Page 47 of Five Nights with a Rakish Duke
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“You were very lucky, Your Grace,” Doctor Helstrop said as he stepped away from Asher.
“Lucky? That’s an odd way to describe a crack to the head,” Asher said as he sat up a little higher on the divan chair and glanced toward the door behind which he knew Penny was hiding, so that she wouldn’t be seen by the doctor.
“The tree branch broke your skin, hence the bleeding, but the hit to your head was poorly aimed. You will be dizzy for a few days, thanks to a bruise, and I’ve added a couple of sutures to stop the bleeding, but you will recover fine,” Doctor Helstrop said with a kindly smile. “Drink this.” He proffered a small glass bottle as he tidied up his leather medicine bag. “It’s feverfew and meadowsweet. Good for the headache.”
“Thank you, Doctor.”
“I’ll see myself out.” Doctor Helstrop nodded one last time to Asher before taking his leave and hurrying out of the door. The moment the bedchamber door was closed behind him, Asher turned his gaze to the door to his garderobe, waiting for Penelope to emerge.
She stepped out slowly, sighing with evident relief, and walked toward him. “You gave me a fright tonight,” she said as she reached him and sat down on the divan bed beside him.
“Why? Because I was an odd figure groaning in the darkness, or because you do not like to see me in pain?” he asked playfully as she picked up the glass bottle the doctor had left for him.
“Is it all right if I say both?” she replied, keeping her eyes downward. The words jarred against Asher, making him realize just what she meant.
“I like you being worried for me, Penny. You don’t have to hide that.” She smiled and lifted her eyes to him again.
“Here, drink this; the doctor said it would help.” She pushed the glass bottle into his hands. He did as she instructed before grimacing and practically choking on the liquid. “Hmm, well it was as brown as hot chocolate, but I’m guessing it doesn’t taste like it.”
“Ergh, not in the slightest!” he complained with laughter as he sat further back on the divan bed, resting his head on the arched back so he could look properly at Penelope.
“You still have to drink it all.” She pressed the glass bottle into his hands again.
“Mean,” he said, swallowing the rest of it.
“Mean? I’m looking out for you here,” she said with a giggle, taking the empty glass bottle from him.
“I know,” he replied, softening his teasing as his eyes settled on her. “Thank you.” The heartfelt gratitude seemed to startle her as she looked to him, her captivating green eyes settling on him. “For everything you did tonight. I could still be lying on the grass if it wasn’t for you.”
In his dazed state, he wasn’t going to think too long or too hard about his actions. He lifted a hand to her and caressed the side of her cheek with his palm then rested his thumb on her lips, gently tracing the enticing curves.
“The doctor said you should rest,” she whispered against his thumb. “Perhaps I am distracting you?”
“I like the distraction,” he said, holding onto her, continuing to trace those pink lips. “This is not the way I pictured tonight going. Our third night, I was hoping for something more…”
“More…?” she encouraged, lifting her eyebrows.
“Exciting,” he said softly, lifting his hand and playing with the loose tendrils that weren’t part of her updo, wrapping the locks around his finger.
“Tell me then,” she whispered playfully, smiling all the more. “How did you picture our third night?”
“Dinner, of course,” he said softly, pulling on her just enough to urge her to inch closer to him across the divan. “More games in the sitting room, more stolen kisses, maybe… something else.”
“Like what?” she asked, her eyes flicking down to his lips.
“Perhaps I’ll just have to show you what I mean on our fourth night.” He watched as she smiled all the more, clearly intrigued by the idea. Her smile vanished though within seconds, fixing him with a questioning gaze.
“Who did this to you, Asher?”
“I don’t know. It was too dark to see, but… I found this in my pocket a few minutes before it happened.” Asher reached to his jacket that had been discarded on the floor beside him and pulled out the note, passing it into her hands. Her eyes widened in shock. When she was about to step up and walk away, he wrapped an arm around her slim waist, pulling her so close that they were practically laying on the divan together with her front pressed to his.
“Oh God… do you think whoever hit you left this?”
“I don’t know, and right now, my head hurts too much to think about it,” he said quietly. “Yet, there is something I do want.”
“What’s that?” She was hardly settled, looking repeatedly down at the note.
