The Duke's Unwanted Second Wife

Eilika’s fingers twitched against the linen sheet before a sudden, raspy cough racked her chest. Her eyelids fluttered and finally blinked open.

Damian moved instantly, lowering his frame onto the edge of the mattress. He slipped his forearm beneath her neck to support her, using his other hand to gently stroke her uninjured brow, attempting to soothe the tremors shaking her frame. The moment she recognized him, Eilika buried her face into his chest, her fingers clutching desperately at his waistcoat.

"I—I thought I was dead," she sniffled as the terror of the blast finally broke through her shock.

Recognizing the privacy the couple required, the physician quietly stepped back toward the edge of the bed.

Damian rubbed her back in slow, grounding circles, then ran his fingers through her tangled hair before pressing a firm kiss against the crown of her head. "You terrified me," he murmured, his voice cracking with an emotion he rarely permitted others to see. "You have no idea the dread that seized me when I saw you lying in that corridor."

Before the quiet moment could linger, a voice echoed from the threshold.

"Your Grace!" Maurice called out, stepping into the room. He paused mid-stride, finding Eilika awake and securely held in Damian’s embrace.

Courteously lowering his gaze to the floorboards, the bodyguard quickly delivered his report. "The guards are conducting a systematic check of every room in the mansion to ensure nothing suspicious is there. We must relocate to the reinforced pavilion that has been prepared on the lower lawns."

Damian gave a hum of acknowledgment. As Eilika shifted, making a weak attempt to swing her legs over the edge of the bed, he tightened his hold.

"Rest. I shall carry you out," he whispered against her ear.

Lifting her effortlessly into his arms, Damian ensured the overcoat remained securely draped over her shoulders to shield her from the evening air as he turned to follow Maurice outside.

Once they emerged into the open air, Damian carried her straight toward the large, reinforced pavilion tent that had been hastily erected on the grass. It was to serve as a temporary command post and shelter for the family before arrangements could be made to transfer them to another of the ducal residences.

"Mama!" Roman cried, scrambling down from his seat the moment he spotted his father approaching with Eilika in his arms. He ran toward them across the lawn, while Georgia rose anxiously from her own wooden chair.

"Your mother is out of danger," Damian reassured the boy, adjusting his stride so Roman could keep pace with him as they reached the seating area.

Damian carefully lowered Eilika into a cushioned armchair. The moment her feet touched the ground, she reached out and pulled Roman into a fierce embrace, lifting his small frame up to settle him securely onto her lap.

"Mama," the boy whispered, his small hands patting her back in a gentle rhythm. "Are you truly well?"

She nodded against his shoulder, but as she pulled back to look at him, Roman’s gaze caught the stark white linen bandage wrapped tightly around her forehead.

"Mama, you have hurt your head," he said, his brow furrowing as his fingers hovered near the cloth.

"Only a little," she promised, leaning forward to press a lingering kiss against his cheek. "I am sorry for causing you such a fright, my sweetheart."

"Father was more frightened than I was. It seemed as though he were on the verge of tears," Roman announced to the tent, his childhood innocence piercing the heavy atmosphere.

A collective, quiet smile broke across the faces of those present, the brief levity tempering the lingering tension of the attack.

"Listen to me, bud," Damian said, dropping his gaze to meet his son. He placed a reassuring hand upon the boy’s head. "I must leave for a short while to oversee the perimeter. I need you to look after your mother and grandmother until I return, agreed?"

"Your Grace," a firm voice interrupted from the entrance of the pavilion. William, one of Damian’s trusted military commanders, stepped forward and offered a disciplined salute. "The armored carriages have been secured and are prepared to escort the Duchess and the household to the secondary residence."

"Very well. Come, I shall escort the three of you to the transport," Damian said, gesturing toward his mother, then to Eilika and Roman.

He walked them across the lawn to where the wooden carriages stood waiting, surrounded by a mounted escort. After assisting his mother and then Eilika, who still held a sleepy Roman in her arms, into the cabin, Damian paused at the carriage door. He caught Eilika’s gaze, his eyes conveying the silent promise his lips didn’t form: I will return to you soon.

With a firm click, he closed the carriage door, shutting out the cool night air. He turned immediately to William, his expression hardening into that of a commander. "Ensure their transit is flawless, William. I am placing the safety of my family entirely in your hands."

"Rest assured, Commander," William replied, offering a sharp nod.

The officer swung himself effortlessly into his saddle, turning his mount toward the front of the line. With a raised hand, William signaled the troop of guards and the coachmen, guiding the heavily guarded convoy out through the estate gates and into the dark.

Once the torches of the escort convoy disappeared down the winding estate road, Damian turned his sharp gaze to Maurice. "Is August still within the grounds?"

"Yes, General. He is currently directing the tactical squad through a thorough room-by-room search of the ruined area," Maurice replied, matching Damian’s brisk pace as the two men strode back toward the smoke-stained palace.

"The pressing question is how an explosive of that caliber was smuggled into the interior corridors," Damian muttered, his jaw tight.

"It defies reason, Your Grace," Maurice stated, his voice laced with grim concern. "To suffer two coordinated strikes in such rapid succession... there is a severe breach within our security network."

"And that is precisely what I intend to uncover," Damian affirmed, his eyes narrowing as they approached the mansion’s threshold. "A breach of this scale is unprecedented under my command. However, we shall gather the evidence first before drawing any conclusions."