My Dangerous Duke (The Twisted Dukes #2)

Chapter 14

“ Y our Grace,” Mrs. Gaines said gently from behind him.

Xander felt her hand on his shoulder, but he did not move. He had not moved a single inch since he had pulled the chair up to Eleanor’s bed and waited for her to wake.

“Yes, Mrs. Gaines?” He asked, keeping his eyes on his sleeping wife. It had been over a day now and she still had not awoken.

“The Langleys have departed, as you commanded, and the Duke and Duchess of Huxton have agreed to take over hosting the rest of the week’s festivities. Your other guests should be gone by this evening. Everyone is sending their thoughts and prayers to the duchess.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Gaines,” Xander replied, keeping his fingers tightly interlaced as he held them to his chin. “And the physician? Is he all right?”

From behind him, Mrs. Gaines let out a small sigh and he could imagine her shaking his head at him.

“After the staff made him aware of how much worse it could have been, he is feeling quite thankful all he got was a bruise.”

Unable to help himself, a smirk broke through Xander’s set frown. A red mist had settled over his vision when he saw Eleanor being treated so roughly. Then, when the man had so brutally slapped his hand over her mouth, he had lost control and lunged. Two of his servants had caught him and pled for him to allow the doctor to work. But when the physician began to smile down at Eleanor the way he did as he held her mouth shut, something in him had broken.

He had the two men off of him in an instant and before he knew it Xander was on top of the man. It had taken four servants then to pull him off him, and two others to carry the terrified physician out.

“I want him replaced by tomorrow and I want you to choose who it is,” Xander commanded. “I will not have her touched like that ever again. And be sure they bring laudanum. What kind of physical does not keep a steady supply of laudanum?”

Xander unintentionally added a hard tonal edge to his last sentence, and it caused Eleanor to stir slightly. He froze as she rubbed her cheek against her pillow, sighed slowly, then relaxed again. Only when he saw her resume her deep breathing once more, did he allow himself to do the same.

“It shall be an honor,” Mrs. Gaines replied, keeping her voice down.

Done with the conversation, Xander nodded toward the door and waited for her to leave. When she did not move after several moments, Xander begrudgingly dragged his eyes away from Eleanor and turned around to his longtime housekeeper.

“Is there something else?” He asked, slightly annoyed that she had not left yet.

Mrs. Gaines stared back at him steadily.

“Though I know you to be otherwise, you are not known as a particularly gentle man,” she stated, “You have a dominant side to you that has always been obvious, and your strictness has earned you a reputation, but you have never lost control…”

“Today, Your Grace, that was not so. In all my years as a member of your staff, I have never seen you attack a man the way you attacked that physician. I am not saying that what he did was right, but you could have hurt him, Your Grace.”

It was true and Xander knew it. If the other servants had not gotten to him, who knows what he would have done? He could not explain it, though. The ferocity that came over him when he saw Eleanor choking- the overall need to protect her. It had consumed him so quickly and so fully that it rendered him a slave to it.

“Have Jared send the physician a couple hundred pounds and the title’s deepest apologies,” he grumbled.

There was not much else he could do. That would have to be enough. That, and, keeping an eye on his temper when it came to his wife.

“I will,” Mrs. Gaines agreed quickly, “But, Your Grace, there is something else.”

“What now, Mrs. Gaines?” Xander sighed wearily.

“Well, typically, Your Grace, it is the staff that would tend to a duchess when she is ill,” Mrs. Gaines explained calmly, “Not the duke.”

Xander stayed silent a moment, his eyes moving back to Eleanor as he began to rub his jaw.

“I will see to it,” he said dismissively, waving her off.

“That is just not how things are done,” she sighed.

“That is how they are being done today,” Xander snapped back in a low tone, careful not to disturb Eleanor again.

Mrs. Gaines gave him an interesting look, one he did not quite know how to read, and he rolled his eyes.

“Tell me what to do,” he demanded.

