To Have and to Hold (15 page)

“Yes my dear, it
was.”
 
Dominic muttered dragging on his
breeches before trying and failing to turn 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.
 
They are not much better now than
when we found her.
 
Indeed there are
times when I consider they are worse.
 
If
we hadn’t found her when we did she would not be alive now, I am certain of
it.
 
She definitely would not have had
sufficient strength or protection against the winter.
 
She had two half pennies left in her
pocket.”
 

Peter
swore.
 
“What has the Doctor said?”
 
Peter murmured knowing full well Isobel would
have received the best of care money could buy.
 
And money to Dominic was most certainly not an issue.

“She has putrid
lungs and must remain in bed, kept warm and must eat as much as possible.
 
He has given us some tisane for her to drink
which she is still taking.
 
It does help,
but it is slow progress.
 
She has been so
weak.”
 
Dominic settled back in his chair
with a sigh.

“Have you stayed
with her?”
 
Peter felt the brotherly
responsibility press upon him urging his enquiry and felt no qualms at asking
such an impertinent question.

Dominic fully
understood Peter’s desire to protect his sister and couldn’t blame the man for
it.
 
After all, they both had the same
goal in mind.
 
“I have spent most of the
nights since her arrival in the chair beside the bed.
 
Today she was in a temper and had taken
objection to being confined to her bed.”
 
Dominic replied cautiously not willing to give the man the finer
details.
 
He had, after all, seen more
than enough!

Peter nodded
knowing from past experience just how wilful his sister could be.
 
“She must be getting better if her temper was
roused.”
 
He added knowingly being fully
conscious of his friend’s discomfiture.
 

“She is
definitely chafing to get up and about, but with the weather, she is better off
keeping warm and safe in bed.”
 
Dominic
murmured.
 
“What have you managed to find
out about Rupert?
 
Why did they take
her?”
 
Dominic queried as companionable
silence settled around them.

“Rupert is in
dire financial straight.
 
He has numerous
billets around Town, some of whom are starting to lose patience at his lack of
repayment.
 
Rumours are he has turned
towards loan sharks to repay some of his debts.
 
There are people looking for him.”

“Most probably
why he has vacated London, and nobody has heard from him.”
 
Dominic nodded sagely.

“Undoubtedly;
more interestingly he has become close acquaintances with Bertram
DeLisle.”
 
Peter replied quietly.

“I know.
 
Do you know if Bertram or Rupert has a house
near here?”
 
Dominic queried.
 

“What makes you
ask?”
 
Peter rose to replenish their
glasses before moving to stand before the hearth.
 

“It was
something Rupert said in the village the day I found Isobel.
 
He mentioned he had a small house nearby
here, but I wasn’t aware there had been any property in the locale up for sale,
let alone anyone new in the area.”
 
Dominic murmured.

“He could have
moved in while we were away.”
 
Peter
replied.
 
“After all we were gone some
several months and with Isobel -” He let that strand of conversation drop
quickly unwilling to recount one of the most difficult moments of both of their
lives.
   

“He may well
have.
 
I just wonder if it was where he
brought Isobel when he took her from Willowbrook.”
 

Peter huffed
cynically.
 
“
That
would appeal to Rupert’s perverse nature.
 
To know you are looking for her and have her
stashed so blatantly nearby.
 
He would
enjoy that.”
 

Dominic raised
his brows but couldn’t fault Peter’s argument.
 
It certainly sounded like something Rupert would do.
 
“As soon as the weather clears-“

“Sir?”
Dominic raised
a brow as an agitated Manvers appeared in the doorway.

“What is it
Manvers
?”
 
Dominic
murmured, raising a querying brow as he watched his usually unflappable Butler
faintly bristle with indignation as he entered the room to stand before the two
men.
  
“There is something strange in the
Scullery.”
  

Both Peter and
Dominic exchanged a look before silently following Manvers to the scullery.

Several minutes
later Dominic returned through the Kitchen doorway with a curse.
 
He slammed the kitchen door behind him with disgust
before knocking snow off his boots.
 
Turning to lock the door behind him, he turned towards Peter, and the
assorted house staff assembled in the kitchen.

“There can be no
doubt about it.”
 
Dominic confirmed with
a nod towards Peter.
 
“Someone has tried
to force the window open from the outside.”
 

“Recently?”
 
Peter queried over the flurry of murmurs
sweeping through the group.

“Looks like
it.
 
The wood that has been dug out is
certainly still fresh.
 
I would say in
the last day or so. “Dominic turned to his staff.
 
“Nobody has seen or heard anything?”
 

 
Everyone present confirmed nothing suspicious
had been noticed before tonight.
 

“Lock all of the
doors and windows.”
 
Dominic ordered
eyeing his Head Groom.
 
“Make sure
everything outside is locked and bolted.”
 
He turned towards Manvers.
 
“Assemble a watch.
 
Make sure
there are at least two people on watch at all times throughout the night.
 
I will do my bit as well.”

“Count me
in.”
 
Peter answered decisively.
 
Both men looked at each other knowingly.
 
“Anyone sees anything or anyone suspicious
must report it to me immediately.”

Everyone
answered they would and with a somewhat militant stance set about arranging the
willing throng of helpers and would-be guards into shifts.
 
Dominic and Peter returned to the Library
deep in thought.

“Rupert wouldn’t
do something like this himself.”
 
Peter
murmured.
 
“He’s too lazy.”