“Are you all right?” Dorothy eyed her with concern.
“Yes. I n-need to do this, or I will be st-stuck in this b-bed for days.”
Between the two of them they got her to the toilet, and since she was up, she used the bathing room to wash and brush her teeth—with a small piece of linen since she had no toothbrush.
That little bit of effort tired her out, but at the same time raised her spirits. Dorothy helped her dress and once she was ready, Pamela sat on the bed to await Nick to carry her downstairs.
Just as she had expected, Nick arrived with Mrs. Fletcher in tow. He crossed the room and the way his eyes lit up warmed her insides.
“Good morning, Pamela. I must say given what you went through yesterday, you are looking beautiful.” He grinned as he bent to scoop her into his arms.
Knowing how she looked when she viewed herself in the mirror in the bathing room, she was certain Mr. Nicholas Smith must be Irish because he was full of blarney.
9
All the muscles in Nick’s body tensed when he saw Pamela in the daylight. Although he did not lie when he told her she looked beautiful, because in his eyes she would always be beautiful, the scrapes on her face, her wrist in a brace, and the bandage still on her head brought out the roaring beast in him.
Mine. Someone dared to hurt what is mine.
She would be his and someone had the nerve to hurt her. Once this matter was cleared up, he would find the persons responsible for the runaway carriage and make sure they paid the necessary price for it. It was times like that when he was glad he’d remained in contact with his unsavory friends.
It was probable that Pamela did not care for him the way he cared for her but given how she turned to him when in danger and didn’t pull away when he kissed her, it was only a matter of time. Having her here in his home felt so right, but the fact that he was banned from her bedroom was oh, so wrong.
But he agreed with Mrs. Fletcher. It might never become known that Pamela spent the night in his house, but if it did, his housekeeper would be certain to quell any hint of impropriety.
No one would question Mrs. Fletcher on her morals.
He scooped Pamela into his arms and carried her downstairs. The girl needed to eat more; she was light as a bird. He brought her to the dining room where a chair had been set up with pillows on the seat and the back of the chair, and a warm woolen blanket to cover her.
“Th-this is lovely!” She craned her neck looking around and over his shoulder at the large room. He was quite proud of his home, but especially this room. Even though he had a decorator, he had picked out the colors and heavy wooden furniture himself.
“Thank you.” She winced as he sat her in the chair and adjusted the pillows behind her back, being careful not to move her too much since it was obvious she was still in quite a bit of pain.
Unfortunately, the chair was positioned right alongside a window, the direct sunlight highlighting her injuries. His jaw tightened so much he thought he would break his teeth. If he didn’t subdue his anger he would rush from the house and tear Bath apart until he found the driver of the carriage and beat the name of the person who ordered it done out of him.
Instead he sucked in a deep breath and picked up the plate in front of Pamela. “Since you should probably give your sprained wrist a rest, I will be happy to fill your plate. What do you prefer?”
“Actual
ly, I am quite h-h-hungry again. I guess b-being tossed around the p-p-pavement gives one an appetite.” She looked at the display of food. “An egg, t-t-toast, bacon, b-b-beans, and a bit of the p-p-porridge.”
So much for his theory about her having to eat more. Apparently, Pamela was one of those people who could consume a lot of food and not show it. From what he’d felt so far, her curves were quite delectable.
Once both their plates were full, Nick said, “I met with one of my contacts in the less savory part of Bath yesterday.”
Pamela immediately put her fork down and placed her hand in her lap and studied him. “Why d-d-do I think this is n-not going to be g-g-good news?”
Nick sighed. “Because it’s not good news. I believe that your friend, Miss Davenport has been abducted and taken to London.”
Her eyes grew wide and she bit her lower lip. “Oh, n-n-no! F-f-for what p-purpose?”
He hesitated, wishing he did not have to tell her, but it was important for her to know. “To be forced into prostitution.”
Pamela reeled back as if she’d been slapped. “P-p-prostitu-tution?”
He gave her a slow nod. “I’m afraid so. I have reason to believe that all the young, unmarried women who occupied the room you deemed as ‘cursed,’ and then vanished, came to the same end.”
“Th-that’s t-terrible.” Her eyes filled with tears and she grew quite pale. “We m-must save her.”