“Keep an eye on her temperature,” Mrs. Gaines explained in a motherly fashion, arguing no further. “Do not let her get too hot or too cold. It is almost time for her to be given some water again, and you will need to do that every half hour or so. Gently lift the back of her head and spoon some water between her lips slowly. Be careful, or she will choke.”

Xander nodded quickly.

“And food?” He asked, glancing down at his wife.

“You will have to allow me to bring up some broth from time to time, but water will be the most important.”

“I will allow it. Thank you, Mrs. Gaines,” Xander replied.

“Of course, Your Grace,” She replied but still did not leave. With a sigh, Xander brought his eyes back to her one more time.

“What is it, Mrs. Gaines?” He asked warily.

Mrs. Gaines smirked back at him as she clasped her hands together and shrugged.

“Nothing, Your Grace,” she replied sweetly. “I have just never seen you behave like this before.”

Xander shifted uncomfortably under Mrs. Gaines all-knowing gaze, and he looked away.

“She is under my protection until this mess is sorted,” he grunted out. “That is all.”

“Of course, Your Grace,” She replied quickly, finally making her way toward the door. “I shall leave you to it.”

“No more visitors,” he called out quickly.

Xander waited long after he was left alone before he moved again, and only then it was to step up to Eleanor’s bed. Silently, he looked down at her, taking his time to study her features in the dimming afternoon light. Her lady’s maid and Mrs. Gaines had convinced him to step out of the room long enough to get her out of her gown and into her nightdress, so she now lay in a simple white linen chemise, the white sheets of her bed pulled up to her waist. It had been up to her shoulders, but subtle movements in Eleanor’s slumber had caused the covers to fall lower. Mrs. Gaines had also removed all of the pins from Eleanor’s hair, and her curls spread like silk across the stark white pillows.

Unable to help himself, Xander reached out and captured one of the long, brown curls. Gently rubbing the strands, he found the texture surprisingly silky and soft. Not at all like his, which was thick and coarse. Releasing the curl, his fingertips traveled over the pillow to her pale cream cheek and pale peach lips. His touch was gentle; reverent, as he took in the shallow darkness beneath her eyes and the hollowness in her cheeks.

How long had she been this stressed and he had not noticed? How long had she suffered in silence? Guilt began to rack through him as he realized the flaws in keeping a physical distance between them. He had assumed she would be safe here but he had foolishly underestimated how much her family could compromise that when they appeared.

He was trying to keep Eleanor out of Victor’s blackmailing as much as possible, but the man seemed intent on using his daughter by whatever means necessary to further his standing. Even to her own detriment. He needed to keep them away from her, he knew that. But he had no idea how.

Eleanor awoke to the feeling of something cool and wet trickling down her throat. She swallowed greedily at the feel of the water and tried to raise her head. It was only then that she realized a large hand was supporting the back of her neck, and she was gently being pulled back down.

“Easy.” Xander’s deep, coaxing voice sounded through the darkness. “Are you coming around, Honey?”

Eleanor moaned softly. Her tongue darted between her lips and she found them papery and dry.

“More,” she pleaded. The spoon came to her lips again as she felt large fingers massage the back of her neck, and she drank again.

“Open those beautiful eyes for me, Honey, and I will give you much more,” Xander promised, his deep tone still warm and coaxing.

Through her fogginess, Eleanor felt a warmth bloom in her veins at the sound of Xander’s deep voice. The husky, slightly gruff tone eased her discomfort, and she felt the urge to obey. Her eyelids felt heavy and stiff at first, but after a moment of fluttering, she finally opened them to see Xander’s cool silver gaze looking down at her. It took a minute for the rest of the details to settle in, but she eventually saw that he was seated in a chair very close to the top of the bed, her head nestled under his hand and against his chest.

“There you are,” he whispered, a look of relief skittering across his face as he stroked her hair. “You have been out for quite a while.”

“What happened?” Her voice came out hoarse again, and with another gentle shush, Xander moved to reposition himself. His hand was still on the back of her neck; he raised her up with ease and slid in behind her. Once he settled, he gently brought her back to rest against his chest.

“Try to drink this for me first,” he insisted, bringing a teacup of water to her lips. “Then I will answer your questions.”

