“Thank you, Your Grace.”
“I’ve brought you tea and honey. That might help the cough as well as this salve. Rub it on her chest.”
“Your Grace, that’s too much.”
“Not nearly enough, Mrs. Fallow. There’s soup and bread in here too. Enough for you and Mr. Fallow as well. I’ll send more tomorrow.”
Mrs. Fallow grasped the duchess’s gloved hand. “Thank you, Your Grace.”
“It’s the least I can do.”
The little girl coughed again, and Katie looked about. “Mrs. Fallow, do you have a pillow?”
“Yes.” Mrs. Fallow went to the other bed in the cottage and lifted one of two.
“It might help her cough to elevate her head,” Katie said, placing the pillow under the child’s head. She was so small and quite warm. “My governess used to always do that for me when I had a croup.”
“Good idea,” the duchess said. “Mrs. Fallow, is there anything else I can do to help?”
“You have done so much already, Your Grace. My lady. Thank you.”
“I’ll send more soup tomorrow,” the duchess said. “And now I will take my leave so you can go back to your laundry.”
The women were quiet as they walked back to Carlisle Hall. Katie couldn’t stop thinking about how frail the sick child had looked and how grateful her mother had been for what seemed the smallest kindness.
“This is where I leave you,” the duchess said, indicating a fork that led toward the dowager house. “Good afternoon.”
“Wait!” Katie said.
The duchess turned back.
“I want to go with you tomorrow.”
“Good. I’ll see you at this spot at one in the afternoon.” And she walked away.
Katie stared after her and then turned to look back toward the Fallows’ cottage, which wasn’t visible due to the trees planted at the edge of the lawn. Why hadn’t she realized she was now the mistress of the tenants of Carlisle Hall? She was responsible for them, and she would begin to take that responsibility seriously, beginning tomorrow.
Katie realized something else too. She hadn’t thought much about the Duke of Carlisle—other than silently agreeing with hismother that he was an idiot and occasionally pitying him when her father spoke of him, and when she learned he’d gambled away his estate.
But now she had a different feeling—loathing. How could the man who was supposed to be the caretaker for a family like the Fallows neglect them so? How could he recklessly gamble their lives away? She didn’t expect her father to care about the tenants at the estate. He cared about little other than himself and his reputation.
But Carlisle had grown up here. He’d been entrusted with this house and these people’s lives. And Katie was suddenly quite glad that he had lost the estate. He didn’t deserve it.
She knew she was conveniently piling all her unhappiness and displeasure with her current situation on the duke. But he wasn’t here to defend himself, and she needed someone to blame.
She turned on her heel and strode back into the house, and her only thought wasHow I hate the Duke of Carlisle.
Chapter Three
Henry didn’t thinkanyone could loathe him more than he despised himself in that moment. It was not yet noon, and the gray skies matched his mood. He stood outside his town house—correction: the Marquess of Shrewsbury’s town house—and watched as his footmen—correction: the Marquess of Shrewsbury’s footmen—loaded his coach—that at least still belonged to Henry—with the last of his personal belongings.
He’d sent a trunk ahead with a note to his mother informing her that he’d be joining her for a visit. He didn’t want to tell her the whole truth in a letter. Henry couldn’t bear to see it written in black and white. He had lost everything. His fortune, his land, his reputation. The only thing he still had was his title, though what good was that when he had no land, no wealth to support it?
Somehow, even worse than losing his town house was the knowledge that he had let his friend down. King had needed him. He’d asked Henry for money to hire a lawyer. Henry had some idea what that must have cost a man with as much pride as the Marquess of Kingston. Why, the poor man was reduced to living in a tavern in Seven Dials. A few days ago, Henry had pitied him.
Now Henry envied King for at least having a roof over his head.
But he’d think about how to help King later.
