To Have and to Hold (17 page)

“Oh?”
 
Isobel raised her brows questioningly toward
her brother.
 
She didn’t like the idea of
them plotting between them.
 

“My dear, you
have indeed been thoroughly compromised.”
  
Peter moved to stand before the fire, his hands clasped behind his back,
he reminded Isobel so much of her father, she almost felt as though she had
been naughty.
 

Well, you
have.
 
She chastised herself with a swift
glance at Dominic, who sat nonchalantly sipping his tea and carefully staring
at his boots.

Isobel shifted
uncomfortably and waited.
 
“Dominic has
offered for your hand.”
 
Isobel wisely
remained silent.
 
“I strongly urge you to
accept his offer.”
 
Peter’s voice settled
around them.
 

“And if I
don’t?”
 
Isobel murmured watching as
Peter scowled at her.
 

“There really is
no question that you must.
 
Although you
were ill at the time, the Ton will not react well to any gossip that you
remained unchaperoned in Dominic’s house – alone – for six whole weeks.
 
Much less that most of the time you were
actually residing in his Master suite!”

“I don’t care
what
any of the Ton thinks.”
 
Isobel snapped defiantly, carefully placing
her teacup back on the table.
 
“I will
not be forced into matrimony because of mealy-mouthed gossips.”
 
She was fully aware Dominic hadn’t taken his
eyes off his boots.

“I know but it
has ramifications on all the family.”
 
Peter began, knowing his sister enough to read the stubborn tilt of her
chin alarmingly.

“
What family?
”
 
Isobel replied quickly.
 
“I – we – hardly have anyone left!”
 
Isobel moved towards the window before
turning on her heel to glare at her brother.
 
“We have buried our parents.”
 
She
checked off her fingers.
 
“We don’t have
any other relations other than an Uncle in Scotland, we have never met and Aunt
Elspeth, who cannot be trusted and hasn’t moved in Ton circles for years!”
 
Isobel fought down the coughs that rasped in
her throat as her temper bubbled.

“What about
Peter?”
 
Dominic murmured, finally
drawing his eyes away from an intense study of his boots and raising a querying
brow towards Isobel.

“What about
him?”
 
Isobel murmured, her cheeks
flushed with fury.
 
“Whatever I do won’t
have any impact on his choices.”

“Won’t it?”
Dominic murmured.
 
“Are you sure
Isobel?”
 

Isobel
huffed.
 
“It is widely known that any
indiscretion women make is scandalous enough to provide fodder for the gossips
of the Ton.
 
She is shunned from society
and cast as a harlot.
 
Any indiscretion
of a man is widely ignored and rarely casts him into any disrepute
whatsoever.”
 
Isobel glared at both men
in turn.
 
“I don’t have any intention of
moving within Ton circles, and I don’t care what they think of me.
 
Where were they when I was out on my
own?
 
Who was there for me to turn to
when I needed shelter when the weather turned cold?”
 
She was aware she was practically shouting
but was unable to stop the tide of despair that flowed through her.
 
“Who was there to protect me from Rupert’s
fists day after day?”
 

Suddenly, she
realised just what she had revealed and a wave of sickness overcame her.
 
Stunned silence settled over the room as she
stared at them in horror for several moments at the shocked surprise on the
faces of the men before her before turning and fleeing from the room.

Dominic rose to
follow her only for Peter to raise a restraining hand upon his arm.
 
“Leave her.
 
Let her go.
 
She won’t thank you
for your presence right now.”
 

“He hit
her.”
 
Dominic snarled and reluctantly
resumed his seat.
 
In reality, he wanted
to hit something, namely Rupert.
 
His
stomach roiled with tension as he turned to his friend.
 
“Goddamn it, the bastard beat her.”
 

“You are a
soldier Dominic.
 
Don’t allow your anger
to get in the way of the main battle.”
 
Peter intoned fighting his own fury.

“How in the hell
can you be so remote?”
 
Dominic snarled
incredulously, glaring at his friend in disgust.

“I am not.
 
I want to kill the bastard as much as you
do.
 
However, we must make sure that we
don’t move too soon.
  
He knows she is
here.
 
Let’s let
him
come to
us
.
 
We’ll be ready.”
 
Peter’s voice was menacing with ruthless
intent.

 
“I’ll go and check on her.”
 
Dominic murmured shoving to his feet.
 
“I don’t want her alone.”
 

Minutes later he
entered the Lady’s drawing room, quietly closing the door behind him with a
click.
 
On the table beside her was
another untouched tray of tea and pastries.
 
Isobel was curled up on the chaise before the roaring fire her head in
her hands as she slept.
 
She must have
fallen asleep as soon as she sat down, Dominic mused.
 
