The Duke's Love (24 page)

“No. You deserve much more than that
,
” Sarah stated as she gave Ana a heavy push and watched in satisfaction as she tumbled down the stairs. Ana landed in a heap and was unconscious. Sarah rushed down and started screaming for help. She turned Ana over and started making it appear as if she was helping her. She had to start thinking of her options. She needed to have it appear
as if
it was
an accident
,
because now, with her unconscious, she could get away with it.

W
hen she regain
ed
consciousness
, then
she would have to worry. Sarah looked up as
Jake
,
Jordan
, Eliza, and Katherine came barreling
over to the bottom of the stairs.

“Good God
,
what happened?” She heard
Jordan
ask. Jake kneeled down beside
Ana
and gently lifted
her
up.

“We were talking. She was walking backwards and I tried to stop her. She tripped and fell
,
”
s
he talked fast as she lied
,
hoping it sounded convincing.

“Thank God
,
we already have a doctor coming
,
” Katherine said as everyone followed Jake to Ana’s chamber and laid her down softly.

Jake turned on Sarah, “What
exactly
were
the two of you
discussing?”

“She was apologizing for the things you two have done to me
,
”
s
he said impatiently. She saw Jake’s face soften slightly and it enraged her even more
that
he would pity her. “Do you not feel the slightest bit guilty for what you have put me through?” She all but yelled.

“Now is not the time for your melodramas
,
” Eliza
commanded
. Lady Felicia entered the room. She looked at Ana on the bed
,
and then she looked intently at her daughter.

“Sarah
,
I think you should go to your room until you are needed
,
”
h
er mother said carefully. Sarah looked around the room and all eyes were on her.

“I hate this place and I want to go home
,
”
s
he demanded.

“Trust
me
;
y
ou will be going home very shortly. Now
,
I suggest you
do as your mother said,
”
Jordan
said
firmly
.

Sarah whirled around
,
and ran out of the room.

Lady Felicia faced Jake and spoke her greatest fear.
“As much as I hate to say this, I think you need to keep an eye on my daughter
,
your
Grace
.”

Jordan
was stunned that Sarah's own mother could think such things about her daughter.

“You think she did this
,
don’t you?”
Jordan
accused.

“
I hope that is not the case, but she
has not been herself since the theater. I have never seen this side of Sarah
,
and frankly
,
she
is beginning to
frighten
me
.”
Lady Felicia said.

Th
at
statement was met with questions and curiosity. Before anyone had a chance to explore this new revelation, the lady walked away. The doctor arrived and set the room in motion. He sent everyone out of the room. Lady Felicia was helping her daughter pack
,
and his mother was sitting calmly by the fire. No one spoke, aware that Jake’s temper was on edge. The doctor absolutely refused
to allow
Jake
to remain in the room with Ana, so he just
kept pacing, alone in his own world.

"Do you think Sarah did this on purpose?" Eliza asked
Jordan
.

Jordan
looked at Eliza sitting beside him and pondered her question. “No. I do not. I think Sarah is a spoiled brat
, but I just can’t believe she would be capable of
this
,
”
h
e said confident of his answer. Eliza didn’t look convinced. “
Don’t worry, Ana will
be okay.” 

“I know, but it’s just… this is the second serious event that has happened since she has been here
,
an
d Sarah was there both times.” S
he was skeptical, she did not believe in coincidences.

“Eliza, you can’t condemn her just because she was there. Her reputation is already damaged. Anymore speculation would ruin her
,
”
h
e said.
Jordan
really didn’t believe Sarah would go
to
such lengths to get what she wanted, spoiled or not. The doctor came
into the room at that moment.

“She’s awake. She needs to stay in bed for at least a day or so. She has a sprained ankle,
bumps,
and bruises,
but
otherwise she’s fine,
”
he said.

Jordan
got up and went to pour his brother a drink. He looked like he needed it.

“Did she say how she fell?”
Jordan
asked the unspoken question.

“She said the last thing she remembered was talking to Mis
s Fairchild and then she remembered falling
. I wouldn’t worry too much. Some memory loss is expected with the hit to the head she
sustained,
”
t
he doctor informed them.

