Free A Hint of Scandal by Rhonda Woodward

his eyes quite striking.
    But his jaw was now clean-shaven and his hair neatly combed. She thought he looked much more comfortable in one of her papa’s soft lawn nightshirts.
    “I must say that your little brother makes a very good valet,” the duke stated with a grin, running his hand over his smooth jaw.
    “I am certainly glad that you did not nick yourself.” She smiled and set the tray next to the bed. “Do you think you could eat a little something, your grace?”
    That voice. Velvet music to my ears
, he thought.
    He did feel like eating, but refused to let her feed him. He found it annoying that so simple a task could prove so arduous. But the thick vegetable stew was satisfying and he ate slowly.
    “Tommy has informed me that our uncle has dispatched two messengers with your notes,” Bella told him after seating herself in the rocking chair. “My uncle is also sending for the constable so that you may describe your attackers. It is no wonder we could not locate anyone who was looking for you, for Tilbourne is miles and miles away. Your people were probably checking all the villages between Autley and Tilbourne for you. Your horse carried you a great distance away from your original destination,” she observed.
    “Yes, he did, to my very good luck,” the duke told her quietly.
    After having heard the whole story earlier from Tommy—of how they had found him and dragged him indoors, and how Bella had removed the ball from his shoulder—Westlake was at even more of a loss as to how toexpress his appreciation. And he found it humbling that the Tichley family had no desire for his gratitude.
    “You have a very good cook,” he complimented, instead of trying to thank her again, and placed the bowl back on the tray.
    Bella laughed in surprise. “I am the cook, sir, and thank you,” she said as she began to tidy the room.
    Glancing up at her in surprise, Alex felt unexpectedly ashamed of himself. What a bufflehead he was, he thought self-deprecatingly. His innate good manners caused him guilt because of the extra work he knew he was causing her. As he continued to watch her activities, Alex wondered how he would ever begin to repay her and her family for their kindness to him.
    “There,” Bella said, patting the neatly folded blanket at the foot of his bed. “Is there anything else I can get for you at the moment, sir?”
    “No. You do too much, Miss Tichley.”
    Bella decided to ignore his remark and came around the bed to feel his forehead for fever. Westlake had the sudden desire to take her cool, slim hand and hold it against his cheek.
    “You are a little warm. Will you rest now, sir?”
    Though it was only early afternoon, he felt it had already been a long day. “Yes,” he said, leaning back against the pillows.
    At the door, she turned and looked at him. He was a surprisingly handsome man, she thought for the first time. His features now seemed completely different than they had while he had been unconscious. She saw that his gray-green eyes were almost silver in the firelight. There was also a new, lordly air about him. This was emphasized by the slight rogue’s smile he wore as he lounged back on her bed.
    “Dignitate cum laudanum,”
she whispered, and then realizing she had said the words aloud, she quickly left the room.
    Westlake stared at the closed door.
“Dignitate cum laudanum,”
he repeated the words to himself. Latin had not been his favorite subject at school, and it took him some minutes to work it out.
    Dignity and… peace? No. Dignity with …? Suddenly he smiled. So that was her image of him:
Leisure with dignity.
It was a surprise to find his beautiful nurse was also a scholar.

Chapter Six
    I t was very early the next morning when Dr. Pearce drove up to the house in a small gig.
    “I hear from your father that the crisis has passed with our patient,” he said as soon as Bella opened the door to him.
    “Yes, his grace’s fever broke last night. He has eaten a little