“Bring some food, at once, please,” Theodore added quickly. “And some brandy too for the shock.”
“What has happened?” Mrs. Lancaster appeared behind Yates in panic.
“A fainting spell,” Theodore called. “She has not eaten.”
“Do not worry yourself, Mrs. Lancaster,” Maggie called. “I am quite recovered. Theo, you really don’t need to – careful!”
Theodore nearly knocked his own head on the doorframe of the study in his attempt to get her into the room. He reset their position then carried her into the room. He avoided the desk and the formal chairs entirely, carrying her instead to the rococo settee, where he sat down and pulled her firmly into his lap.
Her cheeks went from alabaster white to pleasant pink in an instant.
Do not think on it!
It was far too pleasant a distraction.
“Why have you not eaten?” he asked, the protectiveness plain even to his own ears.
Yates appeared a few seconds later. He was carrying a food tray that he placed down onto a table that Theodore pushed into place.
“I was busy,” Maggie explained, her eyes doing that fluttering thing again which told him she was fighting off her dizziness. “I was enjoying myself.”
“And that’s a reason to make yourself ill?” he asked impatiently, taking the plate from the table. “Eat something. It’s hardly a wonder you’d feel faint when you haven’t eaten all day.”
“Theo, please calm yourself,” she said, reaching for the plate yet still making no effort to eat.
It rankled him even further, though she rested the plate in her lap.
At least she is making no effort to get off my lap.
His arms wrapped around her waist, that same protective feeling now palpable in his chest.
“I am perfectly well. Thanks to you.” She added the latter part swiftly and smiled at him. “Thank you, for catching me.”
“God knows how bad your injury could have been if I wasn’t there.”
“I was turning to look at you. That is what made me dizzy.”
“Are you hoping to blame me for this?” he said tightly as Yates and Mrs. Lancaster returned to the room, fussing with a carafe of brandy between them and a glass.
“No.” Though Margaret’s face took on an amused smile. It lightened the fear in him a little. “Thank you,” she whispered softly, leaning toward him. “That was quite some catch.”
“I wasn’t going to let you fall,” he said seriously, holding her gaze. “Now, will you eat something? Please?” He even picked up the fork and shoveled food onto it before passing it to her.
She took a bite then handed the fork back to him, apparently uninterested.
“My appetite may return once the feeling has passed,” she tried to explain to him.
“Eat and you will have strength to eat more,” he pleaded.
“I was just trying to make the ballroom nice,” she said softly. “You understand that, don’t you? I know it’s important to you to impress these business acquaintances of yours.”
“Not at the expense of what could have been a nasty head injury for you!” He shook his head, though the moment the sharp words left his lips, he felt the wind go out of him a little and he sighed.
She is doing all this… to please me?
Seeing that Mrs. Lancaster and Yates were distracted as they poured out the brandy, he took the opportunity to whisper to her.
“Please don’t hurt yourself in the effort to please me,” he begged softly. Maggie smiled, though it was a rather sad smile.
