fists to his daughter, and Hannah – even full grown as she was – was more delicate than most. He couldn’t imagine what a small waif of a child she’d been.
He made a mental note to speak to her about it when she was feeling better.
Wolf kept Hannah in bed for almost another week, since dry toast turned out to be the only thing she could keep down and she was still extremely weak. He tried to occupy her as much as possible himself, reading to her from some of his own books – censured, of course. He hadn’t at all liked some of the choices he’d found in her own small collection of books, feeling they weren’t at all suitable for a genteel woman.
Entertaining her became more trying the better she began to feel, and she seemed to recognize that his threats of spanking her when she was looking and feeling so puny were completely empty. He could no more physically discipline her right now than he could have cut off his own right arm.
So he produced a deck off cards and taught her how to play Solitaire, and she entertained herself for a while, then roped him into teaching her other games. Eventually, they ended up playing Euchre with Corporal Richmond, who, much to Wolf’s disgust, had become her hero by producing a piece of toast, and the Captain, who was the only other person on board who knew – or had the inclination – to play.
They had had a standing invitation to Captain Standish’s table for dinner, but had never been able to accept it because Hannah had taken so sick. The first time she’d met him, Wolf had had to wonder if it was such a good idea to have him in the same room. It seemed she could charm every man who came in contact with her – himself included. But none of the rest of her sycophants saw how stubborn she was to her husband.
Gabriel Standish could count Miles Standish – the second man to stand on Plymouth Rock – among his ancestors, although he had added practically added a foot to the smaller man’s stature. He, too, eschewed the usual white wig in favor of his own slight queue in back, and under normal circumstances he and Wolf might have been friends.
But Hannah made that largely impossible, from the first wan smile she bestowed upon the other man, she’d sealed his role as Wolf’s rival. She’d never smiled at him like that.
Captain Standish had bestowed her first bow upon the shy duchess, then had reached out and taken her pale hand and pressed his lips to the back of it, saying with as impish smile a man of his size could have, “My Lady, your beautiful presence does the Rogue a great honor.”
Wolf rolled his eyes, but Hannah was shyly sopping it all up, which made him wonder if this had been such a good idea.
It was the first time in a while that she’d been both up and dressed, and sitting in the chair - where Wolf had warned her she had better stay if she knew what was good for her - made both Wolf and the Captain seem just that much bigger. The two of them were a huge pair – both of them broad in the shoulders but slim hipped, with trunk like thighs and thickly muscled arms. They dwarfed poor Corporal Richmond, whose nervousness rose to such incredible proportions that he was constantly losing all control of the cards.
It seemed they were well suited to the play, however, and it was several hours before the Captain scraped his chair back from the table, whispering, “I think we should agree to continue play tomorrow, perhaps,” nodding towards Hannah, whose eyelids were drooping visibly.
Wolf was irked at himself that he hadn’t been the one to notice her fatigue, or remember that she was likely to get tired more quickly than she might.
But Hannah’s eyes drifted open on a frown. “I’m awake, I’m awake!” she drawled slowly, belying her words.
Wolf scooped her up, ignoring her protests about being handled thus in front of their guests, and lay her down on their bed, pulling a light blanket over her. “Thank you for coming, gentlemen,” Hannah
He made a mental note to speak to her about it when she was feeling better.
Wolf kept Hannah in bed for almost another week, since dry toast turned out to be the only thing she could keep down and she was still extremely weak. He tried to occupy her as much as possible himself, reading to her from some of his own books – censured, of course. He hadn’t at all liked some of the choices he’d found in her own small collection of books, feeling they weren’t at all suitable for a genteel woman.
Entertaining her became more trying the better she began to feel, and she seemed to recognize that his threats of spanking her when she was looking and feeling so puny were completely empty. He could no more physically discipline her right now than he could have cut off his own right arm.
So he produced a deck off cards and taught her how to play Solitaire, and she entertained herself for a while, then roped him into teaching her other games. Eventually, they ended up playing Euchre with Corporal Richmond, who, much to Wolf’s disgust, had become her hero by producing a piece of toast, and the Captain, who was the only other person on board who knew – or had the inclination – to play.
They had had a standing invitation to Captain Standish’s table for dinner, but had never been able to accept it because Hannah had taken so sick. The first time she’d met him, Wolf had had to wonder if it was such a good idea to have him in the same room. It seemed she could charm every man who came in contact with her – himself included. But none of the rest of her sycophants saw how stubborn she was to her husband.
Gabriel Standish could count Miles Standish – the second man to stand on Plymouth Rock – among his ancestors, although he had added practically added a foot to the smaller man’s stature. He, too, eschewed the usual white wig in favor of his own slight queue in back, and under normal circumstances he and Wolf might have been friends.
But Hannah made that largely impossible, from the first wan smile she bestowed upon the other man, she’d sealed his role as Wolf’s rival. She’d never smiled at him like that.
Captain Standish had bestowed her first bow upon the shy duchess, then had reached out and taken her pale hand and pressed his lips to the back of it, saying with as impish smile a man of his size could have, “My Lady, your beautiful presence does the Rogue a great honor.”
Wolf rolled his eyes, but Hannah was shyly sopping it all up, which made him wonder if this had been such a good idea.
It was the first time in a while that she’d been both up and dressed, and sitting in the chair - where Wolf had warned her she had better stay if she knew what was good for her - made both Wolf and the Captain seem just that much bigger. The two of them were a huge pair – both of them broad in the shoulders but slim hipped, with trunk like thighs and thickly muscled arms. They dwarfed poor Corporal Richmond, whose nervousness rose to such incredible proportions that he was constantly losing all control of the cards.
It seemed they were well suited to the play, however, and it was several hours before the Captain scraped his chair back from the table, whispering, “I think we should agree to continue play tomorrow, perhaps,” nodding towards Hannah, whose eyelids were drooping visibly.
Wolf was irked at himself that he hadn’t been the one to notice her fatigue, or remember that she was likely to get tired more quickly than she might.
But Hannah’s eyes drifted open on a frown. “I’m awake, I’m awake!” she drawled slowly, belying her words.
Wolf scooped her up, ignoring her protests about being handled thus in front of their guests, and lay her down on their bed, pulling a light blanket over her. “Thank you for coming, gentlemen,” Hannah
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