He climbed into Eades' carriage.

It was hard to believe that Leo was agreeing to be in such tight quarters with the man he hated. As soon as the wheels beneath them began moving, Leo pinned Eades with a stare. "Now tell me what's wrong with Scarlett."

Eades blew out a long breath while he ran a hand through his brown hair. "Fine, but can you please try not to jump to any conclusions whilst I explain?"

Leo shook his head. "All I care about right now is Scarlett. I'll make my conclusions later. And if you're to blame, I'll deal with you then."

"Christ, alright then," Eades muttered.

"Is she well?" Leo asked tightly.

"She's...fine," Eades said, his tone lacking any real reassurance. Then he drew a breath. "Scarlett has asthma."

"I know," Leo said, quick to respond.

"You do?"

"Yes," he bit out impatiently. God, could Eades draw this out anymore?

"Well, she had a breathing attack this afternoon."

Leo leaned forward intently. "What were you doing?"

The question flew out of his mouth before he had a second to think otherwise. But Leo was there for her last breathing attack, and he knew why it had occurred. If that's what Scarlett had been doing with Eades...

Leo grit his teeth, almost wishing the other man wouldn't answer. He wanted to take the question back.

"We were talking," Eades said flatly. "About you."

"About me?" Leo drew back slightly, surprised.

"Yes, because Lady Trotten came over and announced that you were considering marriage to some chit named Lady Penelope."

"Goddamnit, Emilia!" Leo swore, throwing himself back against the carriage cushions. "Lady Penelope is not a chit, and I am not marrying her. And I reckon Emilia knows that."

Eades had narrowed his eyes, watching Leo's reaction carefully. It was irritating.

Taking a deep breath, Leo tried to get ahold of his emotions so they wouldn't be a spectacle for Eades to enjoy. "How is Scarlett now?" Leo asked.

The other man glanced toward the window, hesitating, making Leo's nerves tighten. "She received a new medication today. When I gave it to her, she instantly fell unconscious."

"Has she woken?"

Eades turned back to face him. "No."

"Well," Leo replied, trying to keep his voice and breathing even. "The last time this happened, it took some time for her to wake."

"The last time?" As soon as the words left Eades' mouth, he shook his head. "Nevermind. Look, it's been at least four or five hours, Farrington. And we can't get her to wake."

"Five hours?" Leo repeated, the blood running from his face in a chilling descent. "Five bloody hours? Did you call a physician? What the hell do you mean that you can't get her to wake?"

"Yes, we called a physician," Eades bit back. "And Dr. Abbott attempted to rouse her, but he was unsuccessful. He says the only thing to be done is wait. Lady Trotten is still with her, and she insisted I get you."

Leo covered his eyes with his fingers, squeezing them tightly shut.

"You really love her, don't you?" Eades asked.

The question was spoken quietly across the carriage, but it felt like an assault.

Leo's eyes flashed open, finding Eades' annoying face. "I'm not going to have this conversation with you."

A sober expression spread across the man's features. "I think you're going to find soon that I'm not the person you think I am."

"So you're not the man who continues to pull Scarlett away from me?" Leo bit out, refusing to believe Eades was right.

"I—" He hesitated. "I suppose I am that man. But not in the way that you think."

Leo rolled his eyes. "Would you care to be a bit more enlightening? That's all rather..." Leo waved his hand around in the air, trying to think of the word. "Contradictory."

To Leo's ire, Eades shook his head. "Lettie can tell you if she wakes."

"When she wakes," Leo growled, correcting him.

Eades shut his eyes in a pained expression, and Leo saw for the first time that he really did care about Scarlett. "Of course that's what I meant. But I swear, Farrington. If you break her heart, it'll be your nose that gets punched this time."

"Break her heart?" Leo exclaimed. Then he leaned forward to ensure that he had Eades' full attention. He did. The other man's eyes were assessing Leo with a threatening gaze.

"If I had Scarlett's heart," Leo continued, "I would do anything to keep it and protect it. I would do anything to keep it whole."

Eades glanced away, giving a resigned sigh. "Okay," he relented. "Good."

Continuing to glare at him, Leo tried to figure out what the hell was going on. He'd always known there was a missing piece in the puzzle that was Scarlett James, and Eades knew what it was.

It drove Leo crazy.

The other man was still watching out the window when he spoke in a bored tone. "Dear God, would you stop looking at me like that, Farrington?"

"I'm sorry, am I making you uncomfortable?"

"Quite."

"Good."

Eades muttered something under his breath, but Leo wasn't paying attention to him anymore. The carriage had just rolled up to Scarlett's home, and Leo's stomach tightened.

He sent up a silent prayer that Scarlett would be awake by now. And if not, that she would wake soon.

She had to wake soon.

"They're upstairs," Eades muttered as the two of them walked through the front doors of Scarlett's home.

Leo took the steps two at a time, rushing toward where he remembered Scarlett's chambers to be.

