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“I never meant to hurt you. None of it was your fault. Nothing but my stupidity.” He raised her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm. Her hands were warming. It was a good sign. “We’re almost there. Hang in there, darling.”
Touching her and calling her darling as he did in the past soothed him more than it did her. He had missed loving and caring for someone. The past three years he’d been so angry, lashing out at life, and throwing himself into his mission to reclaim his family name and help his country. He’d had no time for tender moments. He swore he wouldn’t make that mistake again.
Perdita opened her eyes. Dazed, she searched his face before she pressed her hand against his cheek. “Dash?”
“Thank God.” Elated, he rubbed his lips against hers. “I’m never letting you go. Ever again.”
“This is a wonderful dream. Your lips are as soft as I remember.” Her lips turned up as her eyes drifted closed.
His heart swelled with relief, and he relaxed for the first time since seeing her standoff with the stableman. He held her close to him, reveling in the feel of her body against his. There were many nights ahead of them… once he found her brother, and she forgave him for being a self-absorbed fool. But he had overcome bigger challenges.
The carriage hit a pothole, jolting both of them. His hand was dislodged from the back of her head. He had continued to keep the cravat pressed over her wound.
Perdita bolted upright, her eyes wide open. She slowly looked around the carriage and then at him. She examined his face as if she didn’t recognize him. And then he knew exactly when the memory of the night, every detail of the past hours including Tessa, came to her. Perdita’s open gaze shuttered, and a glower overcame her face.
“You’ve taken a nasty hit to the back of your head. It is still bleeding.” He reached for the cravat that had fallen on the seat to reapply pressure.
She grabbed the cloth from his hand. “Thank you for your assistance. I can do this on my own.”
“You need to remain still. You were unconscious for a while and may have brain swelling.”
“I don’t need to be on your lap to be still.” She pushed against his chest to right herself. She gasped with the movement as her hand shot to her side.
“Please, Perdita. There is no reason to cause yourself such pain. The brute hit you hard. He might have broken a rib.”
“He didn’t. I know what a broken rib feels like, and the pain isn’t bad enough.”
“You may injure yourself further. Please wait until Dr. Needham can examine you and bind your ribs and tend to your head wound. This is no time to prove your independence.” He knew immediately before finishing that he had said the absolute wrong thing.
Her chin lifted and her spine straightened. “Thank you for your concern. I’ve had plenty of injuries, and neither my head nor my ribs are life-threatening. I am fine to sit on my own for the next few minutes.”
Her movements were slow and obviously very painful as she swiveled to place her feet on the floor to leave his lap. He placed his hands on her waist and lifted her onto the seat next to him. He didn’t want her to harm herself more.
“Thank you. But once we arrive home, there is no need for your further assistance.” She looked straight ahead.
Challenging her independence was the most foolish thing he had done. But the woman scrambled his wits. Why couldn’t she be like any other woman who would be grateful to be taken care of? She had swooned when she received the news about her brother but acted as if getting sucker-punched was part of a lady’s daily experience.
Perdita, who had spent her childhood running wild with Harry and learning to defend herself from Alfie, was not like any other lady. And it was part of the reason he admired her. She was a warm, loving woman who had all the feminine traits, but she also was a hellion on horseback and, as demonstrated tonight, skilled in defending herself. She went beyond any expectations of what a woman was capable of. And like a stupid, self-destructive arse, he walked away from her.
“Did you see if Roddy’s horse was in the stables?” She stared out the window, but her slumped shoulders and her head against the window exposed her attempt to hide her misery.
“I didn’t have time, and I doubt Harry did either. But I did learn that Roddy did come to Haversham’s asking for me. And Yardley directed him to Haversham’s office.”
“Oh, this is good news.” Her voice lifted. “We’ll need to go to the authorities with this information.”
“There is no ‘we’ in this. I will follow up and report everything to you.” After tonight, he would not tolerate risking her life.
She twisted to stare at him. She bit her lower lip to hide the pain she must feel from the sudden shift. “Like you did tonight?”
“Harry told me that you saw me with Tessa. It isn’t what you think.”
“It is of no consequence.”
“Perdita, I will explain everything when you are not in pain, and the doctor has examined you. This is not the time for this conversation.”
“There will never be a time or need for that conversation. I will never believe anything you say. You have proven your masterful skill at duplicity.” The carriage stopped. Harry jumped down and opened the door, looking into the cab.
“Thank God, Miss Dita, that you’re awake. You scared me. You were out for so long this time.”
