Page 96 of A Baby to Seal the Duke’s Fate

Honora looked down at the baby. “She is perfect.”

“Her fever?”

“Gone.”

Leopold stepped into the room but stopped at the doorway. For a moment, he simply looked at them. Honora became aware of everything at once: the blanket falling from around her shoulders, the chair, the quiet, the memory of his shoulder.

She picked up Cecily and adjusted the child against her hip. Cecily, having seen Leopold, promptly dropped the blanket so it draped over the side of the crib, and cooed loudly, giving her own testimony regarding her health.

“Cecily has been awake for a while,” Honora said, reaching out to grab Cecily’s flailing fist. “Entirely untroubled by what she put us through.”

Leopold’s mouth twitched. “That sounds like her.”

“She wants breakfast.”

“Of course.” His eyes returned to the child. “Is she ready to eat?”

Honora nodded.

“We will start slow. Though in my experience, it is best to let the child let us know how much they are ready to eat and when.”

Leopold’s face stilled, his eyes firmly on Honora. He seemed to be thinking intently about something, with such intensity that it made Honora nervous. Then, he waved to Cecily and smiled, the hard expression dissolving.

“She does look better.”

“Much.”

He nodded, glancing at her again. And again came the cautious, thoughtful look he had given her a moment before. There was something different in the way he looked at Honora that morning. It was as if he was suspicious.

And it was in that instant that she remembered. He had asked her the night before how she knew about the compresses, and he had done so because she had made a slip. In response, she had lied again. He had let it go, but he wore the same expression he was giving her right then before he did so.

She realized that he had not let it go because he believed her. He had let it go because he had decided it was a matter to settle later. She desperately wanted to think she was being paranoid. But Leopold had never looked at her so warily.

He took another step into the nursery. “Did you sleep?”

She glanced at the blanket. “A little.”

“Did you sleep enough?”

“No.” The answer slipped out before she could embellish it.

Leopold looked at her, and warmth and amusement briefly softened his expression. “I thought not.”

“I am well enough to take care of Cecily today, I assure you,” Honora said.

Leopold’s eyes told her he clearly did not believe her. But he did not object. Honora lowered her eyes to Cecily.

Leopold was quiet for another moment. “I am glad she is better,” he said at last.

Honora nodded. “So am I.”

He hesitated, and Honora thought he was going to say something else. He did not.

“Have a good day, Miss Redmond.”

“You too, Your Grace.”

He turned. At the door, he paused again. For one second, he looked back, his gaze meeting hers. She held her breath, certain he would bring up the compress remark again. But then, he left.