The Wary Widow (19 page)

A remarkably tall man, he could barely stand up straight in their little house. But he willingly followed Mrs. Clarke up the stairs and Chloe followed behind, leaving the men to wait in the kitchen for a prognosis.

Chloe and her mother stood to one side of the bed, holding one another’s hands, while the doctor did his examinations. After a while, he removed his spectacles and addressed Mrs. Clarke.

“Your daughter is very ill, Mrs. Clarke, and the infection
is
very advanced.”

Chloe looked at her mother, whose face had turned to a stark white.

“Please, Dr. Gibbs, is there nothing you can do for her?” Chloe asked, willing him to say yes.

“If I may, there is but one option left to us.”

Chloe felt her skin grow cold and clammy. She shook with the memories of her husband and the letting he’d suffered just two days before he died.

“No,” she heard herself respond. “There must be another option.”

“But there isn’t, Mrs. Hawthorne.”

Her mother gave her hand a reassuring pat. “Chloe, we must at least try it. Grace stands little chance otherwise.”

“She is right.” Dr. Gibbs looked to Mrs. Clarke. “With your permission, ma’am.”

Chloe felt her mother’s nod to the doctor and the man immediately set to work. He removed a small brass box from his satchel, which she recognized well.

Don’t swoon, Chloe!
she
told herself over and over. She needed to be there—
wanted
to be there—for her sister, no matter how difficult it might prove to be.

“I will need at least two bowls, ma’am,” Dr. Gibbs said.

“I will fetch them,” Chloe offered, grateful for a chance to get some fresh air before the letting began.

She ran down the stairs, drawing the attention of the men who immediately rose from their seats around the table. Her eyes scanned her brothers and father and then settled on Andrew. He must have read the panic on her face for he came to her at once and put a hand to her shoulder.

“What? What did he say?” he asked.

Chloe glanced at her father. “He is going to perform a blood-letting, Papa.”

Tears welled in her throat, and she bit her bottom lip to keep it from trembling. She had to be strong—for her family and for her sister. It wouldn’t do to go falling to pieces now.

Her father merely nodded his head, his expression more grim than she’d ever seen on his merry face. He’d been present at Sam’s procedure and knew well the risks involved.

But the doctor had claimed it to be the only way, and so Chloe brushed away her fear with her tears and left Andrew’s side. She found the bowls and then returned to the small bedroom upstairs.

The process was painful. Watching her sister’s blood pool and drip into the bowls made Chloe queasy, but this was no time to be weak of stomach. Her mother diligently held one bowl under Gracie’s arm, while Chloe held the other. Dr. Gibbs continued to perform the letting, and on it went until he proclaimed they’d taken enough.

Once he’d dressed her small lacerations, Andrew saw him to the inn. Chloe watched him go, feeling exhausted, but in desperate need of his company. She was so happy he had not gone back to London, for simply knowing he was near set her heart at ease.

It was near dawn when Gracie’s fever broke. Chloe had fallen asleep reading to her in the chair. But when Gracie’s small hand reached out and touched her knee, she immediately came to. Her sister looked at her with barely open eyes, sweat dripping down her face, and Chloe breathed freely for the first time in days.

“Oh, Gracie,” she whispered, dropping to her knees by the bed, her sister’s hands firmly held in her own. “How are you feeling?”

“Thirsty,” Grace replied, her voice barely a whisper.

“Oh, of course!” Chloe jumped up and retrieved a glass of well water from the side table.

She propped her sister’s head up and helped her to take a drink. Grace fell back onto her pillows as if taking the water had used all her energy. Chloe stayed where she was on the edge of the bed, silently thanking God, and Dr. Gibbs, for saving her sister’s life.

“Chloe?” came Grace’s raspy voice.

Chloe turned to look at her, a smile touching her lips. “Yes, what is it?”

Grace swallowed hard and then asked, “Am I dying?”

