“You can explain? Explain why you are riding around town dressed like…like…” His eyes raked over her, from the trousers that hugged her legs, to the shirt that gaped open at her neck. His gaze lingered there. Brynne glanced down and gasped. Apparently her struggles to get out of the window had left their mark. Several tears and missing buttons left the fabric gaping open. Brynne gasped and pulled the shirt back together, but it didn’t help much. Richard advanced on her and Brynne backed up against the desk. She’d never seen him like this. Her gentle, quiet doctor had disappeared to be replaced by this seething, smoldering mountain of a man.
He grasped her arms. “Who did this to you?”
Brynne blinked, not sure she heard him correctly. “I beg your pardon?”
“Who did this to you?” Richard’s finger trailed along the tears in her shirt. His face gentled a little when he looked at her, though she could still see the fury seething beneath the surface. “You can explain to me later why you were out in the middle of the night dressed like some gunslinger. No matter how reckless your behavior, it is no excuse for the actions of whoever did this to you. I will not rest until they are brought to justice. And heaven help them if I find them before the authorities do.”
Brynne shivered at the raw fury in his voice. She almost hated to tell him the truth. But she couldn’t have him roaming the streets looking for someone on whom to avenge her honor. The threat of that fury turned against her when she told him the truth made a ball of ice settle in her stomach.
“Richard, no one attacked me.”
He frowned. “Then what, pray tell, happened?”
Brynne took a deep breath and dove in. Best to get it over with quickly.
“I was afraid for you. And angry that someone had stolen the supplies we needed so desperately and were going to make you pay all over again to get them back. So…I decided I would get them.”
Richard’s eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed dangerously. “You what?”
“I told you I could help. I got your supplies for you.”
“You met with those people? There was no need for you to do that. Why would you spend your money to buy something I had already made a deal for? What were you thinking?”
“Richard, I didn’t meet with them and I didn’t buy your supplies back.”
“But you said…”
“I said I got them back. I stole them.”
Richard looked so surprised Brynne could have slapped him and he probably wouldn’t have budged. He didn’t speak, so Brynne hurried on with her explanation.
“That’s why I’m dressed like this, and that is why my shirt is torn.”
That snapped him out of it. “You mean they—”
“No, I tore it climbing out of a window. My hips got stuck and it was a bit of a struggle…”
Richard’s gaze immediately went to her hips, his gaze growing more intense the longer he looked at her. The trousers didn’t hide anything. They hugged every curve. For a moment, Brynne was afraid perhaps she had too many curves, but judging by the sudden hitch in his breathing, whatever he saw was very much to his liking.
“Richard, didn’t you hear me? I got your supplies for you. Now you have what you need, and those bast…hooligans who took them won’t profit from their theft at all.”
His eyes widened at her near use of profanity but the truth of the situation finally sank in.
“You stole the supplies back from the thieves?”
Brynne nodded and waited for his reaction. He seemed to be hovering between surprise and disbelief. His sudden bark of laughter startled Brynne so much she jumped.
“I have been out of my mind with worry. I was about to send out a search party for you. I peeked in your room before getting ready to leave, to make sure you were all right. When I found you gone I…”
“You peeked in my room?” The thought of him coming into her room while she lay in bed sent a sudden heat shooting through her. He noticed her change in mood and looked down at her with hooded eyes.
“I’m sorry I worried you, Richard. I really am. I only meant to help.”
His brow creased in confusion. “How did you manage to—”
Brynne shook her head. “That is a very long story. One I’d rather not tell now. Can’t we simply celebrate our success and leave the rest for later?”
Richard didn’t seem sure what to say, but after a moment, his face relaxed. He chuckled. “You really are a mystery, Mrs. Forrester.”
“I don’t mean to be.”
He laughed again and gazed down at her, his smoldering expression from earlier melting into something more tender, though there was still a dangerous edge to his gaze. He tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear, his hand lingering on her cheek. She pressed her face into his palm. Her actions during the night had restored the confidence she had lost since Jake died. She felt stronger, more empowered, than she had in years. She was done playing the ostracized outsider.
Brynne turned her face and pressed her lips against his palm.
His breath hitched and he stepped closer, his arm slipping behind her back, pressing her closer to him. She tilted her head up, her arms trailing up his to rest on his shoulders. She rose on her toes as he leaned down.
Their lips met halfway. Brynne molded herself to him, not caring if what she was doing was improper or wrong. She’d wanted this, wanted him, for far too long.
He wrapped both arms around her, lifting her off the ground and onto the desk as he tried to meld their bodies together. He bent her backwards, pressing her back against the desk, his mouth ravishing hers with a passion that betrayed every ounce of pent up frustration, anger, and fear he must have felt over the last several hours.
Footsteps echoed down the hall. Richard and Brynne froze, each of them gasping for breath as their heart rates gradually slowed.
The footsteps continued past the door.
Richard helped Brynne off the desk but pulled her close again, cupping her face in his hands. He leaned down and gently kissed her lips.
“Brynne. Will you marry me?”
Brynne jerked back, struck dumb with surprise.
Richard looked at her. Her expression must have been as stunned as she felt because he laughed.
