She kept hearing muffled voices around her.
Slowly, she opened her eyes.
She had just had a beautiful dream - Theodore had confessed to have secretly loved her since he had been a little boy.
But it all sounded ridiculous when she was awake.
"She's awake!" A familiar feminine voice called out.
The room was bright, so bright her eyes snapped shut of their own accord.
All the curtains had been thrown open as if allowing the sun to blind her would force her to wake up.
A slight smile touched her lips - it was so typical of Candace to think that way.
Then she realized her right hand had been immobilised. She could not feel it at all.
Was she paralyzed? Everetta couldn't help but wonder.
Two large eyes peered over her before she was squeezed into the tightest embrace that could possibly exist.
"Eve!" Candace all but squealed at her. "I was worried sick for you. I believe I have lost a pound or so for your sake!"
Typical Candace.
She rolled her eyes.
Friedrich stepped forward hesitantly, as if his mother had held a broom to his head when he was a child and warned him never to enter a woman's chambers.
He was so much more different from his brother who had barged into her chambers without a shred of remorse.
Not that she wanted him to be remorseful, a wicked voice in her head added.
"How do you feel?" He touched her arm lightly and pulled his hand away.
She looked up at his face. He looked like he hadn't slept all through the night. A faint stubble showed on his usually smooth face and his eyes were bloodshot.
"As if an elephant found pleasure in stomping on me over and over." She muttered, intending to be humorous.
But Friedrich didn't smile, he only laughed.
But someone else laughed.
When she followed the direction of the laughter, she saw the Duke sitting on a cushioned chair by the door, his face flushed as he laughed.
"Welcome back to the land of the living, Lady Whitmore. I was going to have Theo ride back to your parents and inform them if anything hapoened to you." He said with a smile. Then he added, "Because he is more immune to an outlash that Friedrich is. And the poor man has no use for that handsome face of his."
The comment was meant to be light, but she could sense the undertone beneath the Duke's words.
The man must have been devastated after learning his son was a… Eunuch.
"I'm glad there would be no need for that." She said, surprising herself by how confident she sounded.
The Duke chuckled.
"You shouldn't have wandered around by yourself. I still have to inform your father about it."
Candace's mother strode into the room just then.
"Oh nonsense! You can't let her mother hear about this. I am to blame because I was entrusted with the little lady's care. Now," She paused to fan herself. "If she hears it, our friendship will fall into shambles."
The Duke rolled his eyes, jutting his chin stubbornly. "That is your problem, not ours, Miranda."
Eve's gaze ran over Lady Kent's soft brown dress and lace shawl. Her silvering hair was folded atop her head and pinned delicately.
"Yes, yes, I am very well aware, Gottfried. But we have to go to Lennox as planned."
Someone else stood at the doorway.
Eve's gaze flicked in that direction.
"The doctor said she is not to he moved until her hand had healed."
If she were naive, she would have mistaken his words for concern.
But he was just stating fact, she told herself glumly.
Friedrich's smile vanished. "But the smoke isn't very good for her as well." Friedrich said.
The Duke looked between his two sons before saying, "If I'm not complaining about the smoke, no one else should."
Candace brushed a strand of hair away from her eyes.
"I can stay behind with her."
Theodore just leaned against the doorframe and folded his arms.
Everetta couldn't miss the fact that both Theodore and Candace were wearing the exact same shade of blue, although his was with a white shirt and hers was with gold lace.
His hair was brushed back neatly, giving him the look of a refined gentleman - a look that Friedrich didn't possess at the moment.
"I should stay back as well-" Friedrich began saying before he was cut off.
"Then who would escort us to Lennox? I, of all people, deserve more company than your tight-lipped brother. And, Candace is coming with me."
Candace rolled her eyes, even though Lady Kent didn't see it.
Eve watched them bicker, feeling as if she were watching a performance at the opera house instead.
"But who would look after Everetta?"
Lady Kent shrugged. "The servants are more than capable, I trust. I would not have you come down with a lung infection because of all this smoke and dust." She gestured around at nothing in particular.
The Duke looked like he would have loved to shoved something down her throat.
"And here I thought you were concerned about Lady Whitmore."
Eve's gaze returned back to Theodore who was also watching everything unfold.
Slowly, his cold gaze moved away from Lady Kent and landed on her.
She suddenly felt self-aware.
Her hair looked like it hadn't seen a brush in several years and she wanted to wash her face…
"If I and Candace cannot stay, and you and father are out of the question, then who is going to stay and look after her. We surely cannot leave her completely at the mercy of servants."
Everyone exchanged glances as they seemed to consider Friedrich's question.
Eve suddenly felt like a child who needed a minder - as if she could not stay for three days on her own.
She may be bedridden, but she wasn't handicapped, she mused silently.
Then, Theodore stepped further into the room.
"Since I will be staying behind to supervise the renovations, I can look after her."
Friedrich cast a glance at her before letting out a sigh of relief.
Candace just stared at Theodore as if he just announced that he had impregnated a cow.
The Duke nodded his consent, a soft smile lightening up his face.
And Lady Kent narrowed her eyes at Theodore despite nodding her consent. As if she saw him as a contagious disease to be contained.
Then all eyes fell on her.
Yet all she could think of was being with him for three days.
Three whole days.
"So… what say you, Lady Whitmore?"
She gulped.
"I don't see why not."