At this, Chloe burst into relieved laughter. “No, my dear, you are going to be just fine.”

“What happened?”

She swiped a damp cloth across her sister’s forehead. “Don’t worry about that right now. Once you’re better, I’ll tell you all about it. You just rest until the doctor gets here.”

***

When Andrew arrived at the cottage with Dr. Gibbs that morning, there was a flurry of excitement. Not like the day before with the chaos of chores, but with genuine merriment. Mrs. Clarke had prepared a large breakfast, which was laid out in the style of a buffet. Smiles decorated the faces of the family members present in the small kitchen.

One of them was Chloe. Her eyes sagged with an apparent loss of sleep, but they sparkled with delight at the same time. She ran to him immediately and, ignoring the presence of her family, wrapped her arms around him.

“She’s all right,” she whispered close to his ear. “Gracie is all right.”

Andrew squeezed her back as relief washed over him. Dr. Gibbs disappeared upstairs with Mrs. Clarke and the rest of them settled in for a celebratory breakfast.

“We can’t thank you enough, Andrew, for what you’ve done,” James said with a mouthful of egg.

“It was nothing, really.”

“Nothing?” Stevie said. “If it weren't for you, our sister could be...could have...”

Andrew gave a smile, deciding to accept their gratitude with grace. “Well, I was happy to oblige, Stevie.”

“Will you be returning to London, now that this is all over?” James asked.

“As soon as the doctor is ready to return, yes. I’ll wait until he deems Grace well enough not to need his care any longer so I may convey him back to London myself.”

“That’s awfully kind of you,” Chloe said. “But don’t you think you should return sooner than that? You never know how long the doctor will need to stay.”

He turned to look at Chloe. She stared back at him, her dark eyes unreadable. Did she not want him there? Or was she simply concerned about what was happening with Michael and Elizabeth?

“That is true,” he replied, trying to say with his eyes what he could not say with words in front of her family, “but no, I don’t think there is any rush getting back to London.”

“Oh.” Her eyes grew wide as she raised her brows questioningly. “All right. How about a tour of Essex, then? I could use with a bit of fresh air.”

Andrew smiled, excited at the prospect of spending the day out of doors with Chloe.
And perhaps finding a secluded spot to steal more of her delectable kisses.

“A tour would be delightful.”

Nineteen

Chloe was surprised that Andrew decided to stay even longer than he already had. She was sure he would want to get back to London, if not to make sure nothing had gone awry with their scheme, then to at least escape the boredom of the country. She couldn’t imagine what kept him here. Of course, he could have been staying for her, but he had to know that was futile. They could never be together, as much as she wanted for them to be. The scandal and ruination to both Andrew and her cousin would be irreparable. And then he would resent her, and that was something she could not bear.

“Where are you taking me?” he asked after they’d been walking for several minutes.

“Here and there,” she replied as the breeze whipped her curls about her face. “Nowhere in particular.”

That wasn’t entirely true, she realized, but she didn’t want to tell Andrew that she was taking him to her childhood haunts. The places she and Sam and their friend, Louis, used to frequent as children. She hadn’t visited them in some time—she had known it would be painful—but she wanted to go today. She wanted to make new memories at those places she held so dear, with the man she held so dear.

Was it wrong of her to want to take him when she’d shared so much with Sam in those places? A stab of guilt pierced her, but she pushed it away and replaced her frown with a bright smile.

“Have you heard from Michael?” she asked.

He nodded. “All is going well, so he says. Elizabeth doesn’t suspect a thing...of course, that’s not surprising.”

Chloe cast a sidelong glance at him as she stepped over large rock. “What do you mean?”

“You must have noticed that your cousin keeps me only for show,” he said with a shrug. “It’s not as if we’re...”

“In love?” she finished for him,
hope
flaring in her heart.

“No, not at all.” He stopped walking and took Chloe’s hands, pulling her around to face him. “You do know that, don’t you? I don’t love her—I never have. We were—
are
engaged out of convenience and nothing more.”