The room was cosy and warm, the shutters
closed against the afternoon wintry chill. Quietly, he crept towards the
chaise, carefully kneeling beside her.
 
God she was beautiful.
 
How in the
hell could anybody hurt her?
 
Unable to
keep his hands off her any longer, he trailed a fingertip down the side of her
cheek.

Isobel slowly
became aware of being watched and tickled.
 
Easing her eyes open she was unsurprised to find herself inches away
from Dominic’s.
 
His gentle green eyes
scanned her face searchingly.
 
Isobel was
sure he was going to ask her more questions about Rupert.

“I want you as
my wife.”
 
Dominic whispered softly, his
fingertip moving down to curve around her lips.
 
“Say yes.”
 

“You don’t need
to make the sacrifice for me Dominic.”
 
Isobel murmured, unwilling to move and break the moment.
 
“I know I have behaved wantonly and more of a
harlot than a Lady.”
 
She could sense his
hesitation and pushed herself upright until she was sitting on the side of the
chaise.
 
“But you see I made the decision
a long time ago not to wed.”
 
Her steady
gaze met his.
 
“Ever!”
 

“Why?
 
Did you have an unhappy childhood?”
 
Dominic murmured trying not to allow his
stunned disbelief to show.

“Oh
no.”
 
Isobel smiled softly at him in
reassurance.
 
“Peter was a pest of
course, but there was much fun and laughter.
 
It was a wonderful time, exactly as a childhood should be.”
 

“So why don’t
you wish to marry?”
 
Dominic moved to sit
upon the chaise to face her.

Isobel looked at
him and smiled slowly.
 
“Because I would
make you a most unconventional wife, Dominic.”
 
She chided softly.
 
“You of all men
should know that.
 
After all most girls
would be scandalised at the mere suggestion of leaving the house unchaperoned,
much less in the middle of the night.”
 
She turned towards him with a knowing smile.
 
“Or, dressed in man’s clothes, nonetheless!”

“I am glad you
found me.”
 
Dominic murmured with a
shared smile.

“Are you? Would
your family be, if they knew what I have done?”
 
Isobel knew at some point she needed to raise the difficult questions
she needed answers to but hesitated dreading the truth.
 

“My family will
adore you, of that I am certain.”
 
Dominic murmured reassuringly knowing she was looking for excuses.
 

“I was glad you
came to me Isobel.”
 
Dominic murmured
referring to their first time together months ago that had begun their
relationship.
 
He knew she immediately
understood.

“Did you really
have to go on a secret mission for the King Regent?”
 
Isobel queried, still reluctant to broach the
topic that was so confusing for her, especially given the lies her uncle had
told her.

“Yes I did.
 
I didn’t lie to you about it.
 
I would never lie to you Isobel.”
 
Dominic murmured, rising and moving towards
her before drawing her carefully into his arms, relieved when she didn’t object
but settled against him with a sigh.

Taking a deep
breath, she broached the topic she most desperately wanted answers to.
 
“Did you regret what happened between us in
the barn?”
 
The question came out in one
fluid rush.
 
Suddenly memories of that
night flooded the room.

CHAPTER SEVEN

             
She loved him
whole-heartedly.
 
Whilst she had been on
her own, she had cried many tears of grief at her loss and had yearned to be
with him just once more.
 
Still she
couldn’t shake off the bitterness and betrayal she felt as she remembered his
distant manner the morning he had left.
 
Her own behaviour the previous night had been wanton but she had been
driven by feelings she had not experienced before and knew he was leaving,
possibly never to return again.
 
She had
fought a raging battle with herself long and hard about the decision she
eventually made and knew within it had been the right one.
 

They had spent a
considerable amount of time together.
 
Albeit chaperoned in one form or another.
 
Either Peter, her aunt Elspeth or one of the
staff were in attendance whenever she was with Dominic. To the point that she
considered she would scream if she wasn’t allowed any time alone to talk to
him.
 
Despite having made the decision
some time ago never to wed, she fell deeply in love with his gentle smiles and
sardonic humour.
 
She had felt giddy with
delight whenever his green eyes had met hers, and he had smiled conspiratorially
with her.
 

He had been
visiting his Uncle only a few miles away when he had answered Peter’s
mysterious summons.
 
Having accepted
their invitation to dine, he had clearly been ill at ease when he had asked for
a few private moments with her.
 
Isobel’s
heart thundered in her chest as she had followed him out of the room.
 
Was he about to ask her to marry him?
 
Wildly possible scenarios flew through her
mind as she meekly led him to the small study at the rear of the house.
  
Leaving the door slightly ajar he moved to
join her before the window and allowed a few moments of quiet to settle between
them.