To Have and to Hold (22 page)

“You have been
in my suite of rooms for the past eight weeks, in bed and most of the time
alone with me.
 
It doesn’t matter that
most of the time you have been on death’s door.
 
You were thoroughly compromised the night I carried you across the
threshold.
 
As a gentleman of honour, it
is important to me that I offer you the protection of my name.”

“But you were
only helping me Dominic!
 
If it wasn’t
for you, I could have been found by DeLisle and be dead by now anyway.”
 
Isobel’s voice was almost a shout as she
shifted agitatedly upon the bed.
 
“It
isn’t right that you should now have to sacrifice yourself into a marriage you
didn’t want to protect me.”
  
Her small
fist thumped down on the bed as her temper rose.
 
Had she the energy, she would have thrown the
covers back and begun to pace the room.
 
“You will not take this step Dominic.
 
You shouldn’t be forced into being shackled to anyone out of the sheer
goodness of your nature.
 
No.”

Dominic gazed at
her lost for a moment in the depth of his affection for her.
 
God she was so beautiful as she lay
there.
 
Her alabaster cheeks were tinged
pink with temper.
 
Her wonderful blue
eyes shooting sparks of fire at him as her fury raged.
 
His fingers itched with the urge to slide his
fingers into her hair and hold her head steady while he plundered the soft
rosebud lips.
 
Although still recovering
from a circumstance that had almost taken her life, the fire within her
shimmered in the air between them, reminding him of an angry kitten.

“Isobel listen
to me.”
 
He paused and waited until
Isobel’s gaze met his.
 
“We must
wed.
 
Please believe me when I say that I
am not being forced into something I do not want.
 
I am duty-bound to marry you as it was me who
compromised you.
 
Whatever the
circumstance, it is expected of me and it is something I will fulfil.
 
There is also the small matter of DeLisle and
Rupert to deal with.
 
When you are a bit
stronger I will explain further, however, both men have caused me significant
discomfort over the past few months.”
  
Dominic didn’t feel able to disclose the desolation he had felt standing
beside her supposed grave only weeks ago. The pain was too raw at present to
revisit.
 
“I intend to ensure they pay
for their misdemeanours towards both of us.
 
Besides which and most importantly, I am of an age where I need to look
at settling down and starting a nursery.
 
I cannot think of anyone I would rather enter into matrimony with, than
you.”
 
Dominic’s voice was husky with
emotion as he awaited her answer.

It wasn’t the
devoted declaration of adoration Isobel had often dreamt of when thinking of
marriage proposals and Dominic.
 
Still
this was Dominic, Isobel sternly reminded herself.
 
Just were days ago she had believed he had
married another and was far out of her reach.
 
He must hold some affection for her to have saved her from DeLisle;
after all he didn’t have to protect her from him.
 
Maybe over time he would come to love her as
she did him.
 
If not, then at least
Isobel would still be a part of his life.
 
Something she didn’t think possible.
 
But would that be enough?

Aware of the
lengthening silence between them, Isobel swallowed the lump in her throat and
offered him a tremulous smile.
 
“I am so
tired Dominic, could we talk about this later?”
 
Her voice trailed off to a whisper, and for the life of her Isobel
couldn’t have spoken again.
 
Instead, she
watched mutely as Dominic pushed himself away from the bed.
 
“Alright.
 
We will talk later this evening, but the wedding is scheduled for
tomorrow morning and as far as I am concerned it must go ahead.”
 
His voice brooked no argument as he made for
the door.
 

She had given
him the chance, Isobel reminded herself as she motioned for the maid to
leave.
 
Once she was alone, Isobel sat on
the window encasement and stared out into the night.
 
She was now married to Dominic, whether she
wanted to be or not.
 
She loved him.
 
Most definitely he had held her heart for a
long time now.
 
However, she was also
fully aware that he had never once declared any depth of love for her.
 
Was she really going to be happy married to a
man who couldn’t return her love?
 
Could
he remain faithful to her if he didn’t love her?
 
Would he at some point appoint a mistress she
would never know about?

Questions
swirled and whirled in her mind as the chaotic events of the past couple of
days took their toll, and as she rested her head against the cool window pane,
she fell into a deep sleep.

There was no
moon that night.
 
All was dark outside
and difficult to see even the outline of the trees in the garden.
 
She failed to notice the thin shadow of a man
separate from the solid bulk of a tree beneath the window, and disappear into
the distance.
  

She awoke some
time later when Dominic gently swept her into his arms.
 
Dressed in his shirt sleeves, it appeared he
had been in the room for some time.
 
Carefully he placed her upon the sheets.

Isobel watched
him as he moved.
 
He looked at her
steadily while he removed his clothing but there was no tender smile or gentle
teasing.
 
His face was solemn, stern
even.
 