“Is it really such a surprise that I want you to be my wife?”
Honestly, yes, yes it was. Brynne knew it might be a possibility, of course. Men of his station didn’t court a respectable woman they weren’t seriously considering marrying. And they certainly didn’t engage in activities such as the one they’d recently been involved in unless they were willing to marry the girl in question. Brynne had managed, for the most part, to ignore that little detail.
And even if she had known he might someday be interested enough to propose, she certainly hadn’t expected it now. Not under these circumstances. Though…did that matter so much? He wanted to marry her. And she was fairly certain she wanted to marry him, no matter what she might try to tell herself in her darker moments. She definitely wanted to be with him in every way possible. She’d happily spend every waking moment with him.
But marriage wasn’t something she wanted to rush into. And it wasn’t something she wanted to decide right then. Too much had already happened that night. It was overwhelming. This was a decision she needed to make with a clear head.
“Brynne?”
He frowned, fine lines crinkling his eyes as he gazed at her. Brynne studied his face, her heart beating a little harder with every breath.
“Richard, I…can I…can I have a little time?”
“Of course. My apologies. I hadn’t meant to blurt it out like this.”
“Richard, you’ve done me the extreme honor of asking me to marry you. No apologies are necessary.”
He laughed and Brynne relaxed a little. He kissed her, a tender caress that made her head swim. “Take all the time you need.”
Brynne kissed him back, letting her lips linger on his.
He moaned and deepened the kiss. Brynne was grateful h
is arms were wrapped so tightly about her or she might have made a complete fool of herself and melted into a puddle at his feet.
“On second thought,” Richard said when they eventually came up for air, “try not to take too long.”
Brynne laughed and her whole being flooded with happiness for the first time in longer than she cared to remember.
“I won’t,” she promised. In fact, she was sure she wouldn’t need long at all.
Chapter Fourteen
Over the next couple weeks, Brynne didn’t have much time to consider Richard’s proposal. Brynne went about her duties, doing as much as she could to ease the suffering of the sick and the heartache left when their administrations failed. She did whatever she could to help Richard. Luckily, fewer and fewer cases were coming in and they had been extremely fortunate in being able to save many of those that came to them for help. The supplies Brynne had obtained went a long way toward easing the suffering of those under their care. Still, whenever they were able to carve out a few moments of time, Richard seemed to make it his mission to get Brynne to say yes.
Brynne paused, her hand still grasping the sheet of the bed she’d been stripping, her mind on Richard rather than the task at hand. She wanted to accept Richard’s proposal, so very much. Especially when he touched her. A brush of his hand, a stolen kiss in the hallway, even a heated look from across the room, could make Brynne’s insides turn to jelly.
But something still held her back. It was one thing to admit she had feelings for Richard, and even that was something she struggled with. But actually marrying another man was something she hadn’t ever considered she’d do. She’d no longer be Brynne Forrester. She’d be Brynne Oliver, a name that made her fairly quiver with delight. But…it felt like it would be severing the last connection she had with Jake. She’d be definitively stating to the world that she was no longer Jake’s wife, but belonged to another man. And she knew it was crazy, but that felt wrong somehow.
She couldn’t keep putting Richard off forever. But she did wish she could talk to someone about it. Her sisters were too far away, Cilla in California and Lucy in Maryland. But her in-laws had returned. Cora had sent a note to the clinic informing Brynne that while she and her husband had decided to come back to the city, Lucy and Coraline had remained in Maryland. They were having a good time and everyone felt it was best to keep Coraline far from Boston until the epidemic had passed.
Brynne ripped the linens from the bed she was changing with more vigor than necessary, earning her a curious stare from Mrs. Birch. Brynne turned her blushing face from the over-observant woman and marched out of the infirmary toward the kitchens to deposit the pile of dirty linens.
As she passed Richard’s office, his door opened and Richard pulled her inside. She dropped the linens in her arms, stifling her squeak of surprise as he spun her around, his lips meeting hers in a quick, urgent kiss.
“Richard,” she laughed, batting him away, “someone will see.”
He kissed her again. “If you’d agree to marry me, I could pull you into my office whenever I wanted and no one would care a whit.”
Her heart fluttered as it always did at the thought of being alone with him. She couldn’t keep him waiting. It was time to make a decision.
“I’m sorry I’ve kept you waiting so long. Thank you for being so patient with me.”
He kissed the top of her head. “I know I joke, but I do want you to be certain. I will wait as long as you need.”
Brynne bowed her head and rested it against his chest for a moment. She didn’t deserve him.
“I was hoping to go pay my mother-in-law a visit today. You said the worst of the epidemic was over. Now that the crisis has passed and they have returned…”
Richard paused for a moment. “Yes, it should be safe.” His tone implied he understood exactly why Brynne wished to see her mother-in-law. He was a saint for understanding.
“I will have an answer for you tomorrow.”
“Brynne, I meant it. You can take all the time you need. There is no rush. I want you to be sure.”
She reached up on her tip-toes and kissed him, a long, lingering kiss that left them both craving more. “I will have an answer for you tomorrow,” she said again.
