“Any idea what must have caused this commotion?” Samantha asked Mary, though knowing her maid might not have the answer seeing as they were all together.
“If it is not too important, we can ask the crowd to dissipate a little so we can take the boy home. I would hate for them to cause a hitch in our journey,” she said, the worry in her eyes evident.
However, as they approached the crowd, Samantha was surprised to see them parting to let the carriage pass through, and then she heard the words.
“Oh, our duchess is so selfless!”
“She took the sick boy in the carriage.”
“Has she no fear for her health?”
“I never reckoned much of her before, but she’s proved herself wonderful.”
Samantha could not understand it.
Apparently, word had spread of her kindness, and the crowd had gathered to see them arrive.
“Thank you, Your Grace,” the boy’s mother said, tears streaming down her face as she clutched Samantha’s hands. “I don’t know what we would have done without your kindness. The doctor says Tommy will be fine, thanks to getting him there so quickly.”
“Nonsense,” Samantha replied warmly, surprised by how natural it felt to offer comfort and reassurance. “You’re a good mother, and Tommy is a strong boy. He’ll be right as rain in no time. And please, don’t hesitate to send word if you need anything else.”
CHAPTER 10
Ewan had been riding hard across his estate, trying to outrun the restless energy that had plagued him since their heated encounter two nights prior.
The memory of Samantha’s response to his kiss, the way she’d melted against him before pulling away, haunted his thoughts and made concentration on estate matters nearly impossible.
He’d been pushing his horse harder than necessary, taking jumps that were perhaps more reckless than wise, when he spotted the familiar sight of his ducal carriage in the village square.
Curious about what had brought Samantha to the village, he drew closer and witnessed a scene that stopped him cold.
Samantha emerged from a modest cottage, her usually perfect hair slightly disheveled, her morning dress less than pristine, contrary to what an aristocratic lady would look like.
But it wasn’t her disheveled appearance that caught his attention; it was the way she moved through the crowd that had gathered.
She spoke quietly with a tearful woman who clutched her hands gratefully, then turned to address an elderly man who was clearly thanking her for something. She listened intently to each person who approached her, offering comfort and practical assistance with the natural grace of someone born to the role.
“Bless you, Your Grace,” he heard one villager say. “Tommy’s mother was beside herself with worry.”
“The child needed help,” Samantha replied simply. “Anyone would have done the same.”
But Ewan knew that wasn’t true. Most members of the aristocracy would have sent a servant or made a monetary donation rather than personally involving themselves. Very few would have risked contagion by holding a sick child, and fewer still would have spent hours of their day ensuring a tenant’s family received proper care.
When she finally approached the carriage, clearly preparing to return to Valemont Hall, she found him waiting beside it, having dismounted and handed his horse’s reins to a groom.
“Your Grace,” she said, clearly startled by his unexpected presence. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“Nor I you,” he replied, helping her into the carriage before settling beside her. “Though I must say, watching you work was illuminating.”
“I hardly call helping a sick child work,” she said quietly, settling her skirts around her.
As their carriage began the journey back to Valemont Hall, Ewan found himself studying his wife’s profile. There was a flush of satisfaction on her cheeks, a brightness in her eyes that he’d never seen before.
She looked… fulfilled. Happy, even.
“You were born to be a duchess,” he said quietly, the words emerging before he could stop them.
Samantha turned to him, her blue eyes wide with surprise and something that looked almost like vulnerability. “I beg your pardon?”