Chloe opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She knew Lizzie didn’t love him, and she suspected the same of him. But to hear him say it aloud made her heart sing. Perhaps they’d be able to make something of their relationship after all. If he and Lizzie truly didn’t love one another-

“Chloe, are you going to say something?”

She shook her head and smiled. “No,” she replied and then she rose up on her tiptoes and landed a kiss on his cheek.

She tried to move away, but Andrew deftly grabbed her about the waist and drew her to him. “Not so fast, my little tart.”

He tried to kiss her but she pushed him away. “Not here, Andrew!” she hissed, trying not to laugh. “Someone will see.”

He cocked his head and pasted on a mischievous smile. Chloe’s heartbeat quickened. What was he about?

“If I catch you, you’ll have to kiss me.”
“What?” She gaped at him, astonished and more than a little excited.

“The chase begins in five...four...three
—
”
“You can’t be serious!” she laughed.

He raised his brows. “Two...”

Chloe shrieked, knowing he did not make empty threats, and took off at a run across the open field. She heard him
call,
“One”, and she quickened her pace, laughing all the while.
She gave a good chase
,
she knew that
. Having grown up with two older brothers and boys for her best friends, she’d learned how to run. Fast.

Only, unlike when she was a child, running from the boys because they teased her with snakes or worms, she actually wanted to be caught today.
But not yet.
Not until they were at the pond, secluded by a copse of tall pines, safe from any onlookers.

She continued to run, not bothering to look over her shoulder. She knew he was there. His breath was quick and heavy, his steps even quicker. A giggle escaped
her
as she emerged into the clearing where the pond sat nestled in a somewhat shallow valley. She ran down the hill, intending to stop when she reached the bank, but Andrew clearly had other ideas.

Before she could scream, his body slammed into hers and they both tumbled into the freezing water. Chloe came up gasping and gurgling, quite unable to believe he’d just done that.

“What are you doing?” she cried, wanting to sound angry, but finding it impossible to keep the laughter out of her voice.

He stared back at her, his expression befuddled. “What do you mean? I thought you wanted to take a swim. Isn’t that why you went all the way to the edge?”

“No!” she laughed, trying to find purchase for her feet on the slippery floor of the pond. “Whatever gave you that impression?”

“Does it matter?” he asked, his voice suddenly low and serious.

She looked up into his chocolate-brown eyes and suddenly the water didn’t feel nearly as cold as it had before. She shook her head.

“I believe I’ve caught you now,” he pointed out.

She wanted to speak, but her tongue wouldn’t move, so she just nodded her acknowledgment as he moved closer and slipped his arms around her. She stared brazenly at his chest, the outline of which she could see through his soaked white shirt. Good heavens! She would never get tired of staring at that perfectly formed body.

“And you remember what the punishment for being caught is, don’t you?”

Chloe’s breath quickened and her heart pounded so quickly she almost wondered if she were still running. And then, finally, he lowered his lips to hers and kissed her, softly at first, and then more urgently. She kissed him back, reveling in the eroticism of the moment. How sinful it felt to stand there in broad daylight, dripping wet in the shallow water of the pond, kissing this man. This man who she wanted so badly, so desperately that she would give almost anything to be with him.

***

Andrew pulled away from Chloe, his breath coming fast and hard, but not from running. He wanted her. He had to have her again before he went back to London. Back to a life and a woman he didn't want. In the next moment, he scooped her into his arms and carried her from the water. He knelt down on the grassy bank and placed her gingerly on the ground. Chloe sat up and playfully caught a droplet of water that was about to drip off his nose with a flick of her tongue.

That proved to be Andrew's undoing. In a frenzy of desire, he pressed his lips to Chloe’s and hurriedly made his way up her skirts. Likewise, she tugged frantically at his trousers and in a matter of moments, his cock sprang free. She wrapped her dainty fingers around his manhood and he groaned with the sublime pleasure of having her touch him.

