Page 11 of The Miracle of Love
Grace was calmed by the trust she saw in the eyes of the two ladies.
But it still troubled her greatly to have this man stay in her room.
And yet, what if those agents did somehow get in here and attempt to abduct her? This was far more dangerous than his unwanted presence in her room. Wasn’t she ruined anyway because of her family’s infamous behavior? No decent man would ever have her as his wife.
So, what was the point of sticking to her moral values?
She sank onto the bed and buried her face in her hands the moment his aunt and mother left.
He closed the door and locked it behind them, then came to her side and knelt beside her. “Oh, Grace,” he said, his voice remarkably gentle as she struggled to hold back her tears. “All jesting aside, I am a man of honor. I’ve given you my word, and I shall not break it. You are safe with me.”
“Your family obviously trusts you and so shall I. But this situation…I wasn’t raised this way. I never imagined having a man sleep in my bedchamber outside of marriage. Your family might not say a word, but what about the servants?”
Her mind was in a jumbled whirl, and she felt quite helpless to control all that was happening. Strangers wanted to abduct her. Was she a prudish fool for fretting over a man sharing her quarters?
He sighed and rose. “The staff will keep quiet. They will not dare cross me, although I am sure they fear Aunt Miranda most of all. At times, even I am frightened of her,” he said with a gentle humor no doubt meant to calm her. “Do not overset yourself, Grace. It is getting late, and we both need our sleep.”
She nodded. “There is a spare blanket and pillow in the wardrobe.”
He left her side and strode to it. “We’ll talk further in the morning. Be strong, love. We’re going to have busy days ahead of us.”
Grace wiped her moist cheeks with the sleeve of her nightgown and watched as he removed the pillow and blanket from the wardrobe, then spread the blanket beneath the window. “Take the bed, Mr. Quinton. You obviously need the rest more than I do. I am better served by having you alert.”
He shook his head. “I’ll be fine right here. You take the bed and that’s an order, Grace. I’m used to sleeping under far rougher conditions. You are not.”
He smoothed the corner of his pallet and sighed as he glanced at her. “Are you going to fret and agonize all night?”
“I hope not. Give me a moment. You may think nothing of our sharing quarters, but it is still upsetting to me.”
He approached her, staring down at her with his arms once again crossed over his broad chest. “Don’t think of it that way.”
“How can I not? What will the rest of your family say? I am sure they will realize it immediately. All they have to do is count the bedchambers to know something is amiss.”
“If my mother and aunt are not up in arms about it, then the others won’t say anything either. My cousins, Lorcan and Donal are active Crown agents. They were assigned to protect the ladies who are now their wives. I can assure you, that protection involved never letting them out of their sight dayandnight. None of them are going to say a word about our situation.”
“But it is different. They married the women they were protecting.”
He glanced at the book that was now resting atop the night table. “Who is to say I will not marry you?”
“Marry me? No one in their right mind will come near me. I am worse than damaged goods. I am shunned and reviled by good society.” She emitted a mirthless laugh. “Marriage to me? Why even mention such a thing?”
“Because of that book. Do you not understand whatThe Book of Loveis?”
“Yes, I do. It is a guide to finding true love.” She shook her head. “Something I may never encounter now. But there is no reason why you should not. It is very good reading. Actually, quite thoughtful in the way it explains what is important in a lasting and happy relationship. You ought to read it. I know you believe you know everything there is to know about love, but you are wrong. I don’t think you understand the first thing about it.”
He chuckled lightly. “Grace, insulting your protector is not a very clever thing to do. At least wait until the danger has passed before you berate me.”
He uncrossed his arms and stepped away. “One more thing.”
“Yes?” She watched him as he began to remove weapons off his person and set them out beside his pallet.
“Do not touch these. They are beside me in a precise order for a reason.”
She climbed under her covers. “I have no intention of going anywhere near them or you. Sorry, I do not mean to sound so churlish. Mr. Quinton, I–”
“Call me Deklan. It is obvious Aunt Miranda already thinks of you as one of the family.”
“She has asked me to stay on after the holidays and serve as her companion. I don’t think I should remain beyond tonight. If what you say is true, am I not putting your entire family at risk? Do you think those in charge of this Home Office operation would permit me to return to my family’s townhouse?”
