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I nodded and watched the place I used to call home disappear as we turned a corner.
Luc made a call to the doctor.
“Did you mean it?” I asked when he hung up the phone.
“Mean what?” He held my uninjured hand.
“When you said that I was moving in with you.”
“I did. In the Financial District. We will start by living there. If you like it, we can stay. It is convenient for work. If you don’t like it, we will start house shopping whenever you like.”
“What about the wedding?” I asked.
“What about it?”
“Did you just want to go to the courthouse and get it over with?”
“No. I would have if I needed to in order to keep you safe and get you away from your mother. But a large wedding is expected, and I am kind of looking forward to it. Standing in front of God and the entire world and telling them you are mine.”
He wrapped his arm around me and pulled me in to his side.
“If you want help planning, I’m sure we can get Rose to come over, and my sisters would love to help as well. I was waiting for your name to change to add you to what will be the joint accounts, but I’ll have Henry acquire a card for you to do that planning.”
I nodded, not sure what to say. He was giving me total control and offering the resources I’d need. That had to mean something, right?
The doctor was waiting for us when we arrived at a brownstone. He led us to the basement level, where he had his office and some basic equipment. If he thought the state I was in was unusual, he didn’t say anything about it. Just looked at my hand and took a few X-rays. There was some serious bruising, but no permanent damage.
The doctor even brought Luc out of the room while his nurse, a woman I was pretty sure was the doctor’s wife, wrapped my hand.
When the men were out of earshot, she looked at me with a comforting hand on my shoulder.
“Honey, are you okay? Do we need to call the police?”
“Why would you need to do that?” I asked, confused.
“Your hand, sweetheart. Are you safe? If not, you can tell me. We will help you.”
I was touched by this woman’s generosity, but I assured her I was fine.
“I’m safe now. He took me out of a bad situation. He saved me tonight.”
“Good.” She nodded. “My husband has several clients like Mr. Manwarring. He has been that boy’s personal doctor since he was a child. He is one of the good ones.”
“He really is.” I smiled at the older woman. “Why don’t I get you some clothes?” She disappeared before I could tell her it wasn’t really necessary. She came back a few moments later with a simple, emerald-green sundress.
“Here. It isn’t much. Our daughter left it when she went off to college. It should fit you.”
“Thank you.” I got changed, putting Luc’s jacket over my arm as I met him out in the main room where he and the doctor were discussing something.
“Ready?” I asked, interrupting them.
Both men looked at me, and the way Luc’s eyes heated when he took me in wearing that green dress, I knew he was thinking of the night of the opera and a very different green dress.
“Let’s go.” He offered me his arm. I took it, and he led me outside, sweeping me off my feet when we got to the pavement since I wasn’t wearing shoes.
“Where are we going now?” I asked as he settled into the car next to me.
“Home.”