Jordan
handed his brother some brandy and went to the window. How convenient for Sarah. It was still raining
,
which was very fitting
,
considering what kind of day it had been.

“She is resting now. I would like to check on her again when she returns to
London
. Do I still need to look at the other patient that I
was
originally
called to care
for?” The doctor asked
,
as he gathered all his supplies, getting ready to leave.

“No
,
she is leaving
, so
her mother can see to a doctor. I’ll make sure Ana gets
to your office to
see you
,
” Jake said returning to the original topic.

Jordan
looked at his brother and thought if this
was
what being in love does to a person
,
then he never wanted to experience the emotion.

“He took this incident well, I’d say
,
”
Jordan
joked. Katherine smiled at
Jordan
and politely kissed on him the cheek
.
Then she instructed him
to
act
nice and walked away
.
Jordan
was left alone with Eliza. He caught Eliza’s eyes and held them He was amused when she jumped up and tried to walk past him to get out of the room. His arm shot out and connected with the doorframe
,
preventing her
from
leaving.

“Are you scared darling?” He drawled

“Of you? No, now excuse me. I want to check on my friend
,
”
s
he said.

“Be careful
,
I might bite
,
”
Jordan
laughed
as she ducked under his arm and flew from the room. He had always been attracted to Eliza. He was sure from
her reactions that she was just as attracted to him as he was to her.
Jordan
finished his drink and went to bed. He was exhausted.

Sarah was extremely disappointed when Ana
was not
injured
more than she was
.
That
she
couldn’t
remember
what had happened,
was a blessing in disguise.
It would give
her enough time to escape back to
London
. Mother was constantly questioning her
,
and now
Jake had the audacity to want to question her
. Everyone seemed to forget about her feigned illness earlier. Jake was in the parlor looking over papers when she entered. She braced herself for the tongue-lashing she knew was coming.

“You want to tell me what
happened
, Miss Fairchild?
”
Jake asked with quiet fury.

“
I suppose she
tripped and fell.” She wanted to stick to her story and didn’t want to get confused by adding more details.

“She has bruises on her chest that weren’t there this morning
,
”
h
e said. Sarah was biting back a sarcastic remark about how he would know
,
before it dawned on her exactly how he would know.

“How am I supposed to know how she got them?” She
shot back
defiantly.

Jake looked
as if he were
ready to strangle her
. In fact, it
looked like he
was taking every bit of resolve that he had to hold back
. “I think you know. I
just
want
ed
to hear you say it
,
”
h
e bit out.

Sarah was not about to admit what she had done. “I don’t appreciate what you are accusing me of.” 

“That’s too damn bad for you then, isn’t it?”  Jake sneered.

Jake was standing by the fireplace looking down his nose at her.
Sarah thought, w
ho was he to judge?

Jake continued,
“I never gave you any indication I was
considering
you for a wife”

“Then why would you single me out and court me?” She asked.

“I felt bad for the way I
had
treated you
two years ago
. I wanted to make amends
,
”
h
e continued. 

Sarah didn’t like that answer. “
So, are you saying that
I was a charity case?” She sputtered.

“If you want to look at it that way
,
”
h
e said coldly.

Sarah was furious
.
Of
all the
things,
he
could have said
, the
pity he bestowed on her
was the thing that
shook her up the most. “You’ll pay. I’ll make sure of it
,
”
s
he said in a deadly voice.

She fled the room
, and
returned upstairs to pack. Her mother was sitting on the bed calmly waiting for her.

“I tried to tell you dear
,
”
s
he said in a calming tone.

“Shut up
, M
other. I don’t need to hear you say
,
‘I told you so’
. It is
so
degrading
and I don’t want your pity
,
”
s
he said. "Can we please leave this godforsaken place?” Sarah finished packing
with
lightning speed.

Ana had a splitting headache. Her body was bruised and she felt battered. Several people have been in
and
out
, but she
really wanted to be left alone. Eliza
had
just left.
Now,
Jordan
was keeping her company. Jake was
downstairs,
talking to Sarah and her mother. She was confused.
Why couldn’t she remember
how she
had
tripped and
fallen?
She was talking to Sarah and then she
fell down the stairs and now here she was
in bed
.
Th
at
was all she could remember.