“I look forward to the morning then.”
He winked at her and went back to work, leaving her alone with her thoughts.
…
Brynne sat across from Cora, plucking at the handkerchief in her hands.
“So, our good doctor has proposed,” Cora said. “I confess, I am not surprised.”
“You aren’t?” Brynne had been surprised. She still was. Why did such a wonderful man want to marry her?
Cora smiled and shook her head. “Of course not. It is as plain as the nose on your face how he feels about you. And how you feel about him.”
Brynne felt the heat rush to her cheeks and focused on the twisted handkerchief in her lap. “Is it that obvious?”
“Yes. It is. So…why are you hesitating? You love him, don’t you?”
Brynne took a deep breath. She’d never said it out loud. Saying it out loud would make it real. But it was time to decide once and for all. “Yes. I do love him.”
“Well then,” Cora said, reaching over to take her hand, “I think you’ve got your answer.”
A lump formed in Brynne’s throat. “Yes, but…”
“Ah, my dear. Jake would have wanted you to be happy. He wouldn’t want you to live your life alone. He’d want Coraline to have a father to protect her. And Dr. Oliver is a good man. I couldn’t have chosen a better step-father for my granddaughter if I had hand-picked him myself.”
Something in Cora’s tone made Brynne think her mother-in-law had done exactly that.
“Now,” she said, pulling Brynne to her feet. “Go put that wonderful young man out of his misery.”
Brynne laughed and hugged her mother-in-law. “Thank you, Cora. For everything.”
Cora patted Brynne’s cheek. “It is I who should thank you. You brought some happiness back into our lives. And being able to be near Coraline has been a blessing that we never dreamed would be possible when we lost Jake. Now, you deserve some happiness of your own.”
Brynne hugged Cora. When she left, it was with a light heart and clear conscience. A new phase of her life was about to begin, one she’d never dreamed would be possible for her again. She couldn’t wait to get back to Richard and start their lives together.
Brynne jumped down from the carriage and bounded up the steps of the clinic. Her whole body sang with happiness and for the first time, she didn’t feel guilty about it. There would always be some sadness when she thought of Jake. But Cora had been right. He wouldn’t have wanted her to live alone and miserable for the rest of her life. She wanted love, more children, a man who loved and respected her, who would be her partner, not merely her spouse. And she had no doubt that Richard was that man.
She was so excited to get inside and tell Richard that she accepted his proposal that she didn’t see who was coming out of the clinic until she’d almost run smack into her. Brynne stumbled back a step and mumbled an apology.
“Good morning, Mrs. Forrester,” Mrs. Morey said.
Brynne’s light, happy mood threatened to deflate, but she’d be damned if she’d let the odious woman ruin what was going to be one of the happiest days of her life. “Hello, Mrs. Morey. How are you this beautiful morning?”
“Oh, I am quite well, thank you.”
Brynne cocked her head. She had never heard the dreadful bitch sound so cheerful. “Well, that is good to hear. If you’ll excuse me…”
“It’s too bad I can’t say the same for you.”
“Pardon me?”
“I’ve just had a word with poor, dear Richard. It seems he’s been laboring under a few misconceptions concerning a certain woman in his life. Being a good, Christian woman, I couldn’t, in good conscience, allow him to be dragged down anymore by someone so unworthy of him.”
“I am sure I have no idea to what you are referring.”
“Oh, I’m certain you do.” Mrs. Morey smirked and brushed past Brynne. “Good day, Mrs. Forrester.”
A lump of dread formed in Brynne’s gut. What had the woman done? Surely, it couldn’t be all that bad. Yes, there were things in Brynne’s past that she needed to tell Richard, but nothing so horrendous that it would change his feelings for her, of that she had no doubt. And Brynne couldn’t fathom how Mrs. Morey could have discovered anything much about her in any case. They were nearly three thousand miles away from California, and Brynne didn’t think there was anyone left who would willingly spread tales about her.
She entered the clinic with a heavier tread than she had begun with, doubt sinking into her despite her best efforts to stay positive. Richard loved her. That was all that mattered. Surely he wouldn’t let a bit of idle, malicious gossip change the way he felt about her.
The moment she entered the foyer, Mrs. Birch looked up from her table. “Dr. Oliver would like to see you in his office, Mrs. Forrester.”
Brynne merely nodded and headed back to find Richard, her dread deepening more with every step. Why was she being summoned to his office like some misbehaving employee? She shook her head and tried to throw off her unease. Richard had asked her to marry him. He wanted her for his wife. Nothing a bitter old crone like Mrs. Morey could say would make him change his mind. For heaven’s sake, Brynne had only been gone a few hours. A fine wife she’d make, suspecting her future husband’s feelings were so fickle that they could be changed in a moment.
Brynne squared her shoulders and marched in to meet her soon-to-be fiancé, her head held high. She pictured Richard’s happiness when she finally accepted his proposal. Maybe she’d greet him with a kiss. That would surprise him.
She knocked on the office door and opened it without waiting for him to answer. She strode into the room with a smile.
“Richard, I’ve made my decision. I…”
Blood Blade Sisters Series (Entangled Scandalous) Page 34