Eleanor tried to put her hands around the cup but Xander’s firm grip kept her from taking it herself, and as he cupped her jaw gently with his free hand, he tipped the teacup with the other; letting a small, steady trickle of water pour into her mouth.

“Better?” He asked when Eleanor’s eyes silently told him she was done.

She nodded, her eyes still glued to him.

Where had he come from? Had he been there when she fainted?

“The physician said you were dangerously exhausted,” Xander informed her as he sat the teacup down. “One of your friends suggested you were not sleeping well lately. Another mentioned you have not been eating. I knew your parents vexed you but I do not believe I quite understood the scale. Why did you not tell me?”

Because you do not care, she thought. Eleanor was not sure at all what was happening. Xander had been distant since the moment they had gotten married and now suddenly he was in bed with her, holding her as if she were precious. Longing and confusion shot through as she looked up at him.

Yes, his little tongue trick had been lovely and deeply pleasurable, but she knew what it was: an appeasement. It certainly worked, and she had enjoyed it immensely, but it did not give her any mixed signals. This, however, was.

“You have problems you must handle on your own and so do I,” she replied, her voice less strained now. Xander let out a long breath through his nostrils as he looked down at her, then shook his head as he looked away.

“My problems do not cause me to faint from exhaustion, Eleanor,” he replied defensively. “Until we get this annulment, you are under my protection, and I take that quite seriously.”

“Are you mad at me for fainting?” She asked, turning in his arms to look at him. He threw her a glare before a low growl came from his chest.

“No,” he huffed out. “I am mad because I could have prevented it. All you had to do was tell me.”

“And how am I to tell you if you are never here?” She asked, looking up at him innocently.

Eleanor felt Xander’s muscles tense beneath her and watched his mouth form into a sneer of amusement. Another guttural sound from his chest was all she got. Unable to help herself, she smiled and shook her head as she leaned into his chest.

There were questions, many in fact, as to why he was the one taking care of her if he did not care for her, but she was content to let them go for now. She felt more rested than she had in weeks and Xander’s protective embrace was keeping her incredibly relaxed.

“You need to eat,” Xander stated, beginning to shift beneath her. “I shall alert Mrs. Gaines for more broth. Maybe some bread too. Just a little.”

“Not yet,” she countered quickly, gripping his arm.

Xander stilled immediately but looked down at her with a cocked brow.

“You have been asleep for nearly two days; you must eat something.”

Two days, Eleanor mused. Had he been by her side that entire time?

“I will,” she promised, giving him a pleading look. “I am just not ready quite yet. Please? May we stay a little longer?”

Xander met her eyes again, still with a stern look, but after a few moments, he nodded and relaxed his back into the pillows.

“A little longer,” he agreed, almost begrudgingly, “An hour at most. I will not let you go without eating any longer than that.”

“I accept your terms,” Eleanor sighed, wiggling comfortably into his body.

“Your family vexes you, too,” she added softly, trying to keep the conversation going. She felt Xander’s chest tense behind her, though, and immediately decided to drop it. Absentmindedly, she began to run her fingertips slowly up and down the bare flesh of Xander’s muscled forearm that was locked across her chest, holding her to him. The corded muscles that lay beneath his taut flesh were warm and firm, and covered by a swath of dark brown hair that was surprisingly soft.

Several moments later, she realized she had not felt Xander take another breath yet. Tilting her head a little to look at him, she saw his silver eyes burning brightly down at her, and his chiseled lips were set into a straight line. Everything in him had frozen- even his heartbeat.

“Sorry,” she whispered, pulling her hand away from his arm. He continued his intense stare for several more painstakingly slow moments, then he finally exhaled and averted his eyes. Without looking back at her, he reached down and put her hand back on his arm.

Pressing her lips together to hide her smile, Eleanor settled back down into her comfortable spot and began to gently stroke the hairs on his arm again. With his free arm, he reached toward her nightstand, refilled her teacup with water, and brought it to her lips again.

