Caroline didn’t answer, not verbally anyway. Instead, by looking into her eyes it as was clear as a three-foot snow blanketing the village marking the beginning of winter that something was amiss. Juliet’s gaze turned to Emma.
Emma’s eyes held the same glint Caroline’s had. Not a sign of sympathy, exactly, but more a look of uncertainty, and possibly compassion.
“Ask Drake.”
Chapter 23
Patrick followed Marcus down to the pink drawing room to find the ladies. The physician had arrived thirty minutes ago and sent a note down to Marcus saying Olivia’s time was getting close. Thank goodness, because if he had to listen to much more of Olivia’s screaming, he’d go up there and put an end to it in a way that would benefit the eardrums of everyone in England in a permanent way.
Fortunately, more than six hours ago Marcus had offered him cotton for his ears which he readily accepted. Unfortunately, he could still hear Olivia, and her screams were about to get louder when he removed the cotton from his ears.
Following Marcus into the drawing room, Patrick plucked the cotton from his ears just in time to hear Emma say the words, “Ask Drake.”
“Ask me what?” Patrick asked, eager for any type of distraction that would take his mind off Olivia and her wailing.
Three sets of wide, unblinking eyes turned toward him.
“N-nothing, Drake,” Juliet stammered.
He cocked his head to the side. She’d never seemed so uncomfortable in his presence before. How odd. “Are you sure, Juliet? You’re welcome to ask me anything.”
She coughed and shook her head. “We can talk later.”
“All right.”
Next to Patrick, Marcus idly rubbed his hands together, and stared at the settee. “Uh...ahem... Could I trouble you ladies to go attend Olivia?”
“Is it time?” Caroline asked.
Marcus nodded. “That’s what I’ve been told.”
“Praise the Lord,” Emma said, standing. She walked over to Marcus and exchanged a look with him before he squeezed her shoulder and watched her walk away. Earlier, Marcus had informed Patrick that Olivia had no desire to keep the child, so Marcus and Emma would adopt her baby. Then Olivia could go live in London where he’d made arrangements for her to live in a facility. There was much left unspoken, but Patrick understood well enough. Olivia had always struck him as addled, at least now she’d get the attention she craved. Even if it wasn’t the kind most people would enjoy, Olivia probably would.
Patrick stepped back so Emma and Caroline could leave, then his eyes narrowed on Juliet. She hadn’t joined her friends yet. Her face, though still slightly colored, looked different. He’d witnessed the many facial expressions she possessed and knew the difference between excitement, anger, fury, and yes, there was a difference between anger and fury, contentment, nervousness, and ecstasy, he’d also seen her look uncertain, confident, doubtful, resigned, or even just emotionless.
But right now, she had a look he didn’t recognize. Her eyes, though focused on him, were not focused on his. Instead, she was looking at his shoulders or chest. The warm gleam he’d come to know and love was gone; not replaced by the icy glacier that was once there, however, just not as shiny and bright as it had once been, almost dull, perhaps. Her mouth formed a straight line, no hint of a curve in one direction or the other.
She stood and crossed the room, her posture stiff and her movements rigid.
Patrick had the strangest urge to wrap his arms around her and ask what happened that had transformed her so. He flickered a glance to Marcus then followed his wife into the hall.
“Juliet?”
She stopped her steps, but didn’t turn to face him.
“Did something happen?”
“No.” Her voice was clear and confident, but lacking something. What, he didn’t know, but something was off.
“Are you sure?”
She nodded. “I need to be going upstairs now to attend Olivia.”
Patrick stepped in front of her. “Do you want to attend her?” A better understanding of her somber mood now in his mind, he wrapped both of his warm hands around her smaller chilled ones. “If she’s been beastly to you, or you don’t wish to go up there, you don’t have to, Juliet.”
“I know.”
“Do you?” He squeezed her hands then let go, and took a step closer to her. “Juliet, it is not your duty to be here. I understand your wish to help Emma any way you can, but if you’re not comfortable, going into that room, don’t. I’ll take you home right now if you ask it of me.”
Juliet’s eyes flashed with some emotion he couldn’t name, but before he had a chance to determine it, the gleam was gone. “I want to help,” she said simply, pulling her hands from his and continuing her stroll down the hall.