Ravished by a Rake : Historical Fiction

Chapter 17

'Alexander why didn't you wake me?  Er__my lord you promised to wake me up,' Sybrina amended when she saw Alexander was not alone with little Spencer.  Mr Charles seemed to be keeping Alexander company.  'You should have woken me up,' she scolded her husband softly.

'My lady, you've hardly been asleep for two hours?' Alex smiled.

'How is he?  How's Spencer?' she questioned anxiously when neither of the men answered.

'Countess, the lad woke up,' the butler beamed.

Sybrina swiftly moved to the boy and placed the back of her wrist on his forehead.  'My lord the fever's broken!'  Sybrina threw her arms around Alexander and hugged him joyously.  When she remembered they were not alone, she self consciously dropped her arms and stepped away from Alexander. 
'He's going to be okay,' she looked up into Alexander face and smiled.

'Thanks to your quick thinking,' he murmured, cupping her face.

Alexander looked tired.  There were creases around his eyes.  His hair looked like he'd been running his fingers repeatedly through it.  At least she'd had some sleep.  It was early hours of the morning and Alexander was still in the clothes he had taken her riding the previous day.  Where they had together watched the sun setting.  Then he had kissed her, and she had wanted more than just his kisses.  She remembered his sensuous lips at her bosom.  Her cheeks flushed just remembering how much she had enjoyed that__.

'My lord why don't you go and rest?  I can take over now,' Sybrina laid her palm on his hand.

Spencer was on the road to recovery.  The fever had broken. His temperature was no longer high, just a tad warmer than it should be.  He was going to be fine.  The boy was going to enjoy eating her strawberries again.  And she was going to have more than a word with him about wandering into the fields.

'Countess why don't you and my lord go and rest.  I will keep watch over my nephew,' the butler smiled sincerely at Sybrina for the very first time since she put foot into Cavendish Castle.
'Your nephew?' Sybrina repeated.

'Barkis is my brother,' Mr Charles smiled for the second time in less than five minutes.

Come to think of it, she could now see the resemblance between Barkis and Mr Charles.  It was not striking, but they did have the same kind of charcoal coloured eyes, and similar bone structure.  With eyes only for her attractive husband, scarcely did she catch sight of any other man.  She had asked the butler for additional staff for the garden and the very next day he had presented her with three able labourers for which she was rather grateful for.  Well Spencer's illness seemed to be a blessing in disguise, for it had unwittingly obliterated the butler's prejudice against her.

'I think it is safe to leave young Spencer in his uncle's capable arms my lady,' Alexander boldly placed a soft kiss on his wife's cheek, causing Sybrina to turn crimson.  Shyly she moved away from Alexander and knelt down next to the boy's bed.

'Spencer,' she whispered, 'I'm so glad you're going to be okay,' she ruffled the hair on his head. 'Rest well.  I will see you later in the morning, I promise,' she kissed his forehead, and fussed over the sheets around his body.  Sybrina could have sworn, the butler's eye's looked a bit moist as she spoke to Spencer.  She could be mistaken.

'What happened to his mamma?' Sybrina spoke softly to Mr Charles.

'She took ill with tuberculosis two years ago.  She never recovered__,' the butler's voice trailed off.

'I am so sorry,' Sybrina whispered.

Alexander moved closer to Sybrina, placing his arm around her waist. 'Are the family all taking medication now?' Alexander cautiously enquired.  'Has the boy been treated against it?'