Carefully lifting her hand off the sheet, he slid his fingers between hers, holding her hand palm to palm. Placing a soft kiss on the soft skin of the back of her hand, he placed their entwined hands back on the bed before him. Gently, he lay his head down next to them and allowed exhaustion to claim him.
She was alive. Now all he had to do was keep her that way.
CHAPTER FOUR
Isobel slowly became aware of wonderful softness beneath her fingertips. The soft, fine silk captured her fingers in its gentle snare, and tickled her fingertips. All of her senses locked onto the feeling as she slowly moved her fingers, feeling the silken mass swirl and shimmer in response.
“Isobel?” Suddenly, the silk was gone causing Isobel to break out of her reverie. She slowly dragged her eyes open, astonished at the sheer effort such a small movement could take.
“Dominic?” she swallowed harshly at the scratchy burning in her throat. “What? Where?” She tried to pick her head up off the pillow, only to find the energy she thought she had, evaporate like a puff of smoke.
Her chest ached, and breathing seemed such hard work.
“You are at Havistock Hall, my darling,” Dominic replied softly, giving her a gentle smile of reassurance. Quickly, he rose and tugged on the bell pull beside the bed before returning to her side. “You are perfectly safe now.”
He fought hard to control the sheer relief that surged through him, and carefully eased her off the pillows high enough to hold a cup of water to her lips. He watched as she drank greedily.
“Safe?” Isobel croaked hoarsely, wincing as the throbbing headache increased in strength. “Why does my head hurt so?” Her throat felt raw and hot.
“Because you haven’t eaten enough, and are quite poorly,” Dominic’s voice was sterner with the stark memory of the last few hours. “You must eat and rest if you are to get well again.”
Isobel took advantage of her elevated position to study the room around them. Entirely masculine in design, the dark oak panelling gleamed in the firelight. Decorated in reds, browns and golds, it was clearly Dominic’s room. Isobel frowned as she eyed the heavy marbled fireplace, and solid furniture adorning the walls.
“Do you have any idea how worried we have been for you?” His eyes scanned her pale features, tenderly tracing each new curve and hollow. Even with her hair cut unfashionably short, with her startling blue eyes she had an ensnaring beauty about her that made him wonder how she had succeeded in fooling anyone into thinking she was a boy.
“Worried?” Isobel queried, turning her gaze back to his. She had so many questions to ask; so many things she wanted to say, but at that moment couldn’t form the words.
Suddenly, she realised where she was. “I should not be here, I must leave at once,” she gritted her teeth, and tried desperately to raise herself from the bed only to have Dominic immediately push her back down, a fierce glint of reproach in his eyes.
“You are not going anywhere,” his voice was firm. “Where would you expect to go anyway?” He was curious, but determined that she wouldn’t be leaving the bed anytime soon, at least until she got her strength back.
“I don’t know,” she whispered feeling tears begin to well. “But I cannot stay.”
Misery swamped her. It was so wonderful to be close to the man whose memory was now burned into her very soul, but the joy was marred by the pain of being so close to someone who could never be hers.
“Why not?” Dominic asked, gently sitting down in the armchair beside the bed. He smoothed a few stray
strands of hair away from her face, pleased when she didn’t flinch under his touch. Her distress was clear and he wondered what had caused it.
He quickly scanned the room, looking for anything amiss that would upset her so. Moments ago she had been quite relaxed. Muddled, but at ease. Now, she seemed so uncomfortable Dominic wouldn’t have been surprised if she had jumped out of bed and ran straight out of the room.
“How long have I been here?” Isobel looked towards the window. A fine blanket of snow covered what she could see of the ground outside. The last time Isobel could remember being outside it had been windy and raining, certainly too wet for snow to settle.
“You have been here for a week now,” Dominic replied, smiling softly at her startled gasp. “It has been a very eventful week, I can tell you,” he chided softly, watching her almost guilty surprise.
“I’m sorry,” Isobel tried once again to get out of the bed. “I’ve imposed on your good nature long enough. I must leave.” She tried desperately not to show just how weak she was, and wondered how she would manage to get out of bed but felt she had to try.
“My good nature!” Dominic repeated with a frown. “What do you expect me to do Isobel? Leave you out in the cold?” His voice was incredulous.
“I don’t want to cause you any more inconvenience.”
“Inconvenience?” Dominic lurched to his feet, and stood beside the bed as his temper rose. “What do you mean inconvenience? You are not some bloody vague relation happening by.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to anger you. I just don’t want to cause you any problems given our past -” Isobel glanced around the room at a loss to find the right words, “- association.” She ended weakly, and watched nervously as his temper rose.
“Association?” Dominic shook his head once in stunned surprise, knowing he sounded dense by keep repeating her sentences. “We were lovers Isobel!” He hated to be so blunt, but they couldn’t hide the fact that they had been far more than mere ‘associates’. He felt irked that she could so blithely put him into that category.
“I just don’t want to make things awkward for you. Your wife wouldn’t like me being here. This is your room, is it not?” Using every ounce of courage within her, she ignored his bristling anger, dropping her gaze to the coverlet across her knees. She began to pluck randomly at the soft material as she continued. “I am sorry for any discontent my presence here has already caused, if you could get my clothes I shall leave forthwith.”