To Have and to Hold (39 page)

Isobel moved to
sit beside him, to his relief carefully covering her nakedness with the
sheet.
 
“What?”

“Given what
happened last night, we now have the evidence that will send Rupert to the Colonies
at the very least.
 
It is imperative now
that you take every precaution to ensure your safety.”
 
Dominic’s voice was stern.
 
The warrior within him was demanding nothing
less than her total compliance.

“What do you
think he will do?”
 
Isobel eased back
against the pillows, tugging the sheet with her carefully.
 

Dominic turned
to lie on his side to face her, his head propped on one hand as he looked at
her.
 
“I am not sure, but he will be a
desperate man as soon as he finds out the papers are gone.
 
He will desperate enough to either attempt to
retrieve the papers or seek retribution.”
 
Absently moving the sheet around her, Dominic glanced at her.
 
“But as he will be desperate, he will also be
unpredictable and we cannot take anything for granted.
 
Not even the fact that he will try to do the
same as we did, to recover his documents.”
 

“Do you think it
is too dangerous to go out for walks and things like that?”
 
Isobel suddenly began to wonder if retrieving
the documents was as worthwhile as it seemed to have imprisoned her
further.
 

“Yes, for the
time being at least.”
 
Dominic waited for
her outburst, knowing certainly she would vociferously object to the
restriction of her activities.

“Alright,”
Isobel mumbled reluctantly.
 
After the
previous night, although she had enjoyed certain aspects of it, she was more
than willing to take stand back and wait to see what happened.
 
Remaining indoors, in relative safety and
certain warmth was far more appealing than venturing out even for the briefest
of excursions.
 
For now at least.

Dominic quirked
a brow and shot her a wary look.
 
Her
immediate ascent was the very last thing he expected from his very wilful
wife.
 
“I mean it, Isobel.”
 
He shot her a hard look and eyed her apparent
contentment of the situation with caution.
 
He had been lulled into a false sense of security by that innocent look
before, and was determined he wouldn’t be caught out again.

“I know.
 
I won’t, I promise.”
 
Blue eyes clashed with green in a silent
battle of wills as Isobel tried to get her message across.
 
“After last night, I have had my fill of
adventures for now.” Isobel murmured slowly trailing a finger through the soft
fur on his chest.
 
“Last night was terrifying,
enlightening and wonderful in equal amounts.
 
Although certain parts of it were delightful,” she shot him a cheeky
smile, “There are elements I would never wish to repeat as long as I live.
 
DeLisle’s house is horrible in daylight, at
night time it is positively menacing.
 
I
hope never to go there again.” Carefully she paused, unsure how to broach the
subject.

“I hope to
heaven you mean that, darling.”
 
Dominic
murmured trying to ignore the sensations her wayward finger was creating on his
chest.

“I promise.
 
I will leave Rupert and DeLisle to you now,
but I want you to promise me something.”
 
Isobel pushed her husband onto his back and leant over him until they
were practically nose to nose.
 
Staring
into his wary green gaze, Isobel slowly traced a finger over the dark arch of
one brow.
 
“Promise me that you won’t go
anywhere without some kind of protection yourself.”

“Everyone is
going to be armed, including the serving staff.
 
I have assured them that should they not wish to become involved, they
may visit relations, however those that remain do so knowing that Arthur and
DeLisle are a considerable risk.
 
Everyone who remains will be on guard.”
 
Dominic lay back against the soft pillow of cushions, taking a few
moments to pull her down onto his chest.
 
“However you must play your part.
 
You should not accept any visitors without my being present.
 
Nor are you to go for a walk without Peter or
myself being with you.
 
If you need to go
into the village, let me know and I shall take you.
 
Understand?”
 

“I
understand.”
 
Isobel murmured softly and
propped herself on her elbow to lean over her husband for a kiss only to pause
at the muffled shouting.
 

“Get
dressed!”
 
Dominic ordered as he lurched
out of bed.
 
Within seconds he had donned
his shirt and breeches and was pulling on his boots, only pausing long enough
to draw on his sword before shooting her a starkly warning look from the
doorway.
 
“I don’t suppose it will do any
good to tell you to stay here?”
 

Isobel rolled
her eyes at the ridiculous question as she had already slipped on an old
walking dress, and was tugging on her walking boots.
 

Heaving a sigh,
Dominic slid a hand behind her head and pulled her close for a quick kiss.
 
“Stay close, and don’t do anything
stupid.”
 
Dominic’s voice was harsh as he
glared down at her.
 

Isobel sighed
and gave him a not so gentle shove towards the door, close on his heels as they
moved purposefully towards the upper landing.
 
The closer they got to the upper landing, the more distinguishable the
voices became.

“Rupert.”
 
Isobel whispered pausing at the top of the
stairs.
 
Despite everything her stomach
lurched sickeningly and she fought the urge to turn on her heel and head back
towards the bedroom.
 

“Go back and
lock the door,” Dominic murmured hating to see the sheer terror on her
beautiful features.
 

“I have to face
him.”
 
She valiantly tried to ignore the
tremor in her voice, taking support from the solid bulk of her husband’s
commanding presence.

