“Miss Sophie, you’re here.” She launched herself into Sophie’s arms. “Thank God, you’ll know what to do!”
“Shh, Emma,” she said, trying to comfort the young girl. “What is wrong with your father?”
“He has a fever and the doctor doesn’t know why.” She looked up at Sophie with tears in her amber eyes. “You can help him, can’t you?”
Sophie didn’t want to give any false promises when she hadn’t even seen Nicholas yet. And after seeing only darkness when she tried to read him, she still wondered if it was because he was her match or because he was destined for a short life. “I need to see him first,” she finally said with a quick caress to Emma’s cheek.
“You must see him now, then,” Emma said, pulling away from Sophie.
Sophie followed Emma to the same room where she and Nicholas had first made love. Nothing much had changed in the room except the handsome man in the bed looked flushed with fever. She quietly walked toward the bed trying not to wake him. Placing her hand on his forehead, she wondered at the concern everyone had over this fever. He was barely warm.
“What did the physician say?”
“Only that he has a fever.”
Sophie turned at the deep sounding voice. A tall handsome man with black hair stood at the threshold.
“Excuse me,” he said, walking closer. “I am Nicholas’s friend Dominic Santangelo. You must be Miss Reynard.”
Sophie drew back slightly. He’d heard of her? From Nicholas? Perhaps Nicholas had told him all about their relationship. Embarrassment seared her cheeks. “Yes, I am Sophie Reynard.”
“Excellent.” He kissed the top of her hand lightly. “Emma was adamant that Mrs. Griffon call upon you and insist you see Nicholas.”
“Did the physician give him anything?”
“Just some laudanum to help him sleep. Nicholas said several of the ship’s passengers were ill on the trip over.”
Sophie swallowed down her fear and asked the most important question. “Did any of them die?”
Chapter 25
Mrs. Griffon glanced over at Emma and then Dominic. Their hesitation only increased Sophie’s frustration and worry.
Mrs. Griffon spoke up first, “Not that we are aware of. Both Emma and I were feeling slightly ill during the final days of the trip but neither of us came down with the fever.”
All Sophie knew was Nicholas had a fever. Which meant it could be nothing or something far more serious. What worried her most was the fact that he had only a slight fever but hadn’t awakened with all their commotion. But for right now, she had to work on getting that fever down.
She opened her bag and pulled out her willow bark. “Mrs. Griffon, can you please try to find me some cold water.”
“I will assist her,” Dominic said.
Sophie breathed a sigh of relief to have only Nicholas and Emma in the room. While she readied the herbs, she glanced over at Emma’s pale face. The young girl sat on the bed next to her father and held his hand. Sophie could feel the immense sadness emanating from her.
“Emma, how was your trip?” Sophie asked, attempting to get the girl’s mind off her father for a few moments.
“It was all right but long,” she mumbled, without looking away from Nicholas.
“Did Mrs. Griffon take you to the British Museum yet?”
“Not yet. She said she would once we arrived back home.”
Finally Emma glanced over at Sophie. “Is Papa going to die?” she asked in a small voice.
“Oh, Emma.” Sophie closed the distance between them and hugged the distraught girl. Emma’s tears dampened Sophie’s gown.
“I don’t want him to die. Then I might have to go live with my grandfather and I don’t even know him.”
Sophie closed her eyes and tilted her head to Emma’s. She prayed that Nicholas had enough sense to give guardianship to someone other than his father. Then again, if she hadn’t been so foolish as to leave London and him, this would never have happened. And if she’d only married him, Emma could live with her.