By the time he turned his attention back to Aria, she was clearly bristling to speak. “Now where were we, pet?” he asked as he took a seat beside her to wait for her reaction.
“I asked you if you were mad, Michael, and I fear that you must be.” She gestured to his now closed study door, though some of the fight had already gone out of her, the heat stealing her remaining strength. “A maid just saw me! She is to bring me food! Your staff knows you have a woman about!”
Michael leaned back in his chair and laced his fingers together. “My staff has known about your presence since the night you arrived, Aria. I was treating you for an illness and a rather nasty leg wound. It wasn’t as if I could hide you.” He cocked his head. “Not to mention I am a physician and these situations are hardly unusual.
“They…knew?” Aria seemed to deflate at that news.
Leaning forward, Michael snagged her hands with his, surprised she was not wearing gloves. “You are the one who assumed my staff did not know. I never said that. I also said that my staff is discreet and, to a person, they are. You need to trust me, Aria. I will not allow you to come to harm. And I assure you that you will fall to harm if you leave Thornfield before you are well. Another night out in the cold and you would have died.”
She bit her lip, the reality of the situation finally setting in. “I did not realize I was so ill.”
“You were.” He could not help the bite of anger that laced his voice. “Last night you told me you valued your life more than you valued what Society thought. I believed you. Was I wrong?”
“No.” He watched as Aria curled in on herself and silently cursed himself for being so rough with her. She might be strong but she was still a lady. She deserved better treatment from him. “I just…it is foolish. Never mind.”
Michael wanted to press her to continue, but he was afraid that if he did, she would balk. Perhaps try to run again. She was so very close to agreeing to stay. He did not want to risk her changing her mind.
“As you like.” He inclined his head. “We will speak of the matter later if you wish. Or not, if that is your preference. Just please understand, Aria, that as your physician, your health is paramount in my mind. If you venture back out into the cold before you are well? You will die. And it will be an ugly death, a death I’ve seen far too often for my liking. Make no mistake. Your body is not strong enough to endure the cold if nothing else.”
“And if Society discovers I am here?” She did not look completely convinced but she was also no longer trying to escape through his back door. That was progress, Michael decided.
“So they discover us. What is the worst that could happen? I would be forced to wed you. Ours would not be the first forced marriage in history, nor will we be the last. While I do not desire a wife at present, I would do right by you. And if it is any consolation, I find you more than a little tolerable and pleasant to look upon. I would hope you feel the same for me.” He shrugged, not having meant to reveal quite so much of himself to her.
She eyed him askance and for some reason, he held his breath. “You know you are handsome.”
“And?” Little minx. Even ill she could lead a man on a merry chase.
Aria shrugged as a smile tugged at her lips. “And there are worse fates than to have a handsome husband, I suppose.”
It was not acceptance, but Michael would take her words as a victory. “I also do not think you understand just how remote Thornfield Grange is. It was meant to be a duke’s private retreat. There is not another house for miles and the nearest village is nearly an hour’s carriage ride away. It is unlikely we will be discovered.” He gestured to her leg. “Besides, if you think that leg will support you all the way to Bath, you are a fool. And I do not take you for a fool, Aria. You are many things, but not that.”
They paused in their conversation when the tray Michael had ordered arrived. He had skipped luncheon himself so he ate with Aria in companionable silence for several minutes. Perhaps too companionable, given the way his cock was tightening in his breeches the longer he looked at her.
Now that she was awake and upright, it was much more difficult to view Aria Whitmore as simply another body to treat. Especially when she looked at him with those inquisitive hazel eyes – just as she was doing right at this moment as she sipped at her broth.
Finally, when she had finished the last of her broth and a small sandwich – she had wanted two but Michael had forbidden it, saying she would make herself ill if she ate too much too quickly – Aria sat back in her chair clutching a large mug of tea. She had reached for a small cup, but he had poured her a mug instead, informing her that hot liquids would go far in helping her rebuild her strength and ease her way back into eating larger quantities.
“You are right. I am no fool, Michael,” Aria said, picking up their conversation right where they left off as if they had not been interrupted. “But I have a right to be concerned about my future.”
“You do,” he conceded, “but, Aria, you are the one who ran away from Millstone.” He held up his hand when she started to protest. “While I understand your reasons for running away and believe they are good ones, you did already ruin yourself in the eyes of Society, did you not? Simply by leaving home alone? Once word leaks out that you are gone, no matter where you have been, you will be viewed as a fallen woman. Even if you had ended up in a convent somewhere, questions would still linger.”
Michael could tell by the way Aria chewed her lip that she had not seen her actions in that light before. “I suppose,” she finally admitted, “though that was not my intention.”
“I never thought it was. You simply panicked, though as I said, not without cause. However, the deed is done and there may be unintended consequences. Ones you might not even be aware of yet.” He nibbled at a gingerbread biscuit, surprised that Mrs. Adams was preparing holiday treats. She always said she disliked the Christmastide season and there was nothing that said Christmas more than gingerbread. At least not in Michael’s opinion. “Tell me, what would your Aunt Tilly have to say about all of this?”
