He sat beside her, picked up her limp hand, and looked at the slender white fingers. He realized he had forgotten to ask her exactly what had happened. So he looked very nice, did he? He made her feel strangely? He imagined if he told her how he felt, she’d run screaming. Well, maybe not. He smiled, then frowned. He gently laid her hand down and stood. He was a gentleman.
It was dark when Susannah opened her eyes. Only a branch of candles burned atop her small writing desk in the corner of her bedchamber. Shadows twisted and curved about the furniture and the walls, fading into darkness in the corners of the room. But the room was familiar, comforting.
Her head ached only dully now. She felt the swelling on her face. She didn’t want to see herself in the mirror. She got up, relieved herself, then made her way to the
window. She pulled back the thick dark-yellow draperies. A quarter of moon shone high in the sky, and a few errant stars peered through the roving clouds.
It would rain before morning.
“What the devil are you doing out of bed?”
She turned slowly at the sound of his voice. “You’re not naked anymore.” He was wearing a gold brocade dressing gown, rich and thick, but the elbows were nearly worn through. A favorite dressing gown, one enjoyed for many years. But he didn’t have all that many years. She supposed, though, that a man of his reputation spent a good deal of time in a dressing gown. And out of it.
Did he detect a note of disappointment in her voice? Yes, it was definitely disappointment. He loved it. He grinned at her, he couldn’t help it. “No, I’m not. Sorry, but it seemed civilized to retrieve my shirt from you.”
“Surely it was soiled.”
“Yes, but I did retrieve it. I didn’t put it back on.”
She took a step toward him, then stopped. “You didn’t retrieve it from me yourself, did you?”
“No. My mother and Mrs. Beete saw to you. Also, my mother’s maid, Sabine. Have you yet met Sabine? No? You will. She is quite a treat. Why don’t you come back to bed? You’re still looking a bit shaky on your bare toes. Does your head still hurt?”
She shook her head, and nearly gasped with the sharp pain. She held herself perfectly still. The pain faded quickly. “It’s not bad at all now.” She turned to face him fully.
He sucked in his breath, his hands fisting at his sides. “Your face—Jesus, I’ll kill that bastard.”
She touched her fingertips to her sore cheek. It felt very swollen. She could only begin to picture how dreadful she looked. But she still didn’t want to know just how bad it was.
“My God, I hadn’t thought the scratches were so bad. But look at them. You’re a mess. Surely he couldn’t have done all that to you. What did you do?”
There was utter outrage in his voice. He was also not more than two feet from her now. His eyes were greener than the well-scythed grass on the east lawn. “When I was running from the shack, I fell on my face. It’s just scratches. What bothered me more was swallowing dirt and leaves.” She tried a smile, but it didn’t work.
He reached out his hand and lightly traced his fingertips over her cheek.
“Is that man alive?”
“Yes, but he’s still unconscious. Dr. Foxdale doesn’t know if he’ll ever wake up. He said head wounds are tricky. We’ll just have to wait and see.”
“He wants a map.”
Rohan said nothing, merely took her arm and led her back to her bed.
“Please, not yet. I was growing mold lying in that bed. How are Marianne and Toby?”
“Marianne carried on until I wanted to throw her out of the breakfast parlor window, but I knew you would be distressed if I did. Luckily for me and my poor ears, she managed to exhaust herself in time and fell asleep on me, madly sucking her two fingers.”
She could only stare up at him. “You tried to feed her? You didn’t leave her with Lottie?”
“Don’t sound so astonished, so incredulous. There was no one else to take her. Well, actually it didn’t occur to me to ask anyone else. Next time I will. If I see Jamie I will beg him to come sing her a limerick. It certainly works with the horses—why not the little pumpkin? Toby did volunteer—brave lad—but I knew he didn’t stand a chance with Marianne. She would have had him lying toes cocked up, pleading for the hereafter. She’s fine now, sound asleep. I had no idea so much noise could come out of such a little mouth. I promised her she would see you early tomorrow morning, so prepare yourself. I wouldn’t be surprised if she escaped Lottie and came in here at the crack of dawn.”
She was gaping at him. He’d done all that, yet he was jesting about it. But still, it was unbelievable. There was no belief at all in her voice when she asked, “You are saying that you put Marianne to bed?”
“I didn’t give her a bath, or put her in her nightgown, but I must confess that I did tuck her up, pull her fingers out of her mouth, and tell her not to snore. I also gave her a baron kiss since she couldn’t have a mama kiss. She really likes the cleft in my chin. Now come with me before you fall over.”
There were two chairs in front of the fireplace, two elegant ladies’ chairs, covered with a flower brocade. He led her there. When she was seated, he brought a blanket and covered her legs. Then he himself sat down. The chair groaned a bit, but held, thank God. She was still staring at him. He, a man, had taken care of a little three-year-old girl? It froze the mind. It made her head hurt when it hadn’t before.
There was a knock. Rohan just looked toward the door, resignation clear on his face. It opened and Charlotte came in. She was carrying a tray and smiling, a beautiful smile, one that could light up the darkest of rooms.