Page 117 of A Bluestocking for the Wicked Duke

William turned back to face his mother.

“Do not take that fight. Nicholas will win again,” she said.

William wondered how she got to know so fast. Then he remembered the shuffle in the corridor. It wasn’t the stewards. He looked at Regina.

“I didn’t eavesdrop. I was about entering when I heard you. I had to tell mother,” she said.

William shook his head.

“I have not completely decided, mother.”

“Decide. Tell him no. You cannot prepare for whatever he has in store. He is a man used to the dark arts, you aren’t,” she said.

William nodded his head and walked to the door.

“I’ll think about it.”

He went out of the room and went straight to his room. He met a steward picking his dirty laundry. William told him to wait while he went into the bathroom and removed the clothes on him. He then added them to the ones already picked. William went back into the bathroom and cleaned up. He was just out of the bathroom when there was a quick knock on his door.

“Who?”

Lord James walked in.

Typical answer to the question from Lord James.

“Joane is here,” he said.

“Now? Where is she?” he asked.

“She’s in the sitting room, waiting for you.”

William smiled. This was a pleasant surprise he had not expected. He rushed the rest of his dressing. He felt eager; it was as if he hadn’t seen her for months. He walked out of the room, leaving Lord James behind. When he got to the sitting room, she had her back turned to him. She was facing the fire in the fireplace. William walked closer.

“Joane.”

She turned back to face him with a huge smile on her face. She walked to him and hugged him tightly. There was no one else in the sitting room except them. William held her by her waist and kissed her. His mouth captured hers, tasting salt and water and Joane. The eagerness to see her registered itself through his tongue as it slipped into her mouth, tentatively poking before returning. William closed his mouth and drew away from her. She was flushed.

“Your father, Emma told me. How is he?”

William shook his head.

“Not so good,” he replied.

He drew her hand and led her through the corridor to his father’s room. When they entered, his mother looked up. There was naked surprise in her eyes.

“Joane,” she managed to say.

“Duchess Henrietta, forgive my intrusion but I heard about the Duke’s illness. I just came to visit,” Joane said.

“Thank you,” the Duchess said.

William moved much closer to his father, leaving Joane to observe him from where she stood. He sat close to his father and placed his hand on the man’s hand, it felt as it did the last time he checked, cold. William removed his hand and was about standing up when he noticed something. His father’s eyelids, they flickered. William said nothing, he just bent closer. He did not want to raise fall alarms. The eyes did nothing and after a small period of close observation, he saw it again. The eyelids flicked, just a bit.

“I think he’s gaining consciousness,” William said.

The excitement was too much for him to keep his voice cool.

“What did you say?” said his mother even though what he said was loud enough.