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It worked; he lay down and smiled at her, turning her insides to jelly. ‘That’s the trouble with an intelligent woman—you know how to terrify a man.’ There was a moment’s silence while they looked at each other. Was he going to say anything about that kiss just now?
No, of course not. She was an intelligent woman, a dragon who just happened to have become over-emotional for a moment. Theo would dismiss those crowded moments, when he had kissed her with fervour and she had returned the embrace with just as much passion, as due to shock, relief, thankfulness they were both safe. She acknowledged the truth of all of those emotions. But there had been something more, something she sensed but did not understand.
‘Take your breeches off and get into bed.’
‘Not with you in the room! And don’t try to threaten me with Aunt Louisa again?
??I’m even less likely to undress in front of her. You go and ask Madame for some coffee. Where is she?’
‘I don’t know. She sent me a note to say she was ready for my fitting, that’s why I’m here. You don’t think they hurt her?’
Theo tried to sit up and she pushed him down again ruthlessly. ‘I’ll go and look—and you get into bed.’
It took ten minutes, but eventually Elinor found the dressmaker in the woodshed, tied and gagged, furious but unharmed. She freed her and helped her back to the kitchen, explaining that Theo had been attacked by two men who thought he was carrying a considerable sum of money.
‘Cochons!’ Madame spat out. ‘Monsieur is unhurt?’
‘No. He is somewhat battered, I am afraid; fortunately, his man arrived and is taking the miscreants to the authorities.’ Elinor skated as lightly as she could past her own part in all this. ‘May I make us some coffee?’
‘I will make it. You go and make sure he is all right and I will bring it up. Then we fit your gowns.’
‘But, madame, after the experience you have had—’
‘You think I allow these creatures to interfere with my business? Huh!’
Sunday morning found Elinor filing papers and her mother collating notes. Elinor suspected that the absence of a Protestant church for miles was no hardship for her mother, whose views on religion were somewhat relaxed. She enjoyed listening to a good sermon, largely to engage afterwards in vigorous debate with the clergyman, but otherwise seemed inclined to call upon the support of Greek gods in an emergency. Elinor had become used to quietly reading her prayer book to herself if no Anglican congregation was within reach and then treating Sunday as if it were any other day.
But they rarely had callers on a Sunday. Even fewer who caused Jeanie to scream and drop the tray of dishes she’d been balancing on one hand as she opened the door.
After Friday’s drama, Elinor was prepared for anything. She had the paperknife in her hand as she ran out into the hallway to find Jeanie scrabbling amidst the potsherds and Theo, his face sporting dramatically black, blue and purple bruising, attempting to reassure her.
‘Cousin Theo, good morning.’ Somehow she got her breathing under control. It was doubtful the girl heard anything other than irritation in her tone. ‘Jeanie, fetch a brush and a bucket and clear this up and stop crying, then bring coffee to the front parlour. Mama is in the back room, I am sure she would like a cup, too.’
She led the way, smiling brightly until Theo closed the door. ‘What in Heaven’s name are you doing?’ she scolded. It was easier to rant at him like a fishwife than to do what she wanted, which was to kiss those bruises better—or turn and flee. She was not sure which. ‘You should be in bed. I told Mama you had fallen down some stairs; she assumes you must have been drunk at the time. I did not disabuse her of that opinion.’
‘You didn’t come to look after me,’ he said with an unconvincing attempt to sound pathetic. ‘So I had to get up.’
‘Madame has been looking after you very well, I make no doubt. It would have been highly improper of me to visit you in your bedchamber.’
Theo attempted to raise one brow quizzically, winced and grimaced. He did not have to say it. What they had been doing last Friday in that very room was beyond improper. No wonder he seemed so uncomfortable. How could he look on her as his friend if this kept happening? ‘Why are you brandishing that knife?’
Elinor realised she was gesticulating with the paperknife and put it down. ‘Jeanie screamed. For all I knew it could have been more of Lord X’s henchmen. I do wish you would tell me who he is.’
‘So when you get back to England you can go and tell him off? I think not.’
As that was exactly what she had been brooding darkly about doing before he arrived, there was really no answer to that. She studied the man in front of her critically. Leaving aside his face, which completely justified Jeanie’s screams, he was moving more easily than she could have believed possible. Her hands tingled with the desire to run them over his chest again. It had felt so good. So hard and smooth and deeply disturbing. Did that make her wanton? Or merely a very inexperienced virgin in intimate contact with an attractive man for the first time? The latter no doubt, as it was certainly the least interesting option.
‘He deserves horsewhipping,’ she said, ‘but I will leave that to you. Theo—how are you?’ She felt her voice wobble and controlled it. ‘Truthfully?’
‘Truthfully?’ Neither of them had taken a seat. Now he walked forwards until he was standing in front of her, took her right hand and laid it against his midriff. Elinor caught her breath and made herself stay passive as one fingertip slid between the buttons and touched flesh. Reprehensibly she left it there. ‘Sore. You want me to be even more frank? I was humiliated that I had to be rescued by a woman—’
‘He had a shotgun! What could you possibly have done against that?’
‘Let me finish,’ he said mildly. ‘My first reaction, when I got over being thankful we were both alive and more or less in one piece, was to feel humiliated. My next was to be angry with myself for that thought—I would not have been shamed to have been rescued by Hythe, just profoundly grateful. That was what I was hanging on to, the hope he would be back soon from the blacksmith’s.
‘Hythe would have barrelled into that room, yelling his head off, fists flying. Someone would probably have got killed. You used courage and cunning and we’re all alive. I‘m just very thankful that you are on my side. You are on my side, aren’t you, Nell?’ he added, his voice dropping into an intimate, husky whisper.
Elinor looked down. He had taken her hand in his, her fingers feeling very small within the strong grip. She swallowed. What did he mean? What did he want? What did she want, come to that? She had been perfectly content until Theo had come into her life and now everything was a jumble: her mind, her emotions, her body.
