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Oh, she probably looked a fright, but Caroline wasn’t going anywhere. And no one in the world could make her. “Thank you for your concern, Doctor Watts, but I’m not ready to leave him.” And she neverwouldbe.
A veritable hoard had come though Marc’s chambers since Caroline and the girls had arrived the day before. Alex had left Livvie in Hampshire to spend a few hours by Marc’s side that morning. Lord Thurlstone had left his shipping offices to worry over his friend most of the afternoon. Clayworth, Simmons, Mr. Blackaby, even the Dowager Marchioness of Astwick stopped in to see how Marc was faring. And in between all of that, Luke was there, forcing her to nibble on bits of toast and threatening her with bodily harm if she didn’t drink enough tea to fill the Thames. He was wonderful, her brother, and she didn’t know what she’d dowithouthim.
* * *
Marc openedhis eyes into the darkness. A beeswax candle flickered in the corner of his chambers, making odd shapes dance across his walls. And…God in Heaven, he felt awful. There was a horrible ache pulsing in his back, it seemed to be coming from near his shoulder. His mind was so foggy. What the devil had happenedtohim?
And then a soft sigh from the chair beside his bed caught his ears, and Marc turned toward the sound. “Caroline?” hebreathedout.
Her light brown head snapped to attention from where she had been resting it against the side of the chair and her eyes rounded in surprise. “Marc!” She leapt to her feet and hovered over him. “Are you reallyawake?”
“Unless we’re both dreaming.” He winced as his shoulder pulsed like the devil. “And I’ve never felt this awful when I’m asleep.” He shook his head trying to remember how he got there. “Did someone stab me?” Because that is what itfeltlike.
She swiped at her cheeks as though she’d been crying, but it was too dark to tell if she had for certain. “That awful St. George fellow.” She grasped his hand and squeezed him tightly. “I’m so happy you’reawake.”
St. George. Marc released a breath. Yes. He’d just arrived in London from Derbyshire with that codebook when St. George had come up behind him. His memory started filling in the pieces. “Blackaby was there,” he muttered tohimself.
Caroline nodded quickly. “He fired his pistol and hit St. George, but Luke said the Home Office took thevillainaway.”
Who knew what the devil they were doing to him, then? Nothing the blackguard didn’t deserve, that Marc was certain of. He heaved a sigh and squeezed her hand back. “You asked me when the last time was someone came after me. Now you have ananswer.”
Her lip trembled and Marc wished he could call those words back, but she needed to hear them. He loved her more than anything, but loving her wouldn’t be enough to protect her, not if someone truly meant to doherharm.
“You don’t have to throw your lot in with me, love. It’s not too late to walk away.” If she was having second thoughts, they could figure out something to do with the child. Callie was at Saddleworth, there was no reason he couldn’t care for this child inYorkshiretoo.
But she shook her head. “Are you trying to get out of your promise,MarcusGray?”
“Caroline, bereasonable.”
“I am perfectly reasonable,” she said. “I love you more than anything in the world, and I am not about to let you walk awayfromme.”
“I don’t think I can even walk at the moment.” He’d have to hobble and that would hardly make him appear as virile and masculine ashe’dlike.
“Perfect, then I’ll just keep you in that bed untilyou’rereasonable.”
“I would never complain about you keeping me in bed—” Marc started to laugh but stopped when it hurt too much “—but I’d like to feel more like myself before youdoso.”
“Are you in so much pain?” she asked. “Doctor Watts said not to give you any morelaudanum,but—”
“I don’t want to be unconscious again.” Then he patted the opposite side of the bed that was rather empty. “I know I’m not your lord and master yet, and I have no right to tell you anything, as you so eloquently informed me; but do climb into this bed with me. There’s more than enough room for bothofus.”
She frowned slightly. “Are you sure? I don’twantto—”
“I can’t hurt worse than I do, love, but at least with you beside me, I can find a bit ofpeace.”
She navigated the foot of the bed and then climbed onto his four-poster. The movement on the mattress did actually hurt worse, but Marc wasn’t about to complain. Not when he was alive and he had her by his side. Caroline curled up next to him and rested her head on his goodshoulder.
“That doesn’t hurt,doesit?”
“Reminds me I’m still alive,” he said, kissing the top of her head. “How are you feeling, love? Isthebaby—”
“We’re fine. We’re both fine,” she told him. “Callie came with us to London. She wanted toseeyou.”
A staggered breath escaped Marc. “I don’t suppose I can get away with hiding her anymore,canI?”
“I hardly think it’s fairtoher.”
Keeping her alive had always taken precedent over fairness. “When you said you wouldn’t live like her, hidden away from the world…any chance you’ve changed your mind on that? Saddleworth is a nice place to behiddenaway.”
