Bewitching the Duke

“Not as much this week but I’m not sure there’s anywhere to go.”

Selina smiled at the young woman. First babies were always the hardest and sometimes they didn’t cooperate. “Well, perhaps he is just sleeping for me today.”

God, she hoped that was all it was, but she didn’t have a good feeling. She hadn’t lost a baby in over two years. There was nothing worse . . . except losing the mother too. “I will stop by tomorrow and see if we can’t wake him up.”

“Probably as soon as you leave, he’ll be kickin’ up a storm,” Susan said with a laugh.

She prayed Susan was right. If there was still no movement by tomorrow, she might have to brace Susan for the worst. A knot tightened in her belly. She packed up her things, said her good-byes, and walked home.

She’d spent the past two days trying to figure out what she would do if the duke upheld his threat to make her leave. Mia’s small home was full with her mother living there too. Tia’s cottage on Viscount Middleton’s land was smaller than Selina’s home.

A deepening sadness invaded her mind. She didn’t want to leave the tenants who needed her. And with her worries about Susan, Selina felt as if she couldn’t leave the poor woman stranded. It might take Mia two hours to get here, longer at night. Anything might happen to Susan and the baby by then.

As she arrived home, Mrs. Roberts sat on the bench in front of the cottage window. “Mrs. Roberts, is everything all right?”

“Yes, my dear. I came by with some fruit tarts to thank you for the herbs you sent.” Mrs. Roberts hoisted her sturdy frame out of the bench and walked toward Selina.

“Thank you. Would you care for some tea?”

“Oh, I would at that. I’ve been up since dawn, baking for all the workers the duke has here. It’s nice to get away for some peace. They are a noisy bunch of men.”

Selina smiled and opened the door for her. “At least the house is finally being put into order.”

“True.” Mrs. Roberts set the tarts on the table and started fussing with the fire. “I’ll get the fire started while you fetch the water.”

Selina kept several jugs of water on hand. She reached for one and poured the water into a pan. Once Mrs. Roberts had the fire started, they waited for the water to boil. Selina readied the tea and pulled out plates for the tarts.

“You will have one, won’t you?” she asked Mrs. Roberts.

“I shouldn’t . . . but maybe just a small one.”

Selina poured the tea and then sat down at the small table. “How is everyone at the house?”

Mrs. Roberts looked down at her tart. “Everyone is horrified by the duke’s actions, my dear. We all believe he may have lost his mind.”

“He is the duke and can do as he likes,” she replied and then took a bite of the flaky crust. “This is wonderful.”

“Thank you.” Mrs. Roberts sipped her tea. “We do not understand why His Grace would want you gone. Your kind has been here forever.”

Her kind. She was nothing more than a woman with some knowledge of herbs and healing. Yet the tenants thought her some kind of magical being who could heal every illness. “He is a modern man with modern notions.”

“What do you mean?” Mrs. Roberts asked.

“He believes physicians and surgeons have the answers. After all, I am just an uneducated country woman. I might be able to read but I have never been to university. How much could I possibly know? And what could I possibly know about healing people?” Selina sipped her tea and sat back.

Mrs. Roberts tilted her head back and laughed. “I’ll take your uneducated knowledge over one of those arrogant physicians any day.”

Selina smiled back at the older woman. “Thank you.”

“What will you do now?”

Selina shrugged. “I honestly don’t know.”

Mrs. Roberts leaned in closer until her large breasts pressed against the table. “I heard he went to Hartsfield.”

“For what reason?”

“To get permission for you to stay on his lands.”