shake. If the duke didn’t wake soon, he’d not wake at all. Her heart lurched as she dipped the cloth into the bowl of cool water. Never had she been so terrified.
“All right, Your Grace, three days is long enough. You really must wake now.” She rubbed the damp cloth over Daniel’s flushed skin. She continued to bathe his face, careful not to dislodge the bandage around his forehead. The swelling had gone down, and the blue-black bruises now had a greenish halo. “I do hope you wake today,” her voice shook as she forced her emotions under control, “so I can tease you about how dreadful you look.”
Silver leaned forward and closed her eyes. “Please, Daniel, please wake up,” she whispered into his ear. Breathing in his spicy male scent, she grazed his warm stubbly cheek with her lips. “I can’t bear to lose you.”
A ragged groan escaped his lips, sounding a lot like her name.
With a gasp, she sprang back. “Daniel?” When his eyelids fluttered open, she pressed a hand to her chest, hoping to calm her racing heart. “Your Grace, can you hear me?”
His eyes slid shut.
“Your Grace?” she whispered and held her breath.
She thought he had slipped back into unconsciousness when he asked, “What happened?”
“Do you not remember?” she asked, leaning forward.
He cracked opened his eyes. “The stallion.”
Silver held her breath when his eyes closed again. “Your Grace?”
No response.
She stared at the small cut on the center of his bottom lip, hoping he would come back around. “Daniel?” She reached out and pressed a hand to his cheek. “Can you hear me?”
The door opened, making her jump. Silver rose from the chair just as her brothers and Garrett entered the room.
“Is he dead, then?” Morgan asked and received an elbow in the ribs from Cameron.
“Keep your voice down, ye big oaf,” Cameron said in a loud whisper.
Duncan shook his head. “Nay, he isna dead.”
Garrett chuckled as his eyes settled on Daniel. “I daresay, His Grace would never allow a horse to do him in.”
Silver smiled. “He woke a few moments ago.”
Relief flickered in Garrett’s eyes, exposing an intense worry he’d been trying to conceal. “That is good news.”
Mrs. Burns plowed through the crowded room, scowling as usual. Daniel’s clothes were tossed over her arm. “Weel, I managed tae get the stains out an’ mend the rips.” She set the clothes on the bed and turned to Garrett. “This was in one o’ the pockets.” She pressed a small object into his hand, then marched out, mumbling about having to do so much extra work.
Standing beside Garrett, Cameron glanced down and his eyes widened. He snatched up the miniature.
“Be damned. Give that back.” Garrett held out his hand.
Cameron ignored the command. “By the saints, she’s an angel.”
Jamie gazed over Cameron’s shoulder. “O’course she isna an angel, ye old fool. The bonnie lass must be his wife.”
Each word pierced Silver’s heart like perfectly aimed arrows. Her breath caught. Wife? The possibility that Daniel had a wife never crossed her mind. Her chest tightened, making it difficult to breathe. Why wouldn’t he have a wife? He was a duke above his thirtieth year. Of course he would have a wife. Duke’s needed heirs. It was some kind of rule.
Her knees threatened to buckle, and she reached for the back of the chair to steady herself and remain on her feet.
Morgan joined the others and whistled as he glimpsed the portrait. “I sure hope she isna his wife. I’d like tae make her my wife.”
“Wha’ dae ye think, Silver?” Cameron held up the miniature.
The tiny portrait depicted a goddess. Silver swallowed hard, twisting the piece of linen she held in her hands. Something inside cracked open. She could never compete with such a beauty, a beauty who undoubtedly came from the upper crust of Society. Her
“All right, Your Grace, three days is long enough. You really must wake now.” She rubbed the damp cloth over Daniel’s flushed skin. She continued to bathe his face, careful not to dislodge the bandage around his forehead. The swelling had gone down, and the blue-black bruises now had a greenish halo. “I do hope you wake today,” her voice shook as she forced her emotions under control, “so I can tease you about how dreadful you look.”
Silver leaned forward and closed her eyes. “Please, Daniel, please wake up,” she whispered into his ear. Breathing in his spicy male scent, she grazed his warm stubbly cheek with her lips. “I can’t bear to lose you.”
A ragged groan escaped his lips, sounding a lot like her name.
With a gasp, she sprang back. “Daniel?” When his eyelids fluttered open, she pressed a hand to her chest, hoping to calm her racing heart. “Your Grace, can you hear me?”
His eyes slid shut.
“Your Grace?” she whispered and held her breath.
She thought he had slipped back into unconsciousness when he asked, “What happened?”
“Do you not remember?” she asked, leaning forward.
He cracked opened his eyes. “The stallion.”
Silver held her breath when his eyes closed again. “Your Grace?”
No response.
She stared at the small cut on the center of his bottom lip, hoping he would come back around. “Daniel?” She reached out and pressed a hand to his cheek. “Can you hear me?”
The door opened, making her jump. Silver rose from the chair just as her brothers and Garrett entered the room.
“Is he dead, then?” Morgan asked and received an elbow in the ribs from Cameron.
“Keep your voice down, ye big oaf,” Cameron said in a loud whisper.
Duncan shook his head. “Nay, he isna dead.”
Garrett chuckled as his eyes settled on Daniel. “I daresay, His Grace would never allow a horse to do him in.”
Silver smiled. “He woke a few moments ago.”
Relief flickered in Garrett’s eyes, exposing an intense worry he’d been trying to conceal. “That is good news.”
Mrs. Burns plowed through the crowded room, scowling as usual. Daniel’s clothes were tossed over her arm. “Weel, I managed tae get the stains out an’ mend the rips.” She set the clothes on the bed and turned to Garrett. “This was in one o’ the pockets.” She pressed a small object into his hand, then marched out, mumbling about having to do so much extra work.
Standing beside Garrett, Cameron glanced down and his eyes widened. He snatched up the miniature.
“Be damned. Give that back.” Garrett held out his hand.
Cameron ignored the command. “By the saints, she’s an angel.”
Jamie gazed over Cameron’s shoulder. “O’course she isna an angel, ye old fool. The bonnie lass must be his wife.”
Each word pierced Silver’s heart like perfectly aimed arrows. Her breath caught. Wife? The possibility that Daniel had a wife never crossed her mind. Her chest tightened, making it difficult to breathe. Why wouldn’t he have a wife? He was a duke above his thirtieth year. Of course he would have a wife. Duke’s needed heirs. It was some kind of rule.
Her knees threatened to buckle, and she reached for the back of the chair to steady herself and remain on her feet.
Morgan joined the others and whistled as he glimpsed the portrait. “I sure hope she isna his wife. I’d like tae make her my wife.”
“Wha’ dae ye think, Silver?” Cameron held up the miniature.
The tiny portrait depicted a goddess. Silver swallowed hard, twisting the piece of linen she held in her hands. Something inside cracked open. She could never compete with such a beauty, a beauty who undoubtedly came from the upper crust of Society. Her
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