“Come,” he commanded, “You need more. And you must eat soon.”

This time, Eleanor obeyed his command silently, letting him care for her.

“You are right,” he agreed, sitting the empty cup back down on the nightstand.

“Hmm?” Eleanor asked, feeling surprisingly drowsy again.

“About my family vexing me. Especially as of late.” She paused. “Your cousin, Richard?” She asked, glancing up at him.

Xander eyes widened slightly in surprise but, this time, he did not frown.

“You are more perceptive than you are given credit for,” he said begrudgingly. “What have you heard of him? Has your father asked about him?”

“My father? No, not at all. And it is not what I hear, it is more of how often people have asked for or about him in this last week. They say he is quite charming and much missed.”

“I am sure,” Xander uttered under his breath.

“But my sister is quite charming in public,” she went on, “Or at least can be when she really tries. The thing is, though, I am the only one who knows how difficult she is. Is that how Richard is for you? Difficult?”

Xander let out a bark of a laugh as his hand went to her hair. Eleanor immediately felt pleasure trickle from the top of her head down to her toes as his strong fingertips gently massaged her scalp. Unable to keep them open, her eyes fluttered shut as she melted further into him.

“He is,” she heard Xander say, feeling his words vibrating in his chest. “His recklessness has become a danger to… well, more than just myself now. I had to send him off with the Navy to keep him out of trouble. Many people have been upset by his absence, but it is for the best.”

“Will he ever be allowed to come home?” She asked, fighting the urge to drift back to sleep.

“He will be back from a voyage in less than a month,” Xander replied, his voice sounding deeper and more distant. “No, no, little one,” Xander chuckled, pulling Eleanor back from slumber with a gentle shake. “You have to eat first before you go back to sleep.”

He went to move her, but she clung to him.

“Not yet,” she pouted, burrowing her face into a white button-up shirt.

“Are you always like this?” He asked, his voice full of amusement as he got out of bed, stood, and placed Eleanor back down on the bed- alone.

“Only when I am sick,” she teased, feeling a little more herself again.

Xander smirked at her as he shook his head, then began to walk toward the servant’s bell.

“You are feeling better. Mrs. Gaines will be up shortly with your soup,” he told her, walking further away from her. “I will let her know you are to finish every drop.”

“Wait,” Eleanor said anxiously, feeling her heart clench painfully as he went to leave.

To her relief, Xander stopped immediately and turned to look at her with those devilishly charismatic silver eyes. His eyebrows were tensed slightly as if he was trying to hide any emotion.

“Please stay,” she pleaded, finally giving in to what she wanted to say since her wedding night.

His eyes widened slightly as his chiseled lips parted just enough to reveal a glimmer of his white teeth, but he said nothing.

“You do not- I mean, you could stay. I-”

Tell him, her heart urged her. Tell him you feel better than you have ever felt in his arms and you want to sleep in them.

“I will stay,” Xander agreed quietly, saving Eleanor from the dreadful confession.

She breathed a sigh of relief as he let go of the doorknob, and began to walk back toward her.

“You will?”

He nodded, taking a seat in the chair by her bed. It was a far cry from what she wanted, but it was better than him leaving.

“On one condition,” he told her, holding her gaze as he laced his fingers together and rested his elbows on his knees.

“Oh?” She asked, feeling both timid and excited.

“If you are going to be under my care,” Xander informed, her silver eyes beginning to glow again. “You must do as I say. No arguing.”

“I do not argue, we have a truce,” she whispered, unable to help it. Her lips spread into a full grin as he cocked an eyebrow at her as his lips twitched. “I promise,” she agreed quickly as Mrs. Gaines knocked on the door. “If you say, I obey.”

The humor in Xander’s gaze was suddenly taken over by something else. Something that made her entire body feel sensitive and her lower belly spasm as it did the night in his study.

“Careful, Honey,” he warned, his voice deeper, more primal than before. “That kind of talk can be dangerous.”

As Mrs. Gaines flew into the room like an excited bird, Eleanor and Xander continued to stare at one another. She was not sure if he was warning her- or himself.