Olivia’s POV
Dawn crept in pale and thin through the frost-touched windows of Lucas’s study. The fire had burned down to embers, painting the room in a dull red glow, and I hadn’t realized I’d drifted into a half-sleep until the scrape of parchment startled me awake.
Lucas was still in his chair, shoulders broad and rigid in the faint light, eyes fixed on the midwife’s book lying open between us. He hadn’t slept at all.
“You’ve been watching me,” I murmured, stretching against the stiff ache in my back.
His gaze softened. “I was making sure you didn’t collapse face-first into the fire.”
A reluctant laugh escaped me, brittle but real. “That would’ve made Emily’s case easier.”
The humor drained from Lucas’s expression, replaced by a protective ferocity I was beginning to know well. “Do
