Page 27 of A Royal Kiss & Tell

“Beck! You’re hurting my ears,” Caroline said, wincing. Everything about her hurt.

“Do you need help?” the prince asked, and Caroline wasn’t sure who, exactly, he was addressing.

“No,” she said at the very moment Beck also said no. But Beck added a gracious, “Thank you, I can manage.” He dipped down and picked Caroline up before she knew what was happening and began to march along the hallway.

“I dropped my handkerchief,” Caroline protested. “And what of my soup?”

“I employ a host of servants so that someone may bring you soup on occasions like this,” Beck said as he huffed along. “Why did you not call one? Why did you not callme?”

“You wouldn’t have come. You’ve been out with your friends. Why did you bringdozensof them?”

“What are you talking about? There are four of us to dine, that’s all,” Beck said as he started his ascent of the stairs.

“But whyhim, Beck?” she moaned, and pressed her head to his shoulder.

Beck paused on the first landing to catch his breath. “Lord, but you’re heavier than you look. Why him who?” he asked through a pant.

“The Arse of Alucia, that’s who.”

Somewhere, someone coughed lightly.

“For heaven’s sake, Caro. Why didn’t you tell me you were so ill?”

“I’m not so ill,” she said, but could feel the heaviness of her eyelids.

“Shall I take over?”

Caroline’s lids flew open. He’d had the audacity to follow them up the stairs? Worse, had he heard her complaining about him to Beck?

“I’ve got her,” Beck said, and continued his march, bouncing Caroline along as he went.

“That’s quite a fever,” another man said.

Caroline recognized the voice of Robert Ladley, the Earl of Montford. As if this moment could possibly be any worse, now there were three of them gathered.“Beck,”she pleaded.

“This way,” Beck said.

By the sound of it, they were followed by a small army. Caroline buried her face in Beck’s shoulder again so she’d not have to look at the Arse of Alucia. And so he wouldn’t smell her breath or see how parched her lips were. This was, without a doubt, the height of humiliation, particularly as she took such great pride in her looks.

Beck opened the door to her room and strode to her bed, depositing her there, then pulling the cover over her. Caroline dared not look around her. But then she did, and no less than four men were staring down at her with various expressions of concern and horror. It was worse than she thought.

“I’ll fetch Dr. Callaway, shall I?” Montford asked.

“I think you ought,” the prince said, and touched the back of his hand to Caroline’s cheek without asking her permission. “She is burning with fever.”

“All of you, out,” Beck commanded. “I’ll not have her infect you.”

“I’ll go,” Montford offered.

“I’ll go with you,” said Sir Charles Martin.

“Martha! Where have you been?” Beck said gruffly as Martha came into view. “Why wasn’t I informed she was so ill?”

“Oh dear God,” Caroline said, and rolled onto her side, away from the spectacle.

“I didn’t know, my lord,” Martha said, and sat on the edge of Caroline’s bed, smoothing back her hair. “She was sleeping when last I looked in on her.”

Caroline grabbed Martha’s hand and held on for dear life. “Make them go,” she whispered.