Ghost of Christmas Past (9 page)

“
I think that might be a better idea,” she sighed.

“
I have taken the liberty of preparing a room for you as well,
sir. Your man from the War Office has left a note for you, and your
associate said that he would be back later.”

Rupert
nodded and pocketed the note the butler held out to him. He sensed
the questions in Thea’s gaze but carefully avoided looking at her
in case she decided to stay in the hallway and she press for more
information. It wasn’t that he had no intention of telling her, he
just wanted her to be fed, rested and reassured about her uncle
before he told her about the work he really did, and who he
suspected had shot her uncle.

A couple
of hours later, Thea had been fed, bathed and was now neatly
dressed in her best walking dress. She didn’t even bother to try to
lie down on the huge four poster bed that sat in the middle of the
room because she knew that she couldn’t rest just yet. Now that she
was a little more presentable, nothing was going to prevent her
from seeing her uncle.

When she
had been shown to her room, Argus had told her where to find her
uncle’s master suite, and she had no problems finding her way there
now. She stood outside the highly polished mahogany door with her
hand on the knob and took in a deep breath. Her hand physically
trembled and she took a moment to compose herself. Tears beckoned
as the realisation of what had actually happened began to sink in.
Until now events had changed too quickly for her to stop and
consider them too much. Now that she was here, outside of her
uncle’s room, the startling swiftness of her change in
circumstances left her reeling.

“
Are you alright?”

She
squeaked and spun around at the low rumble in her ear. It was the
first time she realised just how tall he was up close and she was
acutely aware that she had to tip her head right back to look into
his wonderful eyes.

“
I am just -” she shook her head, unable to find the words to
explain the mixed emotions that tumbled through her.

“
You won’t find out how he is by standing outside, now will
you,” he prompted gently and reached around her to open the door.
It swung silently open to reveal a huge room that was lavishly
furnished with several chairs, two dressers and a massive bed
against the far wall. It wasn’t the furnishings that drew her
attention though; it was the man who lay in the centre of the vast
expanse of bed.

Her
uncle had always been such a vibrant man, so full of vim and vigour
that it was difficult to ever consider him being vulnerable in any
way. It shook her more than she cared to admit to see him so
lifeless and pale against the crisp white sheets. He had lost a lot
of weight since the last time she had seen him, and she knew that
the liberal smattering of grey at his temples was considerably
whiter than before. However, although he had aged well in the
several months since she had last seen him, what shook her most was
the cadaverously grey colour of his skin: an indication of just how
serious his condition really was. She couldn’t remember crossing
the room but she found herself standing beside the bed
anyway.

“
Uncle John?” Thea whispered. She carefully picked his hand up
in hers, relieved that it was at least warm and dry, rather than
cold or clammy. She glanced at his body, and realised then that she
had not asked Rupert where her uncle had been shot. The sharp sting
on her lip from her teeth was the only outward sign of the internal
battle that raged within her as she sat carefully on the bed and
settled their clasped hands on her lap.

She
wasn’t sure whether he was still sleeping or able to hear her. It
bothered her more than she cared to admit that he hadn’t responded
to her. She desperately tried to keep her fear at bay and focused
on what she needed to say as she studied the wonderfully dear lines
of his face.

“
Uncle John, it is Thea. Rupert brought me to see
you.”

It hurt
to see her usually vibrant and agile uncle so helpless, and it
brought forth so many memories for her that she struggled to keep
the tears at bay. He had done so much to help her in her hour of
need that the physical toll it had cost her to spend nearly three
days in a carriage was a small price to pay for being able to at
least start to repay the huge debt she owed him. He was without
doubt the one; the only; constant in her life and she adored
him.

Silence
settled around her that was broken only by the steady ticking of
the huge grandfather clock in the mantle.

“
Amen,” she whispered to conclude her prayer. She opened her
eyes and gasped as she looked straight into the slightly slumberous
gaze of her uncle.

“
Thea? Thank heavens you got here,” he whispered in a voice
that trembled with emotion. “I am so glad you could make
it.”

“
How could I stay away?” She swiped at the tears on her cheeks
that escaped in spite of her best efforts, and tried a wobbly
smile.

“
Rupert found you then?”

She
nodded, unable to speak for a moment past the lump her
throat.

“
Is Rupert still here?” He asked hopefully, and gazed at the
ceiling while trying desperately not to give in to the sleep that
threatened to pull him under again.

“
He is,” Rupert announced from beside the door. He hadn’t
intended to stay once he had let Thea into the room, but had felt
driven to make sure that she was alright. He wanted to be around to
support her if emotion got the better of her and had found himself
watching her every moment as she had sat with her uncle and
wept.

He
slowly walked across the room, relieved to see calm acceptance in
the steady gaze John levelled on him. “I have sent for
reinforcements who are here and looking after everything for you
while we try to find out who hurt you and why.”

Thea
squeezed John’s hand gently in silent support. “I need to ask you,
Uncle John; have you had any threats or arguments with anyone of
late? Is there anyone who may wish you ill?”

John
shook his head. “I have thought about this over and over, when I am
not rendered useless by that blasted laudanum, but I cannot
conceive of anyone who would do such a thing.” He glanced at Thea.
“You know what Rupert is involved in?”

Thea
frowned and shook her head before she turned slightly wary eyes on
Rupert. “No. Why, what is he involved in?”

“
I haven’t told her yet,” Rupert sighed. “I was waiting until
she had been to see you and reassured herself that you were as well
as can be expected before I explained everything.”

“
See that you do, Rupert. It is important,” John replied in a
voice that was firm in spite of his weakness.

