reached for him but stopped before she actually touched him. “Michael?”
“Grace.” His voice was weak, rough. He licked his lips.
“What can I do? Should I call for the doctor?”
His face twisted in pain and he clenched his teeth. Muscles bunched in his jaw and tendons stood out on his neck.
She looked up at Tarik, panic pushing away her anger. “We need to send for a doctor.”
“No doctor,” Michael said. “Tarik.”
“But Michael—”
Tarik rounded the bed to stand next to Grace.
“Grace.” Michael’s hands moved as if to reach for her but stopped, as though the motion was too much to handle.
“What do you need, Michael? Tell me. I’m here for you.” She leaned close in order to hear him.
“Go. Away.”
She froze. Tarik took her upper arm and helped her stand. She looked down at her husband, this man whom she barely recognized, feeling as if someone had hollowed out her stomach.
“He has seen doctors,” Tarik said as he ushered her out of the room. “Many doctors. They can’t help.”
The door closed behind her. Once again she was locked out of Michael’s room and his life.
Stunned and scared she slid down the wall and sat with her knees bunched up to her chest and tried to control her frantic breathing.
Chapter Six
Grace lay on her side and memorized her husband’s face. The green eyes so full of love, the black hair, the noble nose and sharp cheekbones. She pressed her hand against his chest to feel the beat of his heart.
“Promise to come back to me,” she said. There had been two other times he had left her to attend to his duties as an officer in the First Royal Dragoons, but this was different. Tomorrow he would be heading off to war.
War.
Grace could not even fathom what that meant. Oh, she knew about war, had read about it in the newspapers, but it had never affected her this closely, and it scared her.
With the same devastating smile that had melted her heart all those years ago, Michael lifted her hand from his heart and kissed her fingers. “I promise.”
She wasn’t naive. She knew he could never promise such a thing, but it still made her feel better to hear it from him. “I don’t know what I’m going to do without you.”
“You will attend your committee meetings and you will have tea with Sara and you will dig in your flower beds.”
“And I will miss you terribly.” Her heart clenched. They had never been apart for this long.
“And I will miss you as well.” He kissed her, a soft kiss that led to a deeper kiss. Michael groaned in the way that told her he wanted her. He rolled her beneath him, his body weighing hers down. It made her feel loved and cherished and wanted. They had just made love not an hour before, but she was ready for him, her body arching toward his in anticipation of the invasion. It was always like this between them, an insatiable need that consumed them both. He entered her and she cried out, her body opening up, accepting him. It brought shivers up her spine. He looked down upon her as he moved inside her, his laughing eyes serious as he stared at her. It was as if he were memorizing her for the time when they would be apart.
She tried not to think about that. Instead, she immersed herself in the moment, allowing her body to take over, the emotions to seep into her, and the blissful feeling to take her to a place where she soared. She clutched him tightly, her body moving with his in a synchronization that told her they were made for each other. Her release came too quickly and she was arching her back, crying out, at the same time Michael thrust more deeply. She felt the warm wetness inside her and hoped and prayed that, with any luck, she would surprise him with a son when he returned.
Grace rested her chin on her drawn-up knees and stared at Michael’s door. She had not moved all night and the sun was rising. Fear kept her immobile. A terror that far outweighed her shattered hopes of a child that never was. She had
“Grace.” His voice was weak, rough. He licked his lips.
“What can I do? Should I call for the doctor?”
His face twisted in pain and he clenched his teeth. Muscles bunched in his jaw and tendons stood out on his neck.
She looked up at Tarik, panic pushing away her anger. “We need to send for a doctor.”
“No doctor,” Michael said. “Tarik.”
“But Michael—”
Tarik rounded the bed to stand next to Grace.
“Grace.” Michael’s hands moved as if to reach for her but stopped, as though the motion was too much to handle.
“What do you need, Michael? Tell me. I’m here for you.” She leaned close in order to hear him.
“Go. Away.”
She froze. Tarik took her upper arm and helped her stand. She looked down at her husband, this man whom she barely recognized, feeling as if someone had hollowed out her stomach.
“He has seen doctors,” Tarik said as he ushered her out of the room. “Many doctors. They can’t help.”
The door closed behind her. Once again she was locked out of Michael’s room and his life.
Stunned and scared she slid down the wall and sat with her knees bunched up to her chest and tried to control her frantic breathing.
Chapter Six
Grace lay on her side and memorized her husband’s face. The green eyes so full of love, the black hair, the noble nose and sharp cheekbones. She pressed her hand against his chest to feel the beat of his heart.
“Promise to come back to me,” she said. There had been two other times he had left her to attend to his duties as an officer in the First Royal Dragoons, but this was different. Tomorrow he would be heading off to war.
War.
Grace could not even fathom what that meant. Oh, she knew about war, had read about it in the newspapers, but it had never affected her this closely, and it scared her.
With the same devastating smile that had melted her heart all those years ago, Michael lifted her hand from his heart and kissed her fingers. “I promise.”
She wasn’t naive. She knew he could never promise such a thing, but it still made her feel better to hear it from him. “I don’t know what I’m going to do without you.”
“You will attend your committee meetings and you will have tea with Sara and you will dig in your flower beds.”
“And I will miss you terribly.” Her heart clenched. They had never been apart for this long.
“And I will miss you as well.” He kissed her, a soft kiss that led to a deeper kiss. Michael groaned in the way that told her he wanted her. He rolled her beneath him, his body weighing hers down. It made her feel loved and cherished and wanted. They had just made love not an hour before, but she was ready for him, her body arching toward his in anticipation of the invasion. It was always like this between them, an insatiable need that consumed them both. He entered her and she cried out, her body opening up, accepting him. It brought shivers up her spine. He looked down upon her as he moved inside her, his laughing eyes serious as he stared at her. It was as if he were memorizing her for the time when they would be apart.
She tried not to think about that. Instead, she immersed herself in the moment, allowing her body to take over, the emotions to seep into her, and the blissful feeling to take her to a place where she soared. She clutched him tightly, her body moving with his in a synchronization that told her they were made for each other. Her release came too quickly and she was arching her back, crying out, at the same time Michael thrust more deeply. She felt the warm wetness inside her and hoped and prayed that, with any luck, she would surprise him with a son when he returned.
Grace rested her chin on her drawn-up knees and stared at Michael’s door. She had not moved all night and the sun was rising. Fear kept her immobile. A terror that far outweighed her shattered hopes of a child that never was. She had
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