“You love her.” It was a statement rather than a question.
“I do. And if she lives and will have me, I intend to marry her. Yet one more reason I would have given Father to be disappointed in me.”
“He wouldn’t have been disappointed.”
Grey scoffed with disbelief. “You said yourself Father thought wives were weakness for spies.”
“He did. But he also took a wife and loved Mother very much.” Edward smiled. “As I said before, the two of you are more alike than either of you ever saw. It’s why you didn’t rub along well.”
Grey stood and moved to the door to peer down the hall. Impatience clawed at him. If he didn’t have some news soon, he’d go mad. “I always thought you were more like Father.” He stared out the window into the street shining with the first rays of daylight.
Edward came up behind Grey and grasped him on the shoulder. “Not in matters of the heart. Where that’s concerned, I am practical where you two are romantic. If I ever take a wife, it will simply be because I must produce an heir. But only if you don’t produce one for me.”
It was on the tip of Grey’s tongue to reply, but Plumbe appeared in the hall, and Grey raced toward the man. “How is she?”
The man’s eyes cast downward and Grey’s heart plunged. The physician wiped his hands on his bloody apron before raising his gaze to Grey’s. “She’s alive for now. I can’t say what tomorrow will bring.”
Thirty-One
Grey’s hand shook as he reached out to caress Madelaine’s cheek. Behind him, he heard footsteps and glanced back to see the physician.
Plumbe came to stand by Grey. “The bullet passed cleanly through her side.”
Grey nodded as he stared down at her and watched the rise and fall of her chest. The motion, though ragged, gave him hope. “What’s the danger?”
“Infection. I sewed her up as best as I could. Now we wait and hope fever doesn’t kill her. I’ll leave you alone for a bit. But I’ll be down the hall if you need me.”
Grey pulled a chair close, sat, and took her hand. It was clammy and warm. He lay his head on the edge of her bed and pressed his cheek into her palm, remembering what it felt like when she’d caressed him with tenderness. Emotion clogged his throat. Christ! If she died and left him, he’d never bloody well forgive himself, not that he was sure he could anyway.
He lay there for hours, listening to her breathe, glad to know she still was with him. Sometime after the shadows had shifted in the room, the door creaked open. Grey lifted his head to find Edward standing by the bed. “How is she?”
“No change.”
Edward shifted from foot to foot then cleared his throat. “I should probably depart for Kew, but if you need me to stay with you…”
“No.” Grey sat up fully. She’d live or die without Edward here, and if she died, Grey would rather not have an audience when he fell apart. “The king will want to hear a report. You should go. When she’s better, I’ll bring her to Windsor to marry her, if she’ll have me.”
Edward squeezed Grey’s shoulder. “I’ll pray for her.”
“I thought you didn’t believe in God anymore.”
Edward shrugged. “I don’t. But I could be wrong, so just in case, I’ll pray for Madelaine.”
“Thank you,” Grey choked out.
As Edward slipped out the door, Plumbe’s wife slipped in carrying a tray laden with bread, cheese, wine and some cuts of meat. Grey’s stomach rolled in protest. “Thank you, but I’m not hungry.”
She tisked. “Your woman will need your strength when she awakens. It won’t do for you to be too sick to care for her. You need food and sleep.”
“What’s your name, madame?”
“Rose. Call me Rose.”
Grey smiled. “Rose, I’ll eat, but I won’t sleep.”
She thrust the tray at him. “We shall see. You’ve dark circles under your blood-shot eyes. Once your belly is full, you’ll sleep.”
He’d never be able to sleep until Madelaine was out of danger, but he didn’t bother to argue further with Rose. She was being kind, and he would not repay her kindness with ungraciousness. As he ate, he half-heartedly listened to Rose talk. Her voice grew low, and he was unable to keep up with her words. Her lips moved, but he heard no sound. His head bobbed to the side, and several times he jerked upright.