“
How do you feel? Do you want me to get you anything?” Thea
had never felt so helpless in her life and struggled to find
something useful to say, or do. Was this what it had been like for
her uncle after her accident?

“
I would have preferred to have been given a chance to duck,
but the doctor said the bullet grazed my ribs. I lost a bit of
blood but am starting to feel a little better now. If it wasn’t for
that damned laudanum Argus insists on force feeding me, I should
feel a darned sight better,” John grumbled and shot her a
disgruntled frown. “At least it got you here,” he added gently
moments later, and kissed the back of her hand in a gentlemanly
fashion that befitted a ballroom rather than a sickbed. It had the
desired effect and brought a smile to her pale cheeks.

“
Please do something for me, Thea?”

“
Of course, anything,” she whispered as she watched her uncle
battle sleep that steadily began to draw him down
anyway.

“
Stop that butler of mine giving me any more of that stuff.”
He nodded to the bottle on the dresser and glanced at Rupert. “I
don’t want to be left weak and useless.”

Rupert
nodded but didn’t tell the injured man that if anyone got into the
house who shouldn’t be there, John would not have the time, much
less the opportunity, to get involved.

“
Of course, if that’s what you wish,” Thea assured him. She
was willing to do anything he asked of her at that
moment.

“
While you are both here, you are to treat this house as if it
was your own. Both of you. I hope that once this blasted laudanum
wears off I will be able to get out of this blasted bed, and join
you. Meantime, there is much we need to catch up on, Thea.” He
couldn’t find the energy to stifle the yawn that escaped and he
cast both Thea and Rupert an apologetic glance. “I am sorry, I have
done nothing but don’t seem able to do anything but
sleep.”

“
Sometimes, sleep is the best possible medicine,” Thea replied
knowingly. “I will leave you to rest and will pop back in later to
check on you. Do you need any medication before I go?” She froze in
the act of reaching for the laudanum and winced at the fierce glare
John gave her. “I will remove it for you,” she offered instead and
gave her uncle a rueful look as she picked the offending bottle off
the bedside table and carried it with her to the door.

Both men
watched her go for a moment before Rupert turned toward the
bed.

“
You need to tell her everything as soon as possible,” John
urged harshly. He stared Rupert in the eye but was fairly certain
the effect was lost given that he was flat on his back and the
considerably younger man was hale and hearty. “Don’t let ghosts of
the past stop you from settling the future. You need to get matters
out into the open with her, and please make sure that Frances
doesn’t get wind of this. I don’t want that woman in this
house.”

“
Do you think it is possible?” Rupert asked with a
frown.

“
That woman has kept a couple of acquaintances in Town, yes. I
don’t know if the gossips have got wind of what has happened to me
yet. I have no doubt that if they have, the news will filter down
to Frances at some point. If she does appear on the doorstep, don’t
allow her to reside here. I don’t want her getting her feet under
my table. Send her to a hotel or something.”

Rupert
nodded. He was more than happy to protect Thea from the waspish
attentions of her mother, even if he had to be rude to the woman to
do so. It wasn’t lost to him that John was entrusting him with
family business, but was more than happy to take over the helm
while the man recovered. “I should hope that you will be up and
about by then. Gossip works quickly in these parts, I am sure of
it, but not that quickly.”

John
merely smiled weakly and gave Rupert a steady stare. “Please settle
things between the two of you while you have this chance to do so.
Take what happened to me as a warning Rupert, that you should never
take anything for granted, especially in your line of work. I don’t
know what you feel for my niece, but at least settle the past with
her. There are many things you don’t understand.”

It was
on the tip of his tongue to ask ‘like what’ only for John’s lids to
close before he could say anything. He turned and caught sight of
Thea standing beside the doorway.

“
What was that all about?”

“
I have several things I need to tell you about, Thea,” Rupert
sighed as he made his way toward her. “However, I have a few things
I need to do first so, if you are willing, I should like to talk to
you over dinner this evening. Given there are just the two of us,
let’s eat in the sitting room in front of the fire where we are not
likely to be disturbed.”

“
That’s fine.” Thea took her leave of him and made her way
toward her own room. She was full of questions and very aware that
there were a lot of things she didn’t know or understand just yet.
She had no idea what Rupert and John had been whispering about but
they appeared to be in cahoots about something.

She
closed the door to her room and allowed the silence to wash over
her. For the first time in three days she felt at peace, and she
carefully put her doubts and worries to one side to discuss with
Rupert later. Weariness drew her toward the bed and, with a sigh of
immense relief, lay down and allowed sleep to claim her.

John
waited until he heard the quiet click of the door closing behind
them before he opened his eyes. He really was very tired, but not
as tired as he had made out to both of them. The doctor had
informed him that although he had lost a fair amount of blood, he
had narrowly escaped more serious injury. He was very weak but well
on the way to recovery. However, he wasn’t averse to feigning
illness to gain the opportunity to draw Rupert and Thea together.
Guilt still plagued him over his part in what had happened four
years ago. He still blamed himself for the distance that remained
between the young couple who, if circumstances had been kinder to
them, should have been happily married with a family by
now.

When he
had asked Rupert to go and find her and bring her to his sickbed,
he had hoped that they would at least have the opportunity to talk
along the way. Unfortunately, he hadn’t reckoned on the speed in
which Rupert would get to her and return her to London. They
couldn’t have stopped for anything and he was as bemused as he was
horrified by it.

Still,
Thea’s relaxed behaviour around Rupert assured him that he had made
the right decision in bringing them both together again. Now, if
only they could set aside their differences and discuss the issues
that had driven them apart four years ago, there was still a hope
that there could be a happy ending for Rupert and Thea after
all.