All About Seduction(47)
“I will leave you to Steven’s care now.” She smiled brightly and wondered what was wrong with her that she wanted to hover and help him with his personal preparations for the day. Surely it was just an overabundance of concern for his welfare. It wasn’t as if a man found a woman hovering at his elbow as he performed his ablutions attractive. He probably preferred privacy. If she were in his place, she would.
Caroline returned to the breakfast room, where Jack’s bed had been set up, alarmed that she even wanted to hang onto him. “Will you be staying long, Miss Dugan?”
It was ungracious of her, but when she’d opened the door and seen Miss Dugan and Jack in an embrace, her breath had been snatched away. But why hadn’t the young woman seen Jack’s deeply furrowed brow and grimace of pain or done anything for him?
Miss Dugan lifted her chin. “I came to take care of him.”
“I assure you, Mr. Applegate is getting the best care possible.” Nothing for you to do but go home.
Without Jack in the room, Caroline took in the young woman’s dewy skin, pink lips, and pert features. She turned to the sideboard hoping to compose her expression and blot out the resentment that threatened to swamp her. She supposed it could be that Miss Dugan had blond curls that had been made messy in whatever she was doing with Jack before the door opened. Or that her skin had the dewy softness that only young women retained, which reminded Caroline of how far past the first blush of youth she was. But really, seeing the pretty girl with Jack made her want to claw out Miss Dugan’s eyes.
Caroline had no business feeling proprietary about him. And if this young woman offered him comfort, she should not interfere. She swallowed hard. “Although in a few weeks when he is well enough to go home, he will need friends to help care for him.”
“He will hate that,” said Miss Dugan.
Caroline’s animosity drained out of her. She had no idea what Jack would or wouldn’t like. “I imagine you know him better than I.”
“I do,” averred Miss Dugan. “I mean he doesn’t even want to marry until he can support me and any children in comfort. Not that he couldn’t now, but for he provides so much for his kinfolk.”
Dismay sliced through Caroline, and she had to work hard to keep her hands relaxed in a ladylike manner. He was an engaged man and she’d nearly thrown herself at him. Thank God she’d found out before she made a complete fool of herself and asked him to bed her.
She couldn’t interfere in Jack’s happiness. It wasn’t as if they could . . . as if there could be anything more than the attempts to get pregnant. He was planning a life with pretty, blond Miss Dugan, after all.
Fighting the burn of tears in her eyes, she moved along the sideboard straightening the pitcher and lining up the spoon next to the laudanum bottle. Although last night she’d thought Jack might be a potential candidate, she wouldn’t touch him again—or at least no more than she needed to help him.
“Would you help Steven assist Jack back to bed when he is done, Miss Dugan?” Caroline thought her voice sounded fairly normal. The higher pitch was probably only noticeable to her. After Miss Dugan’s nod, she added, “I will leave you to him, then.”
Wanting to be alone, she couldn’t exit the room fast enough, but as she entered the hall, Robert grabbed her arm. “I thought you had gone to the mill.”
“I’m late,” she rasped out. God, she would likely feel a thousand times better if she could just lop off her head.
Since Robert was here, the rest of the men must be too. Dread tightened her spine. She wasn’t ready to face them, or to let Mr. Whitton know there would be no repeat of last night’s drinking fiasco, but she was still willing to participate in the parts that could lead to a baby.
Robert tugged her back toward the stairs. “What the devil is going on, Caro?”
“You don’t have to shout.” Couldn’t he just leave her alone?
“I’m not shouting!”
He most certainly was shouting. If he continued, her head would crack open. “Why aren’t you out hunting or fishing or whatever entertainment was scheduled today?”
“We’ll go out after things settle.” He looked over his shoulder as if aware he shouldn’t be overheard, and dropped his voice to a level that only mildly blasted her. “Besides, Langley is leaving this morning and Whitton decided to accompany him back to town. The men will wish to see them off.”