Page 36 of The Agent and the Outlaw
“No, no,” she tutted. “You’re healing well now, but I won’t have you corrupting the process. For once, Comtesse—Charlotte—do as I recommend and allow your body the proper time to recover. You seem safe enough here for now.Lieutenant de Valleis helping to look after your needs, and Daphne and Étienne are in the next town over, waiting for you to be fit enough to meet with them. All is well. Simply rest.Please.”
Despite her making perfect sense, I scowled. “I’ve beenresting. Now I feel restless.At least give me leave to go check on Antoine. There are…things…we need to discuss.”
Van Helsing regarded me for a moment, then went back to her examination of my shoulder. She pressed firmly into the tender flesh, and I expected to draw back in pain, but felt no more than a fleeting discomfort.Strange, indeed.
“Remarkable,” the doctor muttered to herself.
“What’s remarkable?” I replied, unable to see what she was marveling at beneath the mound of linen piled up on my shoulder.
Before she could answer, the door exploded open and Antoine barreled in, twin pistols drawn. Van Helsing and I jumped.
“You’re awake!” Antoine said in a tone of stunned confusion. He lowered the pistols. “I’m sorry. I heard voices and I thought perhaps someone else had…” He trailed off and blushed. Taking a tentative step into the room, he cast accusing eyes upon Van Helsing. “Doctor, you promised to tell me the moment she awakened.”
Van Helsing rolled her eyes. “Lieutenant, you needed sleep just as much as she did. Incidentally, she woke only a few minutes before you burst in here with your inappropriate weapons drawn.” She shook her head. “You French, with all your hotblooded violence and passions. It’s a wonder the entire country hasn’t come down with apoplexy.”
Antoine’s jaw worked, clenching and unclenching as if he had a great deal to say to the doctor but was trying very hard to restrain himself.
“Comtesse,” he coughed out awkwardly. “Are you well? I mean, how are you feeling?”
“I’m fine, Antoine, really. Remarkably well, even,” I said with a smile. “With Doctor Van Helsing’s care—and with your care, she tells me—and the rest of several days, I feel almost as good as new.”
He nodded. “Excellent. Outstanding.” He cleared his throat and fiddled with his loose cuff. Van Helsing watched his discomfort with growing amusement.
“Well, I’ve been up for some time. I do believe it is my turn to get some sleep now. Lieutenant, do keep an eye on our patient. Please try not to overexcite her or let her engage in anyvigorousactivity. I’ll check in again later this evening,” the doctor said, trying unsuccessfully to hide a smile.
Antoine looked murderous but nodded. “Thank you, Doctor.”
Van Helsing winked at me, packed up her small valise of supplies, and headed for her room, leaving Antoine and I in what had become an uncomfortable silence. I took in his disheveled appearance and wondered how much of it was the result of prolonged stress at my illness and how much of it was because he’d obviously woken from sleep in a panicked state.
“We must talk,” he said abruptly.
“Of course,” I replied. I scooted over to make room for him, but he eyed the bed uneasily and dragged a chair over to sit directly in front of me.
“You were ill. Feverish. For days!” His manner was oddly accusatory.
I balked. “My apologies. Next time, I’ll be sure to align my social calendar with yours before taking sick.”
Antoine’s green eyes sparked with irritation and barely restrained emotion. “I didn’t know what to do when you wouldn’t wake.”
I was struggling to follow his line of overset inquiry.
“I can understand that,” I said slowly, treading carefully. “But contacting my cousin was clearly the right choice.”
“Foryou, perhaps!” he countered.
My brows rose in surprise. Suddenly very tired, I laid back against the pillows on the bed and waited. It was obvious he needed to get something off his chest, but what it was, I couldn’t tell. After a few moments, he ran his fingers through his hair, tugging the dark waves from his queue. His scar flexed white, contrasting sharply against the tan of his skin and the dark stubble of beard on his cheeks.
“I put myself at great risk,” he said finally. “Your cousin and her husband are more than just nobility. They’redangerous, Charlotte, and they know I’m involved with Sade’s murder and your…your…disappearance.”
“Is that what worries you? Honestly, Antoine, it will be fine. I’ll explain everything to them. They’re not like other aristocrats.”
“That’s not the point,” he said in exasperation. He stood and paced the room.
“What is the point, then? You seem to be driving toward something, and I’ll be damned if I can figure out what it is. If you’re angry, then speak plainly and let us have it out.”
“I cannot be around you, Charlotte!” he shouted. “Your very presence is a distraction and a danger to me. When you are recovered, we must part ways.”
Shocked and stung by his outburst, I tried to quickly cover my hurt. “Fine. But you kidnappedme,remember. I’ve been trying to part ways with you since I regained consciousness.”
