Dash it all, she was failing in her attempts to detach herself from this family. On the contrary, she felt more attached to them than ever. How was she going to make it through the remaining days with all of those feelings warring within her?
Rose looked down at her hands in her lap. “Thank you, Duke,” she said in a shaky whisper.
He leaned forward and clasped his hand over hers. “Are you alright, dear?”
A rogue tear slipped down her cheek and she shook her head. “But I will be.” She hoped. But the truth was, she wasn’t so sure. She felt exposed and vulnerable—and those were not feelings she’d experienced in a long time.
She tried to imagine going back to her normal life once Carver had no need of her anymore, but the prospect was starting to look bleak. Going back to a lonely existence of stealing, living on the run and hiding behind different facades sounded lonely and exhausting.
But what other choice did she have? She had no family. Carver’s was only on loan. She needed to start distancing herself from him.
“Do you want to talk about it?” the duke asked with a tenderness that reminded her too much of Papa.
Her eyes met his, and she wished she could unload all of her worries on his capable shoulders. “I can’t,” she said. “But I wish I could.”
“Well, if you change your mind, you know where to find me.”
She smiled and stood. “Thank you. I’ll remember that.”
Before she had fully left the room, she turned back around. ?
??Carver loves you all very much. There is nothing he wouldn’t do for any of you.” She said it in hopes that the duke would remember it if word ever came out about their ruse.
The duke frowned a little. “I just wish he knew that the same was true for us.”
Chapter 24
Carver tapped his index finger on the table, matching his rhythm to that of the clock ticking away on the mantle. Where was she? The breakfast hour was nearly over and most of the house had already come and gone. But not Daphney. She hadn’t come down to breakfast. Why?
“Oh, for goodness' sake, will you just go look for her already?” A shockingly perturbed Elizabeth shook him from his thoughts. Robert and Mary, the only other two people besides Elizabeth remaining in the breakfast room, stifled laughs.
Carver stopped his tapping and turned his eyes to Elizabeth. “And just what have I done to earn your ire this morning, Elizabeth?”
She patted her tight lips with a serviette. The girl looked tired. “Nothing. It’s just that you’ve been tapping your finger on the table for ten minutes. I’ve never been able to hear the seconds of my life pass by with such clarity before.” Now he had to stifle a laugh. Usually so easy-going and good-natured, something had certainly happened to put Elizabeth in a foul mood.
“Robert, dear, I have a strange feeling that something is bothering our darling siblings,” said Mary.
“So do I, love. And if we are quick about it, I think we can extricate ourselves before they drag us into their fits of the dismals.”
Mary chuckled and Elizabeth glared at her. “Normally, I would disagree with you, Robert. But I don’t quite have the energy for it today.”
Carver watched as Robert’s teasing gleam fled his eyes. “Are you unwell, Mary? Should I call for the physician?” The concern that colored his words brought a smile to Mary’s face. She placed her hand on Robert’s cheek with a look of such adoration that Carver almost felt he should look away. He felt a deep longing for a woman to look at him like that again. And not just any woman.
“Nothing concerning, darling. Just the expected fatigue.” But then his sister’s smile turned a touch too flirtatious for his comfort. “I think I need to go lie down for a bit. Would you mind very much to see me to our room?”
Robert’s brows creased as he assessed his wife’s not-so-subtle twinkle. And then one of his brows lifted and his smile matched hers. “I believe I can make the sacrifice.”
Carver resisted the urge to both gag and punch his brother-in-law in the face. “Oh, dear goodness, will you two just go before Elizabeth and I both start retching?”
Mary flashed him a saucy glare. “No need to unleash your sour moods on us!” She—and Robert as a result—stood from the table. “We’re all too happy to go.”
“Yes—that’s the problem,” murmured Elizabeth from behind her tea cup. Her lips twitched and Carver commiserated with his own suppressed grin.
Mary and Robert left the room and Carver turned in his seat to look fully at Elizabeth. “Now, my dear, what is it that’s put you in a high dudgeon?”
She rolled her eyes and waved him off. “Clearly you have enough on your plate as it is without adding my bad mood to it.” What a very Elizabeth thing to say. She was always practical and levelheaded, which was why her temper was so puzzling. She eyed his own quizzical look. “Really, I’m fine. Now…why do you suppose it is that Daphney is avoiding you?”
He felt his brows shoot up. “Avoiding me? I hadn’t formed that conclusion yet. I only thought she was ill or something. Do you think she’s avoiding me?” The thought made him nervous. He searched his mind for anything that he could have possibly done to offend her. Not a single thing came to mind other than the fact that he’d kissed her hand in the nursery the day before. Now that he thought of it, she had seemed to avoid looking at him through most of dinner last night. Had he made her uncomfortable? Had he been reading all of her signals wrong?