The knock on the door broke the moment.
He released her immediately. “Come in.”
Mrs. Parker entered with a tray loaded with food. A rich broth, soup with mutton, rye bread, and red wine. They said red wine helped produce new blood. He wasn’t sure there was enough evidence to support that, but it wouldn’t hurt.
Mrs. Parker gave a timid smile and placed the tray on the nightstand. “I hope her ladyship feels better today.”
“I do, thank you.” Cora winced when she tried to sit upright.
“Let me help.” He coiled an arm around her waist once again and pulled her up.
Her lips brushed his jaw by accident, but he couldn’t deny the quick shiver slithering down his back. He swiftly suppressed whatever inappropriate sensation or thought his reaction was about to produce.
“There.” It was his turn to avoid her gaze. “Drinking is the most important thing.”
“I’ll help the countess, my lord, with the food and her clothes.” Mrs. Parker sat next to Cora. “You need to rest as well, my lord, if you don’t mind my saying it.”
“No, yes, I mean…” He scrubbed the back of his neck. “I’ll go then.” He walked backwards and hit the ottoman. A pang went up his calf. “Shit. I mean, sorry.”
Mrs. Parker had an expression that told him she would smack him in the head if he weren’t a marquess and she weren’t his housekeeper. Cora instead seemed to fight a smile.
Hitting his calf was worth it if it meant seeing her smile. “I’ll see you later.”
He shut the door and leant his back against it, wondering what the hell had just happened.
Cora flippedthrough the pages of the newspaper after breakfast had left her full and with more energy. There was no article on the sudden death of Lord Roxbury or a search for David and her, but she wasn’t sure the lack of news was cause for a celebration.
“Is he searching for us, Mama?” David sat next to her, pale and with shadows under his eyes.
“I don’t know. The newspaper doesn’t report anything about him. It should be good news.” Unless Jacob was still lying unconscious in the hallway.
He lifted a shoulder. The shirt was too big for him. He looked smaller than he was in it. “Lord Stark will protect us. That’s what he does. He protects people. He said we can stay here.”
Cora lowered the newspaper. “Darling, I’m grateful for what Lord Stark is doing for us. He’s an honourable man, but we can’t ask him to carry the burden of our situation.”
“He saved you and told me we can stay here for as long as we want.”
“Yes, but he didn’t mean forever.” She hated watching David’s brightness dim because of her words, but she couldn’t lie to him. “He’s kind, but we dropped our problems into his lap. We can’t drag him into our battle against your father. What will happen when the police are involved? Lord Stark would beforced to be involved as well. He offered his help, but I’m not sure he had surgery and hiding us in mind when he agreed to help us.”
David ran a hand through his hair. “And we’re eating all his food and taking advantage of his generosity.”
“I’m more worried about what your father might do to Lord Stark.” She closed her eyes for a moment.
The vision of Jacob’s determined face as he’d pointed his gun at David flashed across her mind. Jacob had been ready to shoot David. She didn’t trust the police, and Jacob’s servants would never testify against him. Besides, they hadn’t seen anything. She should make new arrangements to leave as soon as she could travel before Jacob stopped her. Since he knew about Mrs. Delois, Cora had to choose another destination. Brussels, perhaps. One of her relatives lived there. She hadn’t seen a cousin in years, but she was desperate. While she was ready to accept Ethan’s help, she wouldn’t impose on him or put him in danger.
“Try to understand.” She took David’s hand. “Lord Stark has his own problems and people to take care of. We’re like strangers to him and we have a plan. As soon as I’m better, we’re going to leave. We can’t hide here forever.” What she offered was a difficult, uncertain life. Not much for a thirteen-year-old boy.
David nodded but lacked confidence.
She could protect him from bullets. She couldn’t protect him from the harsh reality of their future.
thirteen
ETHAN HAD MEANT to take a quick nap, but the moment he’d laid his head down in the guest bedroom, he’d collapsed into a deep sleep.
The sun shone low on the horizon when he woke up. After he washed and changed, he headed to Cora’s bedroom. She slept soundly, her breathing regular, but he checked her pulse, nevertheless. Steady and strong. Her temperature was normal. He would wait to take another look at the wound. The empty tray showed she’d eaten. He covered her properly and made sure the stove was hot before tiptoeing out of the room. He had barely time to exit before his housekeeper ambushed him in the corridor.
“My lord, may I talk to you for a moment? It’s urgent,” Mrs. Parker whispered, wringing her hands.
