she felt was her natural authority over such a situation.
Under other circumstances, he might have gladly handed Sunny over to her.
But trusting in women’s judgment was what had led to this current coil. He wasn’t about to make that mistake again.
“You’ll need a woman to care for her,” Donna said. “I can send you some recommendations. Someone with skill as a nurse.”
I want privacy. I want to be away from here and to find someplace where there are no lady’s maids, no aunts or dowagers or doctors.
His stomach tensed. The memory of the emotion in Sunny’s voice was like a strike to his gut. His neglect had resulted in her being hurt—how deeply, he wasn’t yet sure, but deeply enough that he was determined to act with caution. He must be personally responsible for her.
He took a quick glance at Sunny. God, she looked pale. And she still wasn’t eating.
His sense of inner agitation increased.
“James?”
He returned his attention to Donna.
“Do you want me to find some women to care for her?”
”No. No maids. No servants.” He heard himself speak the words, heard the finality in his tone. But his mind had just begun to grasp the enormity of what he had just said.
The potential for scandal was considerable.
His stomach tightened even more. He couldn’t afford any scandal. His reputation must be spotless. The risk was too great.
Donna’s dark auburn brows rose. “No servants?”
Her eyes mirrored the disquiet within himself. He compressed his lips. What the hell was he supposed to do with Sunny?
“James.” Donna’s voice was sharper. “What are you about here? You can’t simply take your cousin’s widow away from her home and travel with her without some adult woman to accompany the two of you.”
Then propriety be damned.
The thought as well as the vehemence of it shook him. He glanced at Sunny again and immediately experienced an odd tugging sensation in his chest, and a tightness in his throat.
She didn’t wish to be around other women. Yes, women had betrayed her. Over and over again. He understood her anxiety.
Unbidden, an image of Sunny’s face as it had been years ago, girlish, her lush mouth too wide for her then thin face, appeared in his mind’s eye. Sunlight illuminated gold lights in her brown hair. She had grinned at him, her green eyes and small, white teeth sparkling like precious jewels and perfect ivory.
Dimples had shown in her cheeks.
Dimples. He had forgotten about that. There had been no sign of them since he had come back home, for she hadn’t smiled broadly enough.
She was so very unhappy. His profound awareness of her despondency was a crushing weight upon his chest.
“Unless you intend to wed her?” Donna’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts.
“What?” he said absently.
“Do you intend to wed her?” Donna said more insistently. Her gaze narrowed on him.
“Donna,” Sir Duncan said, a warning in his tone.
Donna leaned forward a bit, frowning. “James, how well do you really know Lady Blayne?” She had lowered her voice to the point where he could barely hear her. “She’s clearly developed a dependency on laudanum, and who knows what other difficulties she may present with.”
He kept his expression blank, not wanting to delve any further into the matter with the Carsons. “I shall deal with it,” he said.
“I am concerned for you.” Donna pointed at James’ face. “Those scratches—”
There was a look he’d developed early on in his career as an officer, a look that at once put the other person into a subordinate position and forbade any further inquiries.
He gave that look now to his dear friend’s wife. All because he’d not been able to bear the cool, distrusting tone she’d taken when speaking of Sunny.
Donna blanched and pulled away from him.
“Woman, mind your own business,” Carson said.
Donna stiffened. “He isn’t acting like himself. Someone needs to speak up.”
Carson nodded at where Sunny
Under other circumstances, he might have gladly handed Sunny over to her.
But trusting in women’s judgment was what had led to this current coil. He wasn’t about to make that mistake again.
“You’ll need a woman to care for her,” Donna said. “I can send you some recommendations. Someone with skill as a nurse.”
I want privacy. I want to be away from here and to find someplace where there are no lady’s maids, no aunts or dowagers or doctors.
His stomach tensed. The memory of the emotion in Sunny’s voice was like a strike to his gut. His neglect had resulted in her being hurt—how deeply, he wasn’t yet sure, but deeply enough that he was determined to act with caution. He must be personally responsible for her.
He took a quick glance at Sunny. God, she looked pale. And she still wasn’t eating.
His sense of inner agitation increased.
“James?”
He returned his attention to Donna.
“Do you want me to find some women to care for her?”
”No. No maids. No servants.” He heard himself speak the words, heard the finality in his tone. But his mind had just begun to grasp the enormity of what he had just said.
The potential for scandal was considerable.
His stomach tightened even more. He couldn’t afford any scandal. His reputation must be spotless. The risk was too great.
Donna’s dark auburn brows rose. “No servants?”
Her eyes mirrored the disquiet within himself. He compressed his lips. What the hell was he supposed to do with Sunny?
“James.” Donna’s voice was sharper. “What are you about here? You can’t simply take your cousin’s widow away from her home and travel with her without some adult woman to accompany the two of you.”
Then propriety be damned.
The thought as well as the vehemence of it shook him. He glanced at Sunny again and immediately experienced an odd tugging sensation in his chest, and a tightness in his throat.
She didn’t wish to be around other women. Yes, women had betrayed her. Over and over again. He understood her anxiety.
Unbidden, an image of Sunny’s face as it had been years ago, girlish, her lush mouth too wide for her then thin face, appeared in his mind’s eye. Sunlight illuminated gold lights in her brown hair. She had grinned at him, her green eyes and small, white teeth sparkling like precious jewels and perfect ivory.
Dimples had shown in her cheeks.
Dimples. He had forgotten about that. There had been no sign of them since he had come back home, for she hadn’t smiled broadly enough.
She was so very unhappy. His profound awareness of her despondency was a crushing weight upon his chest.
“Unless you intend to wed her?” Donna’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts.
“What?” he said absently.
“Do you intend to wed her?” Donna said more insistently. Her gaze narrowed on him.
“Donna,” Sir Duncan said, a warning in his tone.
Donna leaned forward a bit, frowning. “James, how well do you really know Lady Blayne?” She had lowered her voice to the point where he could barely hear her. “She’s clearly developed a dependency on laudanum, and who knows what other difficulties she may present with.”
He kept his expression blank, not wanting to delve any further into the matter with the Carsons. “I shall deal with it,” he said.
“I am concerned for you.” Donna pointed at James’ face. “Those scratches—”
There was a look he’d developed early on in his career as an officer, a look that at once put the other person into a subordinate position and forbade any further inquiries.
He gave that look now to his dear friend’s wife. All because he’d not been able to bear the cool, distrusting tone she’d taken when speaking of Sunny.
Donna blanched and pulled away from him.
“Woman, mind your own business,” Carson said.
Donna stiffened. “He isn’t acting like himself. Someone needs to speak up.”
Carson nodded at where Sunny
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