He should have her here where she could warm herself by the fire…and yet…if he did, Mrs. Cornwell would swoop in and take over the care of Isabella, and he couldn’t bear that. He hated being away from her even to look after Jason.
“Oh, but I do worry. She hasn’t had an easy life these past four years, Christopher.”
“Aye, I know.”
“I don’t want to interrupt two old friends but Lord Elphinstone you should be feeling drowsy soon.”
“And that means I shouldn’t keep you much longer.”
Theo nodded his head. “Aye, you have ten minutes, Lord Wyndham.” Theo nodded at his nurse, and they both left the room. The door clicked shut quietly.
“I trust you shall take good care of Isabella?”
“I will.”
Jason looked unconvinced. “I still don’t want her left in your care. I want her here, do you understand?”
“You’re too weak to be bothered with Isabella. I shall take good care of her, on that you can be quite certain.”
“I…you’re not a relation of hers…you…you being with her could be misconstrued. The best thing for you to do is to bring her here to me, and allow Mrs. Cornwell to take care of her. She can be her protector.”
“She needs no protection from me.”
“At least write to her family—my family and fetch them here. You can’t seek to keep her away from them all forever, and you’d better not be thinking of treating her like someone who is new to the country.”
“Oh, no indeed. I don’t think that’s necessary. We all know who she is…she shan’t have to be registered.”
“She’s scared, Christopher. Pray don’t make her fears intensify tenfold.”
“I shan’t do anything of the sort.”
“I know you, Christopher, and the look in your eyes tells me that you’ve finally decided to set your cap on her. Don’t do anything rash. Don’t do anything foolish. If you do, my father will be quite vexed. He is after all, her adopted father. He’s the only father she’s ever known, and my Papa isn’t someone you should cross.”
“I am quite aware of that, Jason.”
“Did she tell you anything I need to know? About her time spent in France and why she’s here?”
“She told me nothing that you probably don’t already know. She told me about her bastard of an uncle, who made her his ward and took everything from her.”
“And she wants her lands and title back…so she’s agreed to be a spy for Napoleon,” he assumed.
“Now, see here, Christopher, don’t accuse her of such a duplicitous thing.”
“How else could she have gotten away from Pierre Dubois and Napoleon? She must have made a bargain with the devil—or in her case, two devils.”
“I don’t want you laying accusations at her doorstep. I told you she’s bloody well scared stiff. She doesn’t want to go back to France…so give her some kind of comfort, won’t you? And I expect to have her delivered to me come the morning, if you shan’t bring her here today. If you do anything to hurt her, Christopher, you shall have me to contend with after which you can deal with my Papa.”
“I shan’t. And even if I wanted to, I wouldn’t have Mrs. Cornwell having to attend to her. This little house would hardly pass muster with Isabella. Think of the extravagance she’s used to.”
“She’s not as bad you paint her.|
“No…maybe not.” Hell, he knew she wasn’t as bad. He selfishly wanted to keep her to himself for all of the wrong—and some of the right reasons. He wanted her as his wife, and he would damn well make sure he got his way.
“I see what you’re thinking of. Don’t disgrace her.”
“She’s already led a life far detached from the sheltered one your Papa gave her. She’s already been with men, Jason.”
“That’s a bag of moonshine. She’d never sleep with a man outside of marriage unless she had no choice, and she told me that she wasn’t hurt while in France.”
“And do you think she’d confide that to you? If she’d been hurt like
“Oh, but I do worry. She hasn’t had an easy life these past four years, Christopher.”
“Aye, I know.”
“I don’t want to interrupt two old friends but Lord Elphinstone you should be feeling drowsy soon.”
“And that means I shouldn’t keep you much longer.”
Theo nodded his head. “Aye, you have ten minutes, Lord Wyndham.” Theo nodded at his nurse, and they both left the room. The door clicked shut quietly.
“I trust you shall take good care of Isabella?”
“I will.”
Jason looked unconvinced. “I still don’t want her left in your care. I want her here, do you understand?”
“You’re too weak to be bothered with Isabella. I shall take good care of her, on that you can be quite certain.”
“I…you’re not a relation of hers…you…you being with her could be misconstrued. The best thing for you to do is to bring her here to me, and allow Mrs. Cornwell to take care of her. She can be her protector.”
“She needs no protection from me.”
“At least write to her family—my family and fetch them here. You can’t seek to keep her away from them all forever, and you’d better not be thinking of treating her like someone who is new to the country.”
“Oh, no indeed. I don’t think that’s necessary. We all know who she is…she shan’t have to be registered.”
“She’s scared, Christopher. Pray don’t make her fears intensify tenfold.”
“I shan’t do anything of the sort.”
“I know you, Christopher, and the look in your eyes tells me that you’ve finally decided to set your cap on her. Don’t do anything rash. Don’t do anything foolish. If you do, my father will be quite vexed. He is after all, her adopted father. He’s the only father she’s ever known, and my Papa isn’t someone you should cross.”
“I am quite aware of that, Jason.”
“Did she tell you anything I need to know? About her time spent in France and why she’s here?”
“She told me nothing that you probably don’t already know. She told me about her bastard of an uncle, who made her his ward and took everything from her.”
“And she wants her lands and title back…so she’s agreed to be a spy for Napoleon,” he assumed.
“Now, see here, Christopher, don’t accuse her of such a duplicitous thing.”
“How else could she have gotten away from Pierre Dubois and Napoleon? She must have made a bargain with the devil—or in her case, two devils.”
“I don’t want you laying accusations at her doorstep. I told you she’s bloody well scared stiff. She doesn’t want to go back to France…so give her some kind of comfort, won’t you? And I expect to have her delivered to me come the morning, if you shan’t bring her here today. If you do anything to hurt her, Christopher, you shall have me to contend with after which you can deal with my Papa.”
“I shan’t. And even if I wanted to, I wouldn’t have Mrs. Cornwell having to attend to her. This little house would hardly pass muster with Isabella. Think of the extravagance she’s used to.”
“She’s not as bad you paint her.|
“No…maybe not.” Hell, he knew she wasn’t as bad. He selfishly wanted to keep her to himself for all of the wrong—and some of the right reasons. He wanted her as his wife, and he would damn well make sure he got his way.
“I see what you’re thinking of. Don’t disgrace her.”
“She’s already led a life far detached from the sheltered one your Papa gave her. She’s already been with men, Jason.”
“That’s a bag of moonshine. She’d never sleep with a man outside of marriage unless she had no choice, and she told me that she wasn’t hurt while in France.”
“And do you think she’d confide that to you? If she’d been hurt like
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