“I will head off to London to gather the troops, so to speak. While I am there I make a few inquiries into DeLisle and Rupert’s activities and see if I can shed some light on their financial status,” Sebastian added, glad to be doing something Rupert to justice.
Isobel frowned. What could she do? She was rendered practically useless. She certainly couldn’t ride off to London, or sit in the bushes and watch Rupert’s house.
“Isobel,” Dominic’s voice broke her train of thought. “This may at some point go before the Magistrate.
In order to secure trial and punishment, you need to recount everything that happened to you on paper. Make a statement we could put forward to the authorities highlighting his illegal activities.” In reality he wasn’t certain it would be needed. Men as desperate as Rupert and DeLisle usually didn’t make it to the courtrooms. “It has to be everything.” He felt a surge of pride when she nodded her acceptance of her task, despite going deathly pale at the thought resurrecting the ghosts of her recent past.
He hoped it would keep her busy enough to stop her going outside while he was gone. A week suddenly seemed such a very long time.
“Promise me Dominic,” Isobel demanded later that night as they lay replete in each others’ arms. Although she loved this man, and would trust him with her life, there was a cold fierceness about him now that made him a stranger, and she wasn’t sure she was entirely comfortable with him. It took every ounce of her willpower to place her fingers upon his chin and turn his cool emerald gaze to hers. “Promise me you won’t risk yourself. You must be careful. As you said Rupert is desperate. I don’t want him removing you in the hope of making me a vulnerable widow.”
Dominic’s face relaxed into a ghost of a smile that vanished so swiftly Isobel wasn’t sure if she had seen it. “I will be fine. You must promise me that you will not do anything to put yourself in danger. I can ensure you are kept safe and secure. You must play your part however, and make sure you do not take any unnecessary risks,” his voice held a stern edge that gave Isobel pause to consider if she really knew Dominic at all.
Was this side of him, the cold and ruthless side, the true Dominic? Or was it the warm and loving man she had grown to know over the past few weeks?
“I won’t do anything that will inadvertently put anyone, including myself, at risk,” Isobel reassured him. “You need to know something else,” her sleepy comment broke the silence of the room.
“Hmm?” Dominic frowned at her warily through the darkness of the room.
“If I die, you will inherit my fortune and estates,” her announcement was met with silence.
“You are not going to die.”
She could tell from the tone of his voice that her warrior was most definitely back. “We are most definitely going to grow old and grey together. Now, we will talk no more about death and dying.” With that, he settled her more firmly against him and fell asleep.
Dominic shivered as an icy blast of air slithered down his neck, reminding him that winter still had a firm grasp of the weather. His warm breath puffed out, creating a white cloud in the darkness around him, urging him to hurry through the gloom toward home.
He eyed the clouds hanging menacingly in the skies above, and wondered if he would make it home before the snowstorm hit. He tugged his cloak higher, tucking his chin into the warmth. Peering through the shadows for any familiar signs to indicate how far away home was, he knew the village was a few miles back. Dusk had been d
escending when he had left the tavern but that seemed several hours ago. The ground was already thick with fresh snowfall, and if the wintry chill in the air was any indication, they were due another storm soon. He nudged his horse onward, eager to get home to the warmth of his wife’s loving arms.
Although several days had passed since Rupert had accosted Isobel in the gardens of Havistock Hall, Dominic knew it was foolhardy to be lulled into a false sense of security. The man was becoming more desperate by the day. There is no telling what depths he would sink to in order to get his hands on money. Everything within him had balked at leaving Peter to look after Isobel however as Isobel’s husband and protector, only he could question Hubert on his past contact with Isobel. As a result, Dominic had discovered a lot of valuable information that would help in their pursuit of Rupert.
During his visit, Dominic had been left without any doubt that Hubert was indeed very worried his friend’s daughter’s safety, and had her best interests at heart when he had agreed to help her in the only way she would allow. It was Hubert’s everlasting regret that he hadn’t insisted Isobel remain with him while he investigated Peter’s death personally, but Isobel had insisted on leaving and keeping out of Rupert’s clutches.