When his own fingers found her moist folds, Chloe gasped. Her body was cold from the pond water, but her honey pot was warm and so inviting.

“Oh, God, Chloe, make love to me,” he begged and thankfully, she nodded her consent.

Andrew
raised
up slightly and moved over her, before plunging deep inside of her. She gasped again and they both moaned as he began to move. He meant to take his time, but she felt so dammed amazing, he wasn't sure if he could. His blood was pumping fast and the desire coursing through him was so strong, he was sure he couldn’t hold out another moment. And then, blessedly, Chloe cried out in ecstasy. She clenched around him and practically sucked the seed from his loin.

They both yelled and groaned with their release, but to Andrew it sounded like the sweetest music he’d ever heard. Good God, they were meant for one another. Meant to be together. There wasn’t anything that could stop Andrew now from finding a way to be with her.

A quiet befell them as they lay side by side on the grass. It was a peaceful moment, one that Andrew hoped would never end.

He grabbed Chloe’s hand and squeezed her fingers, but when she turned to look at him, he could see there were tears in her eyes.

***

Chloe stared back at Andrew, hating herself more than she’d ever thought possible. This was not her man. He never would be. No matter how much he tried to assure her that they would work it out—that they would confess all and that everything would be fine—she knew it was not so simple.

“Chloe?” he breathed. “What’s wrong?”

She met his gaze. It was so warm and loving, she nearly melted at the sight. But she wouldn’t allow herself to do so. Too much was at stake to let this continue.

“Andrew, we shouldn’t
—
” She tried to pull away, but he wouldn’t let go of her hand.

“Don’t, Chloe,” he begged. How hurt he sounded all of a sudden.

“I must. This isn’t right,” she insisted, finally tugging free of his grasp and getting to her feet.

“Chloe, I’ve never known anything so right in my life.” He stood as well and moved toward her.

She shook her head and backed up, slipping on her wet slippers. “Andrew, I’ve come to a decision, and you must accept it.”

“Decision? There is no decision to be made, Chloe...” His voice choked. “How could you let me make love to you again? You could be carrying my child.”

His child?
How naïve of her to not have considered that possibility.
Even so...”I doubt it,” she said, “but that isn’t the point.”

“Then please, tell me what
is
the point, because I’m awfully confused.”

“So am I, Andrew! You are not the only one to suffer in this-”

“Chloe, no one need suffer.” He stepped closer and lowered his voice. “We will return to London and sort it all out with Elizabeth as soon as your sister is fully recovered.”

Chloe was tempted to believe that everything would turn out all right—that they could simply waltz back into Town, declare their undying love for one another, and marry without consequence. But how could she believe that when she knew it was not true. It would not be that easy, and she would risk alienation from her family.
Her family, for whom she cared so deeply.

“I’m sorry, Andrew, but it’s not that simple,” she said quietly, avoiding his eyes.

“It
is
that simple,” he replied. “Look at me, Chloe.”

She didn’t. She couldn’t look at him or else all her resolve would melt away.

“Fine,” he finally said, a harsh edge to his voice. “Will you at least listen?”

Chloe didn’t respond. She knew she was being stubborn, but she had to make him see that they couldn’t be together. He was meant for Lizzie, and she was meant to be here, with her family in Essex. They needed her, and she would not abandon them.

“Chloe, please, I don’t know what’s happened in the last few minutes to make you change your mind about me, but mine has not—and will not ever change about you. I meant it when I said that I loved you.” He stopped and raked a hand through his sopping hair, his frustration obviously mounting. “Damn it, Chloe, say something!”

She shook her head and began to walk away, the weight of the water in her skirts making it somewhat difficult. “Just leave me alone, please.”

“I will not!” he exclaimed, chasing after her.

“You should go home, Andrew. There is no need for you to be here and the longer you are, the worse things will get.”