With a sigh, Aria placed her mug back on the tray so that she could refill it since her hands still trembled when she lifted things. “Honestly? I do not know. I have not spoken to my aunt in over a year. Perhaps longer.”
“So you are not even certain she still lives in Bath?” Michael could not fault Aria for her actions, no matter how rash they were. If he had been in her shoes, he might well have done the same thing. Though not making certain her aunt was still in Bath before she ran away was bordering on the foolish.
Her mug of tea momentarily forgotten, Aria picked at a thread on the worn pair of men’s breeches she had unearthed from somewhere, reminding Michael that he really did need to clean out the attics. “Not certain, no.” She looked at him with worried eyes. “I really did not think this venture through, did I?”
“No, pet, you didn’t.” Michael rose, brushing the crumbs from his hands. He didn’t want to make her feel worse than she clearly already did. “But all will be well. Trust me.”
Aria rose as well and Michael could tell she was still weak, for her legs buckled a bit before she caught herself on the arm of the chair. “How can you say that? You know so little about me and this situation I am in.” Aria must have realized she was in trouble, because she reached for him but as she did, her wobbly legs finally gave out. She would have fallen to the carpet had he not been there to catch her.
“I know enough,” Michael replied as he hoisted Aria into his arms, once more aware of both how fragile and how right she felt there. “I also know that, despite what you believe, you are not well enough to travel. You cannot even traverse the length of this house without stumbling. Please trust me, pet. Rest. Go back to bed and know that you are safe here with me. In the meantime, I will make some discreet inquiries about your aunt and her current place of residence. Until then? Know that you are safe and we will deal with the outcome of this situation when it arises. Whatever that outcome
may be. Okay?”
He could tell from the mulish expression on her face that Aria wished to argue with him further. However, the fatigue she felt was quickly winning out and she sighed wearily as she burrowed against him, seeking his warmth. “Very well, Michael. I will do as you ask. But only because I do not have the strength to fight you just now.”
Aria yawned before she licked her lips and once more, Michael had to deny the urge to kiss her senseless. That would be wrong. Especially when he had just promised her that he would not take advantage of her – more or less. No matter how much his body might argue otherwise.
He should take her back to her room. Michael knew he should. However, as Aria nestled against him, he felt her body relax against his once more as the heat of him warmed her still chilled body. Looking up at him with sleepy eyes, he wondered exactly how long she had been digging around in his frigid attic and how much she had set her recovery back. From the look of her, probably at least a day, if not more.
“Whatever am I to do with you, Aria Whitmore?” Michael asked as he sank down onto an oversized settee next to the fire, telling himself that it was out of medical necessity that he got her warm immediately. “You do not listen worth a damn, do you?”
She both shrugged and yawned again at the same time. “No, I suppose I don’t, though you are not the first person to tell me so, either. Mama and Papa used to tell me the same quite often.”
Chuckling, Michael settled back deeper onto the settee before stretching them both out over its rather considerable length. The duke had been a big man, nearly as wide as he had been tall and had, at some point in the past, had this enormous piece custom built to his specifications. As Michael himself was a large man, at least in height though not in width, he had found the piece of furniture both practical and useful. So he’d had the settee reupholstered as soon as he took ownership of Thornfield Grange so that he could spend the nights here in his study when he felt the need.
Now? It made a more than comfortable bed for both he and Aria.
He should simply take her to her room. Her own bed was the best place for her. He had work to do. Except that something about holding this woman in his arms made his world right itself, the specter of his past far away these last few days. In fact, he almost felt like his old self again. He did not think Aria responsible for the change, but he could also not find anything markedly different about his life either.
Within moments, she was sound asleep in his arms, the effects of her ordeal still sapping her strength. She had been far more ill than she realized and a lot closer to death than Michael would have liked. It was wrong to hold her like this. He knew that. And yet, as the afternoon wore on and the pale winter light began to fade into dusk, he remained exactly where he was, Aria’s lithe body held tightly in his arms, the sound of their combined snores the only noise to be heard in that particular wing of the house for quite some time.
Chapter Six
Once more, Aria could not remember how she had come to be in the bed she currently occupied though this time, she had some idea that Michael had been the one to place her in this rather comfortable spot. Lying there as she allowed the world to come into focus around her, she allowed her thoughts to drift back to earlier in the day. Well, it was dark outside again, so she assumed that it was the same day and that she hadn’t slept straight through into the next once more.
Though what day it was did not matter because Aria had more pressing matters to mull over, including her own rash behavior. Michael was right. She was a fool – many times over. She had also been a fool to believe she was strong enough to flee Thornfield Grange and moreover, a fool to think she would have gotten very far in those horribly oversized clothes she had pilfered from his attic.
