“What are we going to do?” his sister asked.
That was the question, wasn’t it? There were so many things that needed to be done. “The most important thing is Ginny’s health.”
Veronica nodded in agreement. “We can’t leave her until she has the baby, if the baby is still…”
Still alive. It was a thought Oliver hadn’t wanted to even contemplate, but considering their sister’s condition it was a distinct possibility. How in the world had things gotten so bad in so short a time? “I’ll have Swale send for the doctor, and we’ll sit beside her until she’s well enough to travel, and then we’ll bring her home where she’ll be safe.”
His sister shook her head. “If the babe is well, Ginny will not be in a position to go anywhere until after she brings the babe into the world. She’s too weak, Oliver. We can’t take the risk of her delivering on the road home.”
Damn it all. Veronica was right, Oliver knew she was; but the idea of Ginny staying at Waring Hall a moment longer than necessary made a chill crawl down his spine. Were her servants trustworthy, apart from Swale and Benjy? Or were they loyal to Douglas Waring? Was Ginny safe in her own bed? “Then one of us will sit with her around the clock. I don’t want her unattended for even one second.”
“You think Lord Douglas wanted her to die or lose the baby, don’t you?” Veronica whispered.
“I don’t know what I think,” he lied. He certainly wasn’t about to discuss such unpleasantness with his youngest sister. It wouldn’t be fair to burden her with his speculations.
She frowned at him. “You don’t have to protect me.”
But he did. He had to protect all of them, Ginny, Veronica, their mother. Keeping the three of them healthy and safe was his responsibility and had been for the last three years. “Keep watch on her while I speak with Swale.”
Chapter 5
It was interesting, Grace supposed, that both of her brothers had married girls from the same small Cumberland village. While she quite liked both Callie and Lila, the two of them had lived very different lives than she and her sisters had. Neither Callie nor Lila had visited theatres, exhibits or museums before marrying Braden and Quent, respectively. And this season felt like a duplicate of the one previous to it in many ways. Though instead of accompanying Braden and Callie through all of London’s sights as they’d done last year, this year Grace and Hope (sans Patience, of course) spent their days and nights accompanying Quent and Lila to those very same sights. And the same wonder that had sparked in Callie’s eyes last year, sparked in Lila’s now. Normally, Grace wouldn’t have minded exploring London with Lila and Quent, but the arrival of the Duke of Danby had struck such terror in Grace’s heart that it would be impossible to enjoy much of anything.
Everyday that passed without a prospect for marriage put her one day closer to the Duke of Danby making the selection for her. Time was running out, ticking away. She felt it with every breath she took, and excursions with Lila and Quent were a giant waste of her time.
“I do wish you’d stop scowling,” Hope muttered under her breath as she and Grace stepped into the marble gallery.
“I do wish you’d stop—” But then Grace’s mouth fell open. There had been so much talk about Lord Elgin and his marbles the previous year, but she’d never imagined anything quite so breathtaking as when she first stepped into the gallery and saw the white statues and mythical battle scenes with her own eyes. “Heavens,” she breathed out.
Quent led Lila toward the far corner and began explaining how Lord Elgin came to be in possession of these very antiquities. But Grace stood right where she was, as though her feet were planted to the floor, glancing around the gallery and taking in all the pieces at once. She certainly hadn’t seen anything this remarkable last season with Braden and Callie.
Hope gestured to a group of statues, three headless Greek women along the far wall, and grinned. “Hmm. I often think Braden would prefer us like that.”
Grace eyed her sister as though she was mad. “I beg your pardon?”
“None of us could whine or complain or ask him for anything if we were missing our heads.”
That was true. Grace hadn’t thought of it that way and she giggled. “Such a pity for him that we’re whole and hale.”
“Pardon me,” came a cultured, baritone voice from behind them.
They were still blocking the threshold. Grace glanced over her shoulder to find a rather handsome man and a young girl standing right behind them.
“Apologies,” she muttered as she and Hope moved from the entrance so the pair could enter the gallery.
He nodded in response and then guided the little girl directly toward the headless trio Hope had first spotted. The man was tall, with golden hair and light eyes, and had a pleasant air about him. In fact, he appeared in many ways to be the complete opposite of Oliver Ashbee which could only serve to recommend him. There was something about his sudden presence that made Grace smile. And that was both unexpected and quite a relief. Perhaps following Quent and Lila about Town might be beneficial to her predicament after all.
Grace cast a sidelong glance at her sister who shrugged in response as though she could read Grace’s mind. But, of course, the two of themhadbeen together every day of their lives and they could read each other’s thoughts as well as they could their own most of the time.
They followed after the pair just as the man said in response to something the girl had asked, “No, it was very different seeing them in Elgin’s shed.”
“And this is your favorite?” the little girl asked.
“Caught my notice the first time I saw them.” He nodded in agreement. “Elgin says these ladies are from the East Pediment of the Parthenon.”
“But they don’t have heads, Daniel.”
The gentleman laughed slightly at that. “You have to imagine the top of the temple, Addie. Like this.” He pushed the tips of his index fingers together, forming an angle as the girl looked up at him like he was her own personal hero. “Almost like the front of the Covent Garden Theatre, but on a much grander scale, and extending across the width of the entire Parthenon. The sculptures slanted up one side and down the other, lining the top edge. See how they’re at a slant?”