Gabriel was pacing back and forth across the floral carpet in Devonny's room. It was late into the evening and he'd been there for hours. "Why hasn't she woken up yet?" he demanded of no one in particular.
Elijah watched his brother pace from where he lounged on the settee. "Gabriel you're going to wear a hole in the floor."
Their own private physician had come the morning after Gabriel had found Devonny soaked to the bone and wandering the grounds and once more earlier this very day. It had been three days and Devonny had yet to be fully lucid. She was in and out of consciousness and yet she seemed to have no idea where she was in her rare waking moments.
"It's the fever," Elijah told him, his pale blue gaze following Gabriel's movements closely. "Doctor Lenox said she would be in and out of it as the fever rose and fell and that he doubts she will be very coherent until the fever breaks."
"Well, what the devil is wrong with her?" Gabriel demanded.
Elijah shrugged, his face impassive though there was no mistaking the concern in his eyes. "Prince said she had a bit of a sniffle on the ride from London but nothing more. She was probably coming down with something before she got caught in the storm. And Doctor Lenox..." Elijah sighed. "Doctor Lenox said that her being unconscious is her body's way of recuperating.
"Well, damnit," Gabriel growled. "It's been three days. What the devil are we paying the man for?" He glanced at Devonny laying in the large four-poster bed beneath a mountain of blankets. She looked unbelievably pale beneath her golden brown skin and her eyelids
bore a bruised purplish tint. She alternately shivered violently with cold and then would kick at the blankets as she broke out into a sweat.
"Be patient, Gabe," Elijah soothed.
At that moment, Moira entered the room carrying a steaming tray. Gabriel stopped his pacing.
"I figured that we should try to feed her some more broth." She set the tray on the bedside table and Gabriel quickly moved to her side Moira lightly patted Devonny's cheek.
"Devonny, child, please wake up," she said softly. "It's time for some more broth."
Devonny moaned and but made no indication that she had truly heard her.
Moira glanced at him. "Help me sit her up?"
Gabriel nodded and moved to place and arm around Devonny's shoulders and lift her up off the pillow. Moira carefully spooned small spoonfuls of broth into her mouth. Devonny choked at first and then the hot soothing liquid went down more easily.
Moira fed her until Devonny's brow wrinkled and she pulled away from the spoon. "Too hot," she mumbled.
Gabriel's gaze flew to Moira's and Elijah stood. It was the most she'd said in two and a half days.
Moira stood and put aside the bowl. "Gabriel, if you would call Sadie to me with more cloths and water." She began pulling the covers back. She looked at the two young men pointedly. "If you would excuse us, I'm going to wipe her down and see if we can get the fever to come down bit."
Gabriel didn't seem intent on moving.
"Gabriel," Moira said softly. "I will let you know if there is any change."
Gabriel nodded to himself and left the room.
Gabriel paused outside the doorway and Elijah placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'll get Sadie, you need to get some rest."
Gabriel shook him off and started down the hall. "I'm fine."
When Elijah caught his arm in a firm grasp Gabriel tensed, his jaw clenching. Elijah carefully removed his hand but did not back away.
Eli looked at his brother through narrowed eyes. "You look awful. You haven't gotten any sleep. You haven't even shaved." He rubbed a hand over his own tired face. "Look, Moira said that she would let you know if there was any change at all."
Gabriel lowered his head, hands on hips, and drew a deep breath in through his nose. Of course Eli was right.
"Alright," Gabriel sighed patting Eli's shoulder. "You'll get Sadie?"
"Of course."
Eli watched as Gabriel raked a rough hand through his dark hair and moved off down the hall towards his apartments in the eastern wing.
Elijah let out a heavy sigh and momentarily allowed the calm façade he'd been attempting maintain to drop as he glanced at Devonny's door. He sent up a silent prayer. Somehow this girl had woven her way into their lives and their hearts.
He recognized that she had her bouts of sadness of late, though he endeavored to pull her out of it when he could. He hoped her fiery spirit was not failing her now. He could no longer imagine Davenport house or even life in general without her.
***
Gabriel slowly lowered himself into the steaming hot bath that had been drawn for him and dropped his head back. He closed his eyes and focused on breathing deeply but he couldn't shake off the feeling of unease that he'd felt since arriving at Kedleston.
He hadn't thought much of it when they'd arrived and Devonny was not in attendance when the entire household staff had come to greet them. In actuality he'd been relieved. He'd wanted to maintain his distance from her while at Kedleston, and if she were willing to help him in that endeavor the easier it would be for the both of them.
But Moira had come to Elijah hours after their arrival. She'd been wringing her hands, and wearing a worried expression on her face when she told Elijah that Devonny had gone out for a walk about the grounds and had not come back.
Elijah might not have even told him that Devonny had gone missing Gabriel not caught him on his was to the stables. Gabriel gritted his teeth.
He'd fought the initial panic and the wild conclusions his mind had jumped to. He wondered if Rochard had followed them to the country. What if he'd taken her? Perhaps she'd had an accident and was laying hurt somewhere. The estate was huge. It could take hours to find her. His panic had been quickly followed by anger. What the hell was she thinking going off on her own?
