“We also have a wedding to attend.”
The prince gave her a twisted smile. “We have two weddings to attend, and isn’t that a fine thing?”
69
What are you doing on my bed? We’re not married yet.” Julian wondered if any part of him was firm again. He cleared his throat, cast about his brain, but simply couldn’t sort through much of anything. “Are we?”
Sophie, who’d been lying beside him, her palm over his heart, came up onto her knees and leaned over him. “Thank heavens you’re finally awake. It’s been hours.” She closed her eyes for a moment. “Too many of them.”
“Sophie, I will not die, all right? I have a very big problem.”
“You’re thirsty? I know you’ve got to be hungrier than our pregnant Beatrice.”
“Sophie, I must use the chamber pot. Immediately.”
She said nothing at all, jumped off the bed, brought the chamber pot to him.
“Thank you. Go away.”
She went. Fortunately, Devlin was in the hallway outside. “Go to him. He needs assistance. With the chamber pot.”
Devlin shut the door firmly in her face. Sophie devoutly prayed for Devlin’s sake that he take very good care of Julian. She was tempted to wait, but she heard voices coming from Corinne’s sitting room down the corridor.
She should go back—
Roxanne called out, “Sophie, come in here. Corinne and I are having tea. Devlin can take care of my soon-to-be uncle-in-law. Come visit us. Goodness, Sophie, you will be my aunt now.”
That stopped her in her tracks. “Good heavens, the prince will be your uncle-in-law. I will be your aunt? That sounds rather illegal, mayhap even immoral.”
“Since I’m your aunt as well, I would rather consider it interesting.”
“Do you know, Roxanne, Papa will be very surprised indeed when I present him with Julian, a prince. I’m sure he never expected anything at all to come from my Season. A waste of groats, he always said.”
Corinne said, “You are marrying my son, Sophie, surely only one single small step from attaining heavenly rewards. Ah, how very pleased I am. The two of you are doing exactly as your mama and I wished.”
“Mama would be very happy, indeed,” Sophie said, and felt the blurring of tears. She swallowed and sat down on a plush settee.
“Devlin, is our patient showing improvement?”
Devlin smiled at Corinne from the doorway and said to Sophie, “My dear auntie-in-law, Julian asked me whether the two of you were married. What could I say?”
“Devlin,” Roxanne said very slowly, “have you been making mischief?”
“You mean I told him he was indeed married, and why didn’t he remember it? Surely a gallon of laudanum could be no excuse for forgetting your wife.”
Laughter burst out, but no one had a chance to say anything, because Pouffer glided into the room, a Meissen teapot in his hand. “Your grace, Richard Langworth is here. Lady Merrick is here as well.
“As you know, Lady Merrick has sent several messages, which none of you have answered. May I congratulate you on your oversight? As for Richard Langworth, if he had sent a message wishing the prince well, I fancy I should have burned it myself. I have brought very hot tea. It is entirely your decision what to do with it.”
Devlin rubbed his hands together as he rose. “What a fine day this has become. Show them in, Pouffer. Ah, wait a moment.” He walked to Pouffer and spoke low into his ear. Pouffer gave him a long assessing look, nodded. “I shall show in Mr. Langworth.”
“And my sister, please,” Roxanne said. She looked around the room at the sudden silence, at the suddenly long faces. “Stop it, all of you. We enjoyed a few minutes of laughter. Don’t feel guilty about it, any of you. Now that two of our principals are here, we can deal with business. The prince is safe; he will not know what is going on.”
“Actually, I will, Roxanne. No, don’t look appalled. I will not fall over. However, I will be seated.”
He was wearing a dark blue velvet dressing gown, his big feet bare. Sophie didn’t make a move toward him. She searched his face. “You know what you’re doing, my lord?”
He smiled at her as Devlin helped ease him down in a large brocade wing chair. “Yes. Don’t fret.”