Page 50 of The Devil and the Heiress
“I never realized it was so terrible.” Her voice was filledwith awe as she came up beside him, tucking herself into his side.
Despite the fact that he was perspiring from assisting the crew all afternoon, he put his arm around her, thankful that she was alive and well for him to hold. She didn’t seem to mind as she burrowed into him. “I will never forgive myself for allowing that to happen to you.” He pressed his lips to her forehead, but he could not look away from the spectacle.
Placing her hand on his cheek, she forced him to look down at her. “Stop that nonsense. You could no more control the rain and the state of the road than you can me. Despite what you’d have yourself believe.” The sunshine in her smile seeped into him, warming him as it had for days. She wore a simple cotton dress borrowed from a girl in the village for the trip to the accident site. It was white with bits of lace at the cuffs and neckline, making her seem young, innocent, and full of life. And he had nearly robbed her of that life.
Turning to pull her fully into his arms, he pressed his forehead against hers and closed his eyes, heedless of the men who walked around them. “You might have—”
Surprising him, she leaned up on her toes and pressed a kiss to his chin. “But I didn’t. Enough of that. Let’s go home.” Taking him in hand, she started walking toward the Mitchells’ house nearly a mile away.
The bruises at the side of her face had begun to fade from blue to green. She had taken to wearing a strip of blue fabric around her head, tied up like a kerchief to cover her stitches. “I feel I’m being abducted by a pirate,” he teased.
The men had begun dispersing, having done all they could for the day. A few would stay behind to take apart what could be salvaged for spare parts and scrap metal. Unfortunately, a report had to be made with the local authorities. Christian had given the name Rochester but had been met with looks that bordered on suspicion. It was likely only a matter of time before someone found outabout their jaunt north, especially if they were searching for her as thoroughly as Christian would search for her if she were his.
She laughed. “You are, only you come along so willingly like a good lad, you make it too easy for me.”
He joined in her laughter as they walked, him leaning heavily on his borrowed wooden cane. At the physician’s insistence, she still wore a sling to support her right arm, so she lightly touched his forearm with her left hand, her fingers stroking over the bare skin revealed by his rolled-up cuffs. The afternoon’s work had forced him to abandon all pretense of being a gentleman, but she didn’t seem to mind.
“Your limp seems more pronounced since the accident. Are you certain you haven’t injured yourself?” she asked.
It was the mad scramble to rescue her and the mile sprint to get her help that had done it, but he would never tell her that. Dr. Mitchell had said he had likely pulled a ligament and wrapped it up for him. “Merely overextended it. It will heal with time.”
“You should have stayed in bed resting these past days,” she said.
“I couldn’t.”
“Why not?” She looked up at him with her brow creased.
“Because temptation lay there.” He grinned.
She colored prettily. He had yet to touch her again after taking her virginity two nights past. Last night he had merely held her, both thankful and bemoaning the fact that there were no more rubber sheaths. Their absence was the only thing that saved him from her lure. He still hadn’t forgiven himself for not holding stronger against her charms. She was a woman, entitled to her own needs and wants. She had proven that point, but he was merely a man, and he would not be able to give her up if he sampled much more of her. Even now it would be like giving up his right arm to see her go. Yet, not having her would serve as his penance for daring to take her at all.
Squeezing his arm, she said in a low voice, “It need not be only temptation. You know I am yours.”
He didn’t know what to say to that. He would not bind her to him unfairly any more than he already had, but the longer they stayed together, the more he was tempted beyond reason.
“Christian!”
He looked up to see a familiar form on the road ahead. Jacob smiled easily and raised his hand as he walked toward them. “Jacob?”
“Your brother?” she asked.
He smiled in genuine joy. “Yes, I sent word to him after the accident.” Jacob looked every bit the gentleman in a coat, hat, and gloves as they hurried to meet him.
“I come bearing gifts. A carriage and clothing for you and the miss. The physician’s wife told me I would find you here, but I had no idea you had become a laborer,” Jacob teased, and pulled him into a quick embrace, slapping his shoulder. When they parted, Jacob’s gaze took in the scrapes and bruising on them both.
“Indeed, much has changed since I last saw you, brother,” said Christian. The words were true in many ways, and Jacob’s dark brown eyes widened in understanding. “I had no idea you would come yourself.”
“I wanted to see for myself that you were still alive.” Jacob smiled and took Violet’s hand. “Miss Crenshaw, I presume?” He pressed a kiss to her knuckles.
“Mr. Thorne.” She smiled. “I am so very pleased to meet you. It’s wonderful to meet someone from Christian’s family.”
Jacob kept her hand and tucked it into the crook of his arm as he joined them on the walk back to the village. “He’s told you about me, then?” His eyebrows shot up in surprise, and he gave Christian a knowing look.
“Only the disreputable bits,” Christian replied, falling into line beside them.
“Ah, then allow me to take the rest of the evening to correct your likely misconception,” Jacob said to Violet. “He’s the disreputable one. I am the one forced to keep him in line.”
“Oh dear, have I chosen the wrong brother?” she asked in mock fright.