A small muscle ticked in his jaw;
something that only happened when he was angry or withholding something.

“What’s wrong?”
 
Isobel murmured watching as Dominic moved
towards the window, looking outside briefly before closing the shutters firmly.

Dominic shook
his head.
 
“Nothing,” he murmured before
joining her upon the sheets.
 
“My wife.”

Isobel pulled
away slightly averting her face from his kiss instead leaning backwards to meet
his gaze steadily.
 

“I will tell you
in the morning.
 
It is nothing to worry
about.”
 
He added knowing if he didn’t
offer her some reassurances, she would badger him until he told her everything.
 
He knew her well enough to know that
distraction was the key.
 
“We will
discuss it in the morning.
 
It is our
wedding night.
 
Everything else can
wait.”
 
With that he rolled her backwards
and gave her no further opportunity for argument.
 

Sunlight was
streaming through the open shutters when Dominic pried his eyes open the
following morning.
 
Instinctively, he
moved to curl around his wife.
 
God that
sounded good, he thought to himself as he rolled over.
 
He found himself smiling smugly as his questing
hands found warm flesh.
 
With a frown,
his eyes popped open.
 
His gaze locked
with the steady periwinkle stare.
 
He
waited only to frown again when she didn’t move or speak, only returned his
steady regard.
 

“I don’t want to
start our marriage on a lie.”
 
Dominic
murmured heaving himself up to prop himself up against the cushions.
 
When she remained quiet and unmoving, he
continued.
 
“Rupert knows you are here.”
He watched as her only movement was the slow closing of her eyes.
 

Isobel felt her
stomach lurch with a familiar sickening dread as Dominic spoke.
 
She knew it was inevitable that at some point
Rupert would re-appear.
 
He wasn’t one to
take defeat lightly and would want retribution, such was his nasty nature but
Isobel wasn’t expecting it to be so soon, especially given the inclement
weather.
 

“Where is
he?”
 
Her voice was almost too calm.

“He is in a
house near here, about four miles out of Town.
 
He is there with DeLisle.”
 
Dominic murmured, seeing no reason why she shouldn’t know, especially
now.
 
Still, he hated how pale her cheeks
had gone and slid back down in the bed to wrap her securely in his arms.

“I promise you
here and now my darling, neither man will get anywhere near you.
 
Not only would they have to get through me,
but they would have to get through Peter, my brothers and the house staff.
 
They are not so bold, foolhardy or clever to
consider it.”

“But I cannot
remain here a prisoner.
 
At some point, I
do need to go outside, if only to walk the gardens.”
 
Isobel’s voice was monotone.
 
She stared vacantly out of the window.

“And you shall
do so without fear.
 
But one cannot
ignore the hard fact that things are however, likely to get worse before they
get better.
 
At some point, there will be
a confrontation with Rupert and/or DeLisle, if not with both.
 
I don’t want you ignorant of that fact.
 
You shouldn’t fear being alone or moving
freely around the house should you want to.
 
However, you cannot take any risks.”
 
Dominic could feel the slight tremor that swept through her as she
curled against him.
 
“You are my
wife.
 
It is my job to protect you now
and I shall do so.”
 
Or alternatively,
die trying he thought to himself bleakly.
 
Wisely, he kept that last aside to himself.
 
He hated their first day of marriage being
marred by such horror, but he had to broach the subject.
 

“It would help
Peter and I, and indeed, my brothers as they are aware of Rupert’s misdeeds, if
you could tell us exactly what happened before, during and after Rupert’s
re-emergence.”

Isobel’s felt
slightly sick with the thought of raising those painful memories.
 
Instinctively, she wanted to shrink away, a
wave of humiliation sweeping through her.
 
She couldn’t allow Dominic to know the details.

“I think you
should know that Kitty has told us some of it.”

Isobel’s heart
sank.
 
Of course, they would ask
Kitty.
 
She was after all there at the
time bless her.
 
Kitty would consider
herself helping by telling Peter and Dominic everything she knew, which was
most of it.
 

“I know you need
some time to come to terms with events my dear, but Peter, and I need all the
information if we are to put arrangements in place to ensure they receive their
rightful punishment.”
  

“What would that
be?”
 
Isobel was curious.

Dominic raised a
brow.
 
“What, for kidnap, assault and theft?
 
At the very least it will mean
transportation.”

Knowing Isobel
was deeply involved Dominic had to take her into his confidence.
 
It was the least she deserved.
  
Settling her more comfortably in his arms,
he tugged the covers of them and lowered his voice.
 

“We know that
Rupert is mired in debt.
 
He has no
property to speak of and more billets and i.o.us around Town than anyone I have
ever heard of.
 
His creditors are also
getting anxious to have their money back.
 
I think that is part of the reason he has taken to the countryside and
removed himself from the City.”