his shirt the right way around. “Rupert lied about that too.”
“Why the hell
are you smiling?” He demanded as Isobel
dissolved into a fit of giggles. He
paused, his arms only halfway into the sleeves of his shirt, and turned to
watch as her eyes sparkled in merriment. It had been such a long time since he had heard her laugh, he hadn’t
realised how much he had missed it, until now. A wave of tenderness swept through him as he eased his arms free before
tossing his shirt down onto the bed.
Within seconds,
Isobel found herself lying back upon the cool sheets, Dominic looming over her
intently.
“Now you have to
behave.” She giggled eyeing his
answering lecherous smile. “My brother
is in the house.” She suddenly found
herself unable to wipe the smile from her face as she eyed his handsome
features mere inches from hers before placing teasing kisses along his jaw.
“Behave yourself
minx, you are still recuperating remember?” He tried, and failed, to make his voice stern as he gave her a mock
glare.
“Oh I am , I am.” She murmured
cheekily, tugging his head down for a kiss. “I shall remain in bed for as long as need be.” She smiled at his answering groan.
It was some time
later before Dominic finally left the bed leaving an exhausted Isobel securely
beneath the sheets. This time Isobel let
him go. “I had better make my peace with
your brother before he returns to the room to find us.” He eyed the white sheet she held haphazardly
to her chest and couldn’t hide the smile of satisfaction at the flicker of
memory of the last few hours. Keeping
his satisfied smile well hidden he turned to her with a mock sternness. “Now behave.” He cautioned before sweeping up the remainder of his clothes and
splendidly naked, left the room, closing the door before the pillow hit him at
the back of the head.
CHAPTER SIX
“You had better
have honourable intentions towards my sister.” Peter warned half jokingly as a now presentable Dominic joined him in
the Library some time later.
“You know damned
well I do.” Dominic replied unconcerned
as he moved towards the decanter next to the hearth. Pouring them both a drink he sat in the plush
brocade chair on the opposite side of the roaring fire to Peter. “I trust Cook and Manvers have seen to your
needs?” Dominic murmured eyeing the
empty tray somewhat longingly as he supped his drink.
“Aye they
have. I shall steel your cook before I
go.” Peter warned eyeing his empty place
with fond remembrance.
“You can
try.” Dominic replied unconcerned and
silence settled between them for several minutes. “Are you going up to see her?”
“I shall let her
get her energy back first.” Peter
replied wryly eying the smug contentment of his friend slouched opposite.
“You know I have
every intention of making her my wife.” Dominic murmured, “Now I have her, I
have no intention of letting her go. She
is perfectly safe with me.”
“I know.” Peter paused for several minutes but couldn’t
prevent the question. “How is she really?”
Dominic sighed
and took a long draught of his brandy before turning his gaze away from the
flickering flames in the hearth back towards his friend.
“She is as well
as can be expected. She was half starved
when we found her Peter. It was clear
she hadn’t eaten much at all since her escape from Rupert.” Dominic leant forward in his chair and placed
his forearms upon his thighs as he remembered the bones clearly visible through
her wafer-thin skin. “It has taken some
time to coax her to eat sufficiently to sustain her. With her lungs, her situation has been
dire.”
“What do you
mean with her lungs?” Peter squelched
down on the wave of alarm that swept through him as he eyed the solemnity on
his friend’s face.
“She has putrid
lungs.
“Why the hell
are you smiling?” He demanded as Isobel
dissolved into a fit of giggles. He
paused, his arms only halfway into the sleeves of his shirt, and turned to
watch as her eyes sparkled in merriment. It had been such a long time since he had heard her laugh, he hadn’t
realised how much he had missed it, until now. A wave of tenderness swept through him as he eased his arms free before
tossing his shirt down onto the bed.
Within seconds,
Isobel found herself lying back upon the cool sheets, Dominic looming over her
intently.
“Now you have to
behave.” She giggled eyeing his
answering lecherous smile. “My brother
is in the house.” She suddenly found
herself unable to wipe the smile from her face as she eyed his handsome
features mere inches from hers before placing teasing kisses along his jaw.
“Behave yourself
minx, you are still recuperating remember?” He tried, and failed, to make his voice stern as he gave her a mock
glare.
“Oh I am , I am.” She murmured
cheekily, tugging his head down for a kiss. “I shall remain in bed for as long as need be.” She smiled at his answering groan.
It was some time
later before Dominic finally left the bed leaving an exhausted Isobel securely
beneath the sheets. This time Isobel let
him go. “I had better make my peace with
your brother before he returns to the room to find us.” He eyed the white sheet she held haphazardly
to her chest and couldn’t hide the smile of satisfaction at the flicker of
memory of the last few hours. Keeping
his satisfied smile well hidden he turned to her with a mock sternness. “Now behave.” He cautioned before sweeping up the remainder of his clothes and
splendidly naked, left the room, closing the door before the pillow hit him at
the back of the head.
CHAPTER SIX
“You had better
have honourable intentions towards my sister.” Peter warned half jokingly as a now presentable Dominic joined him in
the Library some time later.
“You know damned
well I do.” Dominic replied unconcerned
as he moved towards the decanter next to the hearth. Pouring them both a drink he sat in the plush
brocade chair on the opposite side of the roaring fire to Peter. “I trust Cook and Manvers have seen to your
needs?” Dominic murmured eyeing the
empty tray somewhat longingly as he supped his drink.
“Aye they
have. I shall steel your cook before I
go.” Peter warned eyeing his empty place
with fond remembrance.
“You can
try.” Dominic replied unconcerned and
silence settled between them for several minutes. “Are you going up to see her?”
“I shall let her
get her energy back first.” Peter
replied wryly eying the smug contentment of his friend slouched opposite.
“You know I have
every intention of making her my wife.” Dominic murmured, “Now I have her, I
have no intention of letting her go. She
is perfectly safe with me.”
“I know.” Peter paused for several minutes but couldn’t
prevent the question. “How is she really?”
Dominic sighed
and took a long draught of his brandy before turning his gaze away from the
flickering flames in the hearth back towards his friend.
“She is as well
as can be expected. She was half starved
when we found her Peter. It was clear
she hadn’t eaten much at all since her escape from Rupert.” Dominic leant forward in his chair and placed
his forearms upon his thighs as he remembered the bones clearly visible through
her wafer-thin skin. “It has taken some
time to coax her to eat sufficiently to sustain her. With her lungs, her situation has been
dire.”
“What do you
mean with her lungs?” Peter squelched
down on the wave of alarm that swept through him as he eyed the solemnity on
his friend’s face.
“She has putrid
lungs.
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