Bruce bowed, bending with his careless, light feline grace. “Thank you, madame. Good-night.”
He left her then and made his way across the room to speak to Samuel. Suddenly Amber, who had turned about to talk to a white-haired old gentleman, left him with the excuse that she must see about replenishing the wine. In the hallway she picked up her skirts and ran as fast as she could go, out the door and round to the front courtyard where she saw Bruce just getting into a coach.
“Lord Carlton!” she cried breathlessly, her high heels clicking as she ran across the brick pavement toward him.
He stopped, turning to look at her. “Did you call me, Mrs. Dangerfield?”
“I have a message from my husband, your Lordship.” With that she climbed into the coach and beckoned him to follow her, motioning the footman then to close the door. “Bruce—when can I see you again?”
“Amber, you little fool! What are you thinking about?” His voice was impatient and there was an angry look in his eyes. “You’ve got to use more sense this time!”
She frowned a little as she glanced out the window, wishing that that stupid footman would go away with his torch, for it sent a flaring light in upon them. “I’ll be careful! Only I’ve got to see you, Bruce! When? I can come any time.”
“Come to the ships tomorrow, then. We’ll be unloading and no one will be surprised if you’re there.”
“I’ll be there in the morning.”
She leaned a little toward him, longing for a kiss.
“Amber!”
Reluctantly she got out of the coach and ran back into the house again. To her horrified amazement she found the drawing-rooms in an uproar of excitement and turmoil, though she had left her guests talking and laughing and beginning to dance.
“What is it? What’s happened?” She rushed up to the first person she saw.
“It’s your husband, Mrs. Dangerfield. He’s fainted.”
“Fainted!”
The terrible thought went through her mind that he had somehow guessed or been told about her and Bruce and that the shock had brought on a stroke. She was more worried for herself than for Samuel, as she ran up the stairs.
She found the outer rooms full of people, servants and members of the family, but without stopping to speak to them she went directly into the bedroom. Samuel lay at full length on the bed and Lettice knelt beside him, while the four oldest brothers stood anxiously nearby. None of them glanced at her. Dr. de Forest, who was his physician and who had been at supper, was holding his wrist and taking the count of his pulse.
Instinctively Amber lowered her voice to whisper. “What happened? I went out to see about the wine and when I came back they said he had fainted.”
“He
Amber went to stand beside the bed, on the opposite side from Lettice. She did not dare look at her or at the others, but she sensed that none of them was paying her any attention; all interest was focused on their father. And though it seemed to her that she waited there for an endless time, it was actually but a few minutes. When he opened his lids he was looking up at Lettice; his eyes shifted, searching for Amber, and when he found her he smiled. She was watching him breathlessly, afraid that now he would say something that would tell her she was caught.
She bent across the bed and kissed him gently. “You’re here, Samuel, with us. There’s nothing to worry about.”
“I don’t remember what happened—I thought we were—”
“You fainted, sir,” said Dr. de Forest.
Lettice was crying, very softly so that she would disturb no one, and her eldest brother reached down and took her by the shoulders to raise her to her feet. At the doctor’s request they left the room, all but Amber. He began to talk to them both then, very seriously, of the necessity for Samuel to be perfectly quiet for a few days, to avoid exertion of any kind—and he particularly addressed himself to Amber who looked at him solemnly and nodded her head.
“You must help your husband, Mrs. Dangerfield,” he said privately to Amber when she was showing him out. “His life’s in jeopardy if you don’t. You understand me?”
“Yes, Dr. de Forest. I will.”
When she came back Samuel took her hand and smiled. “Dr. de Forest is full of ridiculous notions. We won’t pay any attention to him, will we?”
But Amber answered him firmly. “Yes, we
He was obviously embarrassed, but Amber was insistent. She would allow him to do no thing, not the smallest, which might be injurious to his health. And they would be just as happy as before—he must never think that it mattered to her in any way at all. Nothing mattered to her but his safety and well-being. Samuel, deeply touched by this manifestation of tender devotion, could not restrain a few tears. But while she sat beside him and talked and stroked his head Amber was thinking that if she became pregnant now the child would be Lord Carlton’s —and if only it happened soon, Samuel would think it his own.
