Page 27 of A Duchess Disciplined (Dukes of Dominance #1)

CHAPTER 26

O nce, Catherine had heard a story about the goddess Athena. Zeus had experienced a terrible headache, and when he could endure the pain no longer, he asked the god Hephaestus to take his axe and cleave his head in two. Once Hephaestus had, the goddess Athena sprang forth in full armor.

As she lay on the grass, black spots dotting her vision, Catherine understood what had driven Zeus to ask for his skull to be cut apart. She winced and hissed through her teeth, and a sharp pain spread through her head. Catherine lifted herself just a little and placed a hand at the back of her head, certain there must be blood. But her hand came away white and pristine.

“Do not sit up!” William snapped.

His pinched face came into focus. Behind him, she saw Hester and Hannah clinging to one another, watching her with twinned expressions of worry. Catherine’s breath caught in her chest and made her body shudder. “I am fine,” she rasped.

“You are not,” William retorted. “You need to stay there for a while! Once you have recovered, I will carry you to the house, and?—”

“Carry me?” she cried. “I am not that badly injured! There is not even any blood!”

Catherine slowly became aware that her back ached, but there was no warmth or wetness. However, that pain was manageable when compared to the pounding in her skull. Bile rose in her throat. She felt as though she might vomit, and the garden tilted alarmingly around her. A low groan tumbled from her throat, and William tensed.

“You are badly hurt,” he said.

“I am not!” she argued. “I just need a moment.”

William shook his head and raked a hand through his hair. The man began actually pacing, and if his face had not been so distressed at the sight of her, Catherine might have laughed. She tried to prop herself up on her forearms, and he fixed her with a stern look. “Stop moving,” he said. “You struck your head!”

“I am aware,” she said sluggishly. “How could I not be?”

“Are you going to be all right?” Hannah asked hesitantly.

“Of course,” Catherine replied. “Sometimes, accidents happen. That is all. If I have a moment to gain my bearings, I am certain that I will be fine.”

“If you say so,” Hester said, biting her lip. “I have heard that head wounds can be very troublesome and unpredictable.”

“Where did you hear that ?” William asked, sounding horrified.

Hester wrinkled her nose. “I do not recall.”

“Young ladies should not learn about head wounds ,” William said. “That is entirely inappropriate.”

“William,” Catherine said tiredly. “Please. I promise that I will be fine. While I do appreciate your concern, you do not need to worry about me.”

Catherine’s vision blurred, and she laid back down. William’s expression became even more anxious, something which she had previously thought impossible. She took a deep breath, trying to manage the pain before, but the pain was so intense that her eyes burned with tears.

“Should we send for help?” Hannah asked tentatively.

William looked at his sister as though he was surprised to find her still standing there. His gaze snapped back to Catherine.

Concerned that William might summon the entire household to tend to what she was certain was a minor, albeit painful, injury, Catherine forced herself back onto her elbows. The pain in her skull intensified, and she lowered her head, blinking back tears.

Deep breaths. Slow breaths.

“Be careful,” William said. “No—lie back down.”

Catherine inhaled deeply and slowly sat up. Pain traced along her spine. It was a dull and pulsing sensation. She wondered if it was her own heartbeat that she felt, pulsing in time to her pain.

“ Catherine ,” William growled.

“I am fine !” she snapped. “Give me a moment. I want to sit upright.”

Hannah hurried to her side and sat, staring at Catherine with wide eyes. She forced a smile for the little girl, hoping to reassure her. “Your brother worries too much,” Catherine said. “See? It is just a little thing.”

Hot tears fell down Catherine’s face, from where she had been unable to hold back her tears.

“It does not look like a little thing,” Hester said, wringing her hands in the skirts of her gown.

“Nonsense,” Catherine said.

