worldturneddark.
* * *
Something cool pressedagainst her brow and Caroline’s eyes fluttered open. Rachel leaned over her, frowning as she moved a wet cloth fromCaroline’sskin.
“Are you all right?” her daughter asked from the bedbesideher.
Was she? Caroline wasn’t sure. She…wait, how did she end up in bed? She’d been going to take a nap. She remembered that.Andthen…
Heavens! Everything else came rushing back all at once “Is Uncle Luke here?” she breathed out. Or had that been just an awfuldream?
“I’m here,” Luke said from the far side oftheroom.
Oh, God. If he was here, then the rest of it was true. Caroline’s hand trembled as she lifted it to her lips. “Marc,” she said, her heart twisting in her chest. “What happenedtoMarc?”
“Don’t worry about that right now,” Luke said, stepping closer to the bed so she could see him, and the lines of worry that stretched across his brow made Caroline’sstomachroil.
Dear God, she couldn’t go through this again. David’s death had nearly killed her, and Marc…she loved him with every breath in her body, every ounce of her soul. She’d never survive it if something had happened to him. “That’s like telling a fish not to breathe water,” she rasped out. “I will worry whether you tell me or not, but I’d rather know thetruth,Luke.”
He dropped into a chair by her bed and leaned forward, grasping her hand in his. “How did you end up here, sweetheart? I thought you were atBentonPark.”
So much had happened since she’d seen him last, that night so long ago at Vauxhall. “It all happened so fast, Luke. Someone broke into Staveley House, at least twice, and the second time Marc was there, and…Well, it seemed a good idea at the time.” And ithadbeen a good idea. The weeks that all of them had spent together at Saddleworth had been nothing short of wonderful, some of the best ofherlife.
A sad smile settled on his lips. “Emma very gleefully told me about the excitement of riding in a mailcoach.”
“There’s nothing exciting about it,” Rachelmuttered.