The door was slightly ajar, and Leo barged through it. He saw Emilia first, sitting on the edge of Scarlett's bed. Her head jerked up, startled by the commotion Leo had made during his entrance.

"Thank goodness," she said, relief etched into her voice. She stood and took a step toward him.

Leo's vision shifted beyond Emilia. Scarlett was lying, entirely still, in the bed. She was drowning in bedclothes, looking small amongst the waves of blankets. His strong woman appeared so fragile and so...pale.

"Oh, god." The words flew through his lips like a plea.

Emilia rushed forward. "She's okay, Leo," she soothed. "She's breathing, and her heart is beating steady."

"Where the bloody hell is the physician?" Leo demanded, looking around the room in search for the damn man.

"He left," Emilia admitted with a grimace. "He said we simply needed to wait."

"How long?" Leo whispered, ambling toward the bed. He sat on the edge of it, stroking a hesitant hand through Scarlett's hair. Her raven locks were down, flowing across the pillow, vividly contrasting her near-translucent complexion. "How much longer, Emilia?"

"I'm not certain," Emilia said softly. "But, I think..." She trailed off, and Leo twisted toward his friend.

"What?"

She shifted on her feet, and Leo frowned.

"Leo, I think that the medicine Scarlett was given for her breathing condition is the same drug that Lord Trevor used when he kidnapped me."

"You've—you've got to be kidding me," Leo choked out.

"It's the smell," Emilia explained. "And the effect and the way she had to breathe it in."

Closing his eyes, Leo swore. Before Emilia and Will had married, an impoverished earl attempted to kidnap Emilia, meaning to marry her in Scotland against her wishes. Luckily, it hadn't taken long for Theo and Will to intervene. Being reminded of it always infuriated Leo. But that wasn't the only reason he was mad.

"Why the blazes are a doctor and a criminal in possession of the same tools?"

Emilia gave a slight shake of her head. "I don't know, Leo. It's an awful drug. But the good news is that if it is the same substance, then she should wake just as I did."

"Assuming the same quantity was used." Eades' low voice cut in from the doorway. Leo scowled. He'd forgotten Eades was still here.

With a reluctant nod, Emilia agreed. "Yes, but let's assume it was the same dosage, shall we?" she said tightly. "We have no way to know otherwise."

Dread continued to fill Leo like a disease as he peeked back at Scarlett.

Her stillness terrified him.

Soft footsteps approached Leo, and he knew it was Emilia. The weight of a small hand pressed into his shoulder.

"I was unconscious for almost an entire day, Leo. Just have patience," she murmured. "But I had thought you'd want to know she was—"

Emilia broke off and cleared her throat before beginning again. "I thought you'd want to be here when she wakes."

Leo took a deep breath and nodded.

"When she does wake, I doubt she will feel well," Emilia continued.

"What can I do to help?" Leo questioned without taking his eyes from Scarlett.

"Water," Emilia promptly responded. "Lots of water. But mostly, just be here."

"I'm not going anywhere," Leo whispered.

Emilia's hand squeezed his shoulder and then vanished. "I'm going to go send an update to Will," she murmured.

A few seconds later, Leo heard the soft closing of the door and realized she'd left them. Glancing back, Leo checked to make sure Eades had gone as well and was grateful to find the room empty.

Leo didn't need an audience right now. Simply put, he was terrified.

He'd stood by and watched as Scarlett's asthma worsened and worsened, even though for part of that time, Leo had yet to realize what the problem was. And he could only assume that whatever happened today had been dire enough that she'd felt she needed to try this new drug.

This was no way to live her life. The laudanum had been bad enough.

Deciding to lie down, Leo rested his head next to Scarlett's on the pillow. She was so serene and so beautiful, and yet so lifeless. His heart ached.

He'd always thought that he could stare at her for hours on end and be content, but Leo knew now that he'd been wrong. Because it wasn't just her beauty that he admired. It was everything about her—everything that was dormant in slumber.

Sighing, Leo looked to the ceiling instead.

Tracing the designs of the crown molding with his eyes, Leo laid there hoping that one day he would get to watch Scarlett sleep without worrying whether she would actually wake up.

Time passed in endless waves of worry. Darkness covered the room, masking the hour. Leo wasn't sure what time of night it was when there he was startled by stirring next to him.

"Leo?" A voice croaked.

He half believed that he was dreaming and jerked his gaze up to Scarlett's face. Her eyes were sparkling as they looked at him, a light in the endless dark of night.

A flood of emotion caused tears to form, threatening to release if he even blinked once.

"Scarlett," Leo breathed, bringing a hand up to cup her face tentatively.

A bewildered expression overcame her face. "Why—" She paused, running her tongue over her dry lips and swallowing. "Why are you here?"

There was only one truth to that.

Leo shrugged and then smiled widely in relief. "Because I love you."

Scarlett inhaled sharply. Then the corners of her lips tilted upwards as she captured Leo's hand with her own, holding its place next to her face. She leaned into his palm, nuzzling it. Leo watched as her eyes fluttered to a close once more, and she whispered, "I love you too, Leo."