Taking a deep breath, Catherine shakily climbed to her feet. The world swayed beneath her feet, and she stumbled about a few steps. William wrapped an arm around his waist and, with a practiced motion, lifted her into his arms. Catherine’s world went black for a moment, and her head?—

Her head hurt . Being in William’s arms usually made her feel wanted and secure, but at the moment, she just felt disoriented. Catherine began to regret her decision to stand. Her breath came in haphazard pants of air, and acid burned in her throat.

“We are taking you back to the house,” William said sternly. “For once in your life, do as I say and do not fight me on this.”

Although Catherine would have normally felt the impulse to argue, the pain in her head destroyed any thoughts of arguing with William. She did not move, and William carried her effortlessly through the garden and into the maze.

Catherine closed her eyes, hoping it might aid the disorientation coursing through her. It did not help. If anything, it only made her more acutely aware of how hurt she was.

“How long will it take the physician to arrive?” Hester asked.

“An hour,” William replied.

Catherine shook her head, which was a dreadful lapse of judgment. She swallowed hard, forcing down the taste of vomit. “I do not need a physician.” Her voice sounded as though it came from far away, as if she was someone else entirely. “I told you that.”

“And given that you just fell on your head, I have decided that your judgment is not to be trusted,” William said.

That was, admittedly, a valid argument. Catherine sighed. Silence fell between them. She kept her eyes closed and tried to distract herself by identifying all the sounds around her. Birds chirped cheerfully, oblivious to anything being amiss. Gravel crunched beneath William’s hessian boots and beneath his sisters’ slippers. They must be approaching the house.

She jostled a little, and William’s gait changed. Her guess was that he was climbing the stairs at the entrance of the house. Catherine opened her eyes just a little and hissed between her teeth. Bright light filled her vision, and she wanted nothing more than to climb into bed, pull the linens and counterpane over her head, and just sleep for about a week.

“We are nearly there,” William said, his voice wavering just the smallest amount.

“I know,” Catherine murmured.

“I will put you to bed and send for the physician.”

It was pointless arguing with him, so Catherine remained silent and limp in his arms. He carried her up the stairs and into her bedchamber. After a while, he bent over. Catherine opened her eyes and reached behind her as he brought her down. She shifted beneath the linens and winced.

William hovered over her, his face lined with anxiety. Hannah and Hester stood at the foot of the bed, watching her with wide eyes. “Please, remain in bed,” William said, sounding as though he was the one who was wounded. “For your own good.”

Catherine laughed, a little breathless. “You are worrying too much. I have told you again and again that there is no need to bother the man.”

“And I do not believe you,” he said.

Catherine grinned despite the pain. “You care about me,” she teased, “a great deal.”

William crossed his arms. “Of course, I do.”

“You know I am not made of glass.”

“Clearly, or you would have broken,” William replied. “I am going to fetch the physician.”

Before she could argue any longer, he turned on his heels and stormed from the room. Catherine sighed and let herself slump against the mattress and pillow. Her vision blurred a little at the edges, but the pain finally seemed to lessen a little. Or perhaps, she was growing more accustomed to it.

“Would you like us to leave?” Hannah asked.

“No,” Catherine said. “You do not have to leave—unless you would like to.”

Hester wrinkled her nose and considered Catherine for a heartbeat. Then, she hesitantly climbed into the bed and sidled up to Catherine, pressing against her. Hannah followed suit and sat near Catherine’s waist. She smoothed her skirts around her and eyed Catherine anxiously. Even the air seemed fraught with tension, as if the entire world had noticed her injury and was responding to it.

“I want to make certain that you are all right,” Hannah said softly.

“I know,” Catherine said. “I am deeply humbled by how much you all love me.”

“You have been very good to us,” Hester said, “and you have made our brother happy. His Grace leaves his study now. He eats meals and plays with us in the gardens.”

“Will he keep doing that?” Hannah asked. “Since you got hurt?”

“Of course, he will,” Catherine replied. “I will ensure that William keeps doing all those things for you. Accidents just happen sometimes.”

Hannah slowly nodded. “I suppose they do, but yours was frightening.”