Sensing the man’s honesty and integrity, and seeing for himself how much work Hubert had carried out in order investigating Rupert’s activities in an attempt to help Isobel, went a long way toward calming Dominic’s anger. During his stay, Dominic found some thread of forgiveness within him towards the man who had caused him, and Peter, such grief. His lies after all, had been told for a very good reason and Isobel had been able to stay well away from Rupert and DeLisle.
He had been away for almost a week now, although it seemed like a lifetime. He sorely missed his wife. Over the few weeks of their marriage, he had grown to love her far more than he had ever thought possible. He wasn’t entirely comfortable with the claim she had on his heart, but was unable to do anything about it. He just wished matters were a little more stable between them. Despite the consuming passion they shared, he could sense hesitancy in his wife, a part of her that was held apart; as though she were waiting for something. Only he didn’t know what. He wanted to ask her about it, but wasn’t sure he would like her response, and didn’t want to cause her any additional upset. She had already been through so much.
He wanted her to love him as completely and unquestioningly as he loved her. He wanted her to trust him enough to open her heart completely. There were times when he wondered if she had been given the choice to marry him, without the threat of Rupert, whether she would have accepted. Sometimes he considered it was like being married to a rare bird. An exotic creature that was beautiful to look at, yet difficult to capture, and impossible to keep.
Still they were wed now. He loved her, and was still haunted by the horrifying days when he thought she was dead. He simply could not consider ever letting her go. During her time at Havistock, she had regained her weight, her peachy complexion boasted good health and although she still woke during the night sometimes, she appeared to be quite content in her life with him. That alone gave him some comfort. She certainly hadn’t appeared too upset by his departure, having waved him off with smiles and laughter. Dominic didn’t know whether to be grateful she hadn’t been a clinging, bawling wife, or insulted that she was delighted to see the back of him.
He was so lost in contemplating the complexities of his marriage that he didn’t see the dark shadows lurking by the side of the road until it was too late. He barely managed to bite off a curse, and only just managed to ducked the first blow, but wasn’t quick enough to avoid the man who had come around behind him. Within the flicker of an eye he found himself dragged backwards off his horse by the choking hold around his neck. He hit the ground just as the first boot struck his ribs.
“You know my dear you cannot keep sitting around moping. He won’t come home any faster!” Peter declared, eyeing his sister’s solemn face as she gazed at the fire. “He said he would be about a week. He should be arriving anytime now.” He sighed when Isobel merely offered him a unconvinced smile and remained quiet. “I need to go back to Willowbrook soon.”
“I know,” Isobel said. “It has been very good of you to remain here for as long as you have.”
“I wanted to make sure you are happy here,” Peter’s comment was more of a statement than a question. In the time she had been married to Dominic, she had regained her weight and, despite her obvious upset at her husband’s absence, had a quiet contentment about her that Peter had never seen before.
Isobel smiled briefly across the room at him. Yes, she was happy at Havistock Hall. Living there with Dominic as her husband was after all a dream come true. There was one point during her life when she thought it was a door that had been very firmly closed to her, and she felt somewhat blessed to have been given a second chance at living the life she had only dreamt of.
On the other hand, there was still the looming threat of Rupert that couldn’t be ignored. Inwardly, there was a restlessness she couldn’t shake off. Was it feminine instinct warning her that things were not right? Or some source of self-survival that had developed and grown during her time away that was warning her of imminent danger?
She didn’t know but she would be incredibly relieved when Dominic walked back through the front door. Despite the fact she hadn’t slept very well at all since he left, she would be glad for the reassurance that he was safe and well.
“I am happy,” Isobel finally said. “I will be happier when this issue with Rupert is resolved, and he is out of our lives once and for all. I am not sure how much more my nerves can take.”