“No you don’t.”
Dominic glared at her, briefly wondering if he should take precious seconds to
lock her in the bedroom regardless.
 
Shaking his head at the futility of arguing with her, he turned and
moved down the stairs, his attention firmly focused on the still form of the
woman behind him.
 

As he descended
he scanned the recesses around the large entry hall.
 
His eyes found and locked upon the steady
gaze of Groom who was standing in the shadows towards the back of the
house.
 
As he reached the main hall he
was very much aware of his wife moving slowly down the stairs, her back ramrod
straight.
  
He paused briefly to motion
her toward the study door and the voices raised within.

“Isobel, get
down here now girl!”
  
Rupert’s voice
echoed through the empty hall, causing Isobel’s stomach to automatically clench
with fear.
 
Despite Dominic’s commanding
presence by her side, Rupert still had the power to chill her to her very soul.

Dominic slammed
open the study door open with a scowl at the occupants.
 
His hard emerald gaze firmly locked upon the
stocky man standing red-faced besides the hearth.
 
“What do you think you are doing man?
 
This is my house, and I will not countenance
your boorish behaviour.
 
Quieten
down!”
 
His voice brooked no argument.

Rupert raising
his chin haughtily, making him
look
like an outraged
toad.
 
He was no match for the sheer
power of the taller, younger man now standing before him.

“I am here to
see my niece.”
 
Rupert’s voice dripped
with cool disdain as he tried, and failed, to match the sheer masculinity of
the man before him.
 

Isobel swallowed
a wild surge of hysteria as she eyed the two men before the hearth.
 
They looked like two dogs eyeing each other
over a juicy bone, only Rupert could only be likened to an ineffectual mongrel,
whose yapping little bark was no match for the might of the controlled pedigree
before him.

Isobel slowly
moved into the room, careful to keep some distance, and the solid presence of
her brother Peter, between them.
 
Drawing
upon every ounce of the bravado that had kept her alive on the streets, she
drew herself up to her full height and stared coldly at the squat little man she
was unfortunately related to.
 
    
“Well, you see me.
 
What do you want now Rupert?
 
I do believe any association between us is
well and truly severed.”

“Severed?
 
Do you think so?”
 
Rupert’s face clearly showed the ravages
wrought from a life of dissolution, making him look old and worn.
 
However old he looked, his eyes lost not of
their malice as he eyed her up and down calculatingly.

“What do you
want with my wife, Rupert?
 
Speak now
before I throw you and your – associate out on your ears.”
 
Dominic shot the gaunt man standing a few
paces away from Peter a darkly menacing look.

“Wife?”
 
Rupert shot a mock startled look at
Isobel.
 
“Did you say wife?”
 
He shared a mocking glance with his friend
who had thus far remained silent, before turning back towards the room with a
triumphant look upon his ravaged features.
 
“She cannot be your wife!”
 
Rupert’s voice was scornful as, thoroughly enjoying his time in the
spotlight.
 
He clearly intended to draw
out every moment of twisting the knife.
  
       

“I can assure you,
she very much is.”
 
Dominic murmured in a
voice tinged with boredom.
 
Motioning
toward the door, he continued, “Our interview is now at an end –“

“I can assure
you, whatever agreement you think you may have entered into with this woman,
you are certainly not married to her legally.”

Dominic fought
the urge to snarl as he watched the older man produce a roll of parchment from
under his coat as though producing a rabbit out of a hat.
 
He casually sauntered forwards, a look of
glee upon his face as he handed the scroll to Dominic with a flourish.
 
He was unable to keep the nasty sneer of
triumph off his face as he presented the fait accompli to the occupants of the
room. His next words dropped like stones into the room.
 
“You can clearly see from the document my
Lord, she is already married.”

Isobel briefly
fought the urge to laugh, before swallowing harshly against the knot of bile
lodged in her throat.
 
Knees trembling
with horror she watched as Dominic took the paper and studied it closely.
 
Her heart sank to her knees, and the room
began to swirl and sway around her as she watched the colour leave his
face.
 
Instinctively, she knew by the
clenching of his jaw, that he believed what he saw.

“Good God,
surely you don’t believe him?”
 
Isobel
snapped glaring at Rupert in hatred.
 
Fear clawed at her as the silence lengthened.
 
“Dominic?”
 
Her voice trembled with gnawing dread as she watched him re-read the
document before moving towards the fireplace.
 

“Do you
seriously think you can get away with this?”
 
Isobel hissed, her gaze moving to Rupert and DeLisle.
 

“You are my wife
dear.
 
I am only here to claim what is
mine.”
 
DeLisle’s voice was
dispassionately bored as his gaze roamed up and down her slender form with
blatant possessiveness.

“I would rather
die than allow myself anywhere near either of you vile excuses for
humanity.”
 
Isobel’s voice rang with a
cold finality that gave everyone within the room pause to consider her warily.
She was vaguely aware of Edward and Sebastian entering the room behind her.

“I can assure
you, my dear that the Vicar who married us will clarify on the certainty of the
event, notwithstanding the entry in the Church register there for anyone to
see.”
 
Rupert’s voice oozed satisfaction
as he meandered arrogantly around the room, fully aware and pleased with, the
consternation amongst the occupants of the room.