“I am sorry for worrying everyone,” Catherine said gently. “I shall try to be more careful in the future.”

“Please,” Hannah mumbled. “But I am glad that you are not hurt.”

“We do not know if she if she is unhurt until the physician arrives,” Hester argued. “We is the only one who will know.”

“We shall see,” Catherine replied. “I suspect that your brother will insist on me remaining close to my bed for a few days, just to be certain.”

That sounded dreadful, actually. Catherine could think of little worse than being forced to remain in bed for days on end with little to no stimulation, but she would not share that vexation with the girls, of course. She had given them a fright, and it seemed only fair for there to be some manner of penance for causing everyone to worry.

Catherine bit the inside of her cheek, thinking. Remaining in bed might soothe Hester and Hannah’s worries. She supposed that was the silver lining to a terrible situation. “If I am in bed, I imagine that I shall be terribly bored,” Catherine said. “Would the both of you be willing to read to me?”

“Of course!” Hannah exclaimed. “Why, I just learned of the most intriguing novel. It is called Sense and Sensibility . I would love to read it with someone, but Hester refuses to even touch it.”

Hester shook her head. “I am sorry, but I simply do not delight in lady’s novels. I would much rather spend my time learning about something worthwhile.”

“Reading lady’s novels involves learning something worthwhile!” Hannah argued, sounding aghast. “You agree! Right, Your Grace?”

Catherine winced, for Hannah’s high-pitched voice cut through her like a knife. “Well,” Catherine said delicately, “I find that both are equally important. If the physician or William decide that I need to remain in bed for a few days, maybe you should both read to me. I do not imagine that one of you could read to me all day , so you could take turns. Both of you read your favorite books to me.”

Hannah nodded, obviously satisfied with the answer. “And then, you can tell us who chose the better books!”

“I can try,” Catherine said, already knowing that she would declare that all the books were equally good. “However, I cannot promise that I will be able to decide which books are best. I am afraid that my knowledge of literature is not particularly expansive.”

“That seems fair,” Hester said, her eyes alight with excitement. “ I will make certain that I give you my favorite books—the very best that His Grace has in his library!”

“Perhaps, avoid the ones about head wounds,” Hannah said.

“Ha!” Hester exclaimed, crossing her arms. “I think it is important that young ladies know how the human body works. We are human beings, too. How will we keep ourselves healthy if we do not know about ourselves?”

The bedchamber’s door opened, and William entered. “Hannah, Hester, leave her be. Catherine needs her rest.”

Catherine gave the girls a sympathetic expression as they hurried from the bed.

“Rest well!” Hannah declared as she left.

“We will make certain that you have the best books!” Hester declared.

As they left, William pulled a chair beside Catherine’s bed and collapsed into it. He let his forearms rest over his thighs and heaved a deep sigh. “Why did they mention books?”

“Because they are going to read to me tomorrow,” Catherine said, tipping her head back and sinking into the soft comfort of her pillow.

William’s jaw clenched. “You do not need to tax yourself given your current condition.”

“William, I struck my head,” Catherine replied, “but it is not some mortal wound.”

He grimaced. “It does not hurt to be careful.”

“Right.”

She sighed and closed her eyes. “I will rest, if that will set your mind at ease.”

“Good.”

Catherine curled her fingers into the counterpane and listened to the sound of her own breathing. “Unless the physician says that I do not need rest,” Catherine said. “Then, I expect you to stop treating me like this. I am not fragile. You knew that when you married me.”

He did not answer. When Catherine chanced a look at him, she found that he had lowered his head. His expression was hidden from her, and Catherine’s chest ached. She almost felt guilty for arguing and teasing so much, for it was obvious that he was genuinely concerned about her.

He cared for her. Very deeply.

Catherine’s breath quickened. Was it the pain in her skull and the disorientation sweeping over her that made her thoughts all scattered, or was it something else? She felt suddenly that she loved him.

Truly and deeply loved him, despite everything.