In her heart, she had known she was too weak to run again. That was why it had been so easy for Michael to talk her into staying. More to the point, Aria was coming to the conclusion that she didn’t want to run away – at least not from here.
Though Aria hadn’t been around Michael or his staff long, for some reason, she was confident that when he said he would protect her, he meant it. Michael would not allow Felton to find her as long as she was with him. Here at Thornfield, she was safe.
Here at Thornfield Grange, she also felt as if she had found a home. Which was stupid because it wasn’t as if she could stay. At least not forever.
Still, she could stay for now. So she would.
Perhaps the lure of safety was why she stayed or perhaps it was the fact that for the first time in many years, Aria felt cared for. For even when she had returned to the West Indies without her parents, she hadn’t felt as safe on the plantation as she had in the past. Something had changed, whether it was within the people there or Aria herself, she couldn’t be certain. But things had been different, and the security of youth was gone, stripped away in favor of an adult fear she could not name.
It also occurred to Aria that for the first time since the end of her disastrous Season, she was not alone. She might not see Michael in the house, but she could feel him somehow, his presence seeping into the walls of Thornfield Grange itself. It was an odd sensation to be sure and one she was not accustomed to feeling, but Aria also could not dismiss the sensation either. She felt Michael’s presence in the house. She knew he was here. She was also quite certain she would know when he was not in residence as well.
Odd, that, but Aria had seen and learned enough during her time in the Caribbean that she could not dismiss the feelings either. Just because something was not logical, did not mean it was not possible. The Vodou practitioners back on the plantation had taught her that. They had taught her to believe in magic and to believe in connections between people that were impossible to explain, but very real just the same.
So perhaps it was her bit of a superstitious streak, or perhaps it was a combination of many things, including her ill health that made Aria want to remain here with Michael. Or perhaps it was because she could swear she felt that magic the plantation workers had spoken of in reverent, hushed tones. Or perhaps it was simply her being silly. Still, whatever the reason, she was content to remain exactly where she was. For now.
At least until she was well again. That was what she told herself anyway.
Pushing herself up in the bed, Aria was a little surprised to note that she was wearing a nightrail and that the bandage on her leg was now merely a fraction of the size it had been earlier, likely indicating that the wound was healing. That also indicated that Michael had been in her room, tending to her leg at the very least.
Which she knew he had to have been because who else would have carried her up here? She didn’t think he would have allowed the butler to take such liberties.
Had Michael redressed her, though? Aria didn’t want to think so. Before, when she had been unconscious, she could understand why he hadn’t allowed anyone else – male or female – into the room to attend to her. There had been no way to discern how ill she was or if she was carrying some terrible disease that might infect the entire household. Michael had also made it perfectly clear that raising her body temperature was far more difficult than it should have been. A missish staff that was keen to observe the proprieties would have likely stood in the way of him accomplishing that goal.
Now, though? After their conversation in his study, which she did remember? She found it hard to believe that he would be so callous.
Aria was about to ring for someone to assist her when she heard a woman humming in what had likely once been the duchess sitting room. Immediately, she was transported back to happier times at Millstone, but she shook off the memories as quickly as they came. Now was not the time to dwell upon the past.
“Hello? Is someone there?” Aria called out as loudly as she dared, still not quite certain about living in a bachelor household, even for a short period of time. Especially a bachelor who had seen battle, as had most of his servants. What if they didn’t care for her because she was of the peerage? It would not be the firs
t time she was looked down upon because of her blood. Such a thing had been a frequent occurrence back on the plantation, even though Aria’s family didn’t use slaves as most plantation owners did, but rather employed the local population and paid them fair wages.
Still, the stigma of noble blood was the same. She hoped that was not the case here, as well.
With a rustle of skirts, a plump and cheerful looking older woman came bustling into Aria’s chambers. “Ah, you are awake, my lady. Dr. Michael wasn’t certain you would be, though the two of you slept all afternoon away like a couple of cozy cats.”
A fuzzy memory of falling asleep in Michael’s arms teased at Aria’s senses. “It is evening then. What time is it, anyway?” she asked, trying to forget the way the man had held her close, the memories now returning with stunning clarity. It was little wonder she had no wish to leave if that was the way he treated her – as if he truly cared. “I’m sorry. I didn’t catch your name.”
“It’s alright, miss. I didn’t give it. My name is Agatha and I’ll be attending to you while you are here at Thornfield. I’m one of the few staff members who served the duke what stayed on when Dr. Michael took over. Also, one of the few here who didn’t serve with him during the war, not that he holds it against me. Not at all. In fact, I couldn’t ask for a kinder employer that Dr. Michael.” As the maid talked, she bustled about the room, yanking things from drawers and digging through a nearby wardrobe. “As to your question, it’s a little before six in the evening, miss. I can help you dress for dinner if you like. Dr. Michael eats near seven and I know he would appreciate your company.”
Shaking her head, Aria swung her feet over the side of the bed, praying they would hold her weight. After collapsing on the stairs earlier, she was not so certain.
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