“But you said that you’d only marry me if—”
“I know,” he whispered. “But as I see it, you’ve been compromised either way. And I won’t leave you for a man like Nearbottom to take advantage of.” Though, perhaps he’d been wrong about that. It didn’t matter. He knew what he had to do. His mouth pressed together. “I’m not the man I was before I lost Amelia. I don’t know how much I have to give you. But I’ll try. Can you accept that?”
She gave a nod. “I can.”
He closed his eyes for a moment as he pulled her closer. Dahlia was going to be his. His chest tightened. It wasn’t fair that he couldn’t give her his whole heart, but he couldn’t let her go either.
Chapter Ten
Dahlia stared at the man who’d just proposed to her. Should she pinch herself?
She knew his proposal was still conditional. She understood, or she thought she did. Despite that fact, no man had ever made her feel the way he did.
They ate in relative silence, Dahlia’s eyes growing heavy as her stomach grew fuller. The past few days had been trying and now, with Sam recovering and her future more hopeful, she found herself tired beyond measure. A yawn nearly split her jaw.
“You should go to bed,” Gavin gave her a look across the table that clearly said she wasn’t to argue. She rolled her neck. She’d prove him wrong another time, right now, she was too sleepy to debate the matter.
“I agree, but Sam still needs watching.”
He reached across the table and grabbed her hand, bringing it to his lips. “I’ll have a cot brought in and sleep in your brother’s room.” Then he stood and pulled her to stand as wel
l. Leading the way, he let go of her hand once they’d entered her room. He crossed to the door and pulled the bell cord. “Once Agnes leaves, lock the chamber door, but leave the connecting door open.”
She gave a nod. Moving back to her with a long stride, he kissed her forehead. “Sleep well.”
It didn’t take long for Agnes to make her ready. Dahlia slipped under the covers and closed her eyes. What a glorious place for a good rest.
She woke some time later, unaware of what time it was, but the night was inky black. A yell or perhaps a laugh punctuated the dark and she blinked, trying to discern what the noise might have been.
“Dahlia,” a sing song voice called from the other side of her door. “I’m terribly bored, darling, and you are just the sort of woman who’d make life more interesting for me.”
She sat up, rubbing her face. Was that Nearbottom? The man was insufferable. Hadn’t Gavin told him they’d marry?
“I’m waiting,” he slurred. “I talked with the butler. You don’t have a dowry, you little minx. Let me be your benefactor. De Wolfe is only a baron. I’m an earl, darling. Think of the things I could give you.”
She got up, wondering what she should do. He was liable to wake the entire house at this rate. Gavin was just in the next room. Should she get him? Her mouth turned down. “My lord. You should go to bed.”
The knob twisted and her breath caught. Gavin had told her to lock the door. Had she? The latch clicked and the door began to swing open. Drat.
She wasn’t going to take any chances. Lifting the hem of her night shift, she started for the connecting door.
But Nearbottom was quick and he ran to the door blocking her escape.
“Get out of my room,” she yelled as loudly as she could then began backing toward the other door.
“What is it about you that’s so tempting, I wonder?” He scratched at his chin. “You’re lovely, of course, but so are lots of women.” He started moving toward her, swaying on his feet. “Perhaps it’s that you’re taming a beast of a man in de Wolfe. You must have something special in you to accomplish that.” He gave her a lecherous smile and then let out a loud hiccup. “Don’t get me wrong, I like him well enough and I came in earlier to help him see that he should marry you already and give up on the melancholy but…”
Her breath came in short gasps as she continued backing toward the door. “But what?” If she kept him talking, perhaps she could gain enough time to escape.
“The drunker I got the more I realized you were far too tempting to just hand over to another man.” He lunged her way and she darted to the side as he crashed in the wall.
He pushed back up with surprising speed. “You should scream,” he said. “He’ll come a lot quicker if you do.”
“What?” She stopped and he literally ran into her back, sending them both crashing to the ground.
She tried to roll away but his weight pinned her down.
But then another hand wrapped about her upper arm, giving her a good tug. She was out from under Nearbottom in an instant and sent spinning across the room. Turning back, she caught sight of Gavin, just as his fist landed on Nearbottom’s face.