Page 20 of Discovering Her Earl

He jumped down to offer assistance, but she waved him away as she retched once more. Having spent more than one night drinking with his friends, he was accustomed to standing by as someone cast up their accounts on the street. Though he’d never been in such a situation with a lady.

He held out his handkerchief and she snatched it from him as if he were responsible for her condition.

“Was something off with your breakfast?”

“No,” she snapped, her voice rough. “I feel better. Let’s just be on our way.”

“Are you sure you don’t wish to take a bit of air?”

“I don’t need air,” she assured him.

He thought to make a joke about how she did need air, but at her glare, he kept it to himself and helped her back inside the carriage. She placed her hand over her stomach as she settled and Julian recalled seeing Hale’s wife do the same thing when she’d been carrying their daughter.

“Oh,” Julian said out loud without meaning to.

Her eyes narrowed.

“What?”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were… Not that it’s any of my business.” Except that he was traveling alone with an unmarried, pregnant woman. Was this a trap?

He looked toward the door considering jumping out himself.

“What didn’t you realize?” she asked.

“That you were in a family way.” He nodded toward her lap where her hand still rested on her stomach.

“A family—?” she all but screeched. “Why ever would you assume such a thing?” She put her hand up to stay his answer and shook her head. “Never mind. It is morning and I am ill.”

“And you placed your hand on your stomach,” he added, but regretted it instantly.

“Do you not put your hand on your stomach after you’ve been ill? If for no other reason than to simply reassure yourself, it is still with you?”

He chuckled and nodded. “Very well. I’m sorry for jumping to conclusions.”

“I can assure you I am not sick for that reason. It would be quite impossible. Not that it is any of your business, as you already said.”

He tilted his head to the side.

“If it’s not that, and it wasn’t a bad breakfast, do you have an illness? Perhaps we should find another inn so you can rest. Or a doctor.”

“No. It isn’t an illness. It’s…”

She took a breath and closed her eyes as if she would rather do anything else but continue this conversation. He simply waited for her to explain.

“I get sick when I read in a moving carriage.” She spoke rather quickly. He barely caught the words, and then thought perhaps that was her intention. But hear them he did, which only left more questions to be asked.

“Then why would you attempt to read in a moving carriage.”

She huffed another breath and rubbed her forehead.

“Because I didn’t want to have to carry on a conversation with you today.”

Every bit of information he managed to drag out of her just led him to more questions that required more information.

“Let me see if I understand. You actually prefer to make yourself sick rather than speak to me?” He felt the gnawing feeling of unease in his chest. Just as he had all the times his father listed out the many reasons Julian was hopeless.

Anger flared.