The Reluctant Suitor

by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss

  Samantha clasped a trembling hand over her mouth, trying to smother her sobs in spite of the flood of tears streaming down her cheeks.

  “Dearest friend, forgive me for frightening you,” Adriana pleaded through her own tears as she threaded thin fingers through the other’s. Samantha’s grip tightened, and together they struggled against their burgeoning fear as they leaned their heads together. As always, their hearts were bound as one in their love and concern for the man.

  Sixteen

  * * *

  Immediately after Bentley drew the landau to a halt in front of Lady Mathilda’s residence, Riordan stepped down and swept Adriana to the ground. Flying to the front portal, she rapped the iron clapper frantically against its metal base as Riordan assisted Samantha. In the silence that followed, Adriana could hear hurrying footfalls approaching the vestibule.

  The steward, an energetic man in his early forties, pulled open the door a discreet distance and, upon recognizing the lady, stepped aside as he offered a cordial greeting. Espying the procession of people who followed her, he promptly swept the portal wider to accommodate the broad-shouldered men who were carrying a third who gave every indication of being unconscious.

  “Hodges, we need a physician posthaste,” Adriana announced anxiously as Percy and Riordan brushed past her with their burden. “Do you know of one who’s well esteemed here in Bath? Lord Randwulf has been shot by miscreants and needs urgent attention.”

  “There’s a physician Lady Mathilda holds in highest regard, my lady. I shall send my son for him forthwith.”

  The steward faced the youth, a boy about twelve, who had followed him into the hall. “You’re the best rider we have here, Caleb. Ride over to Franklin Croft’s place and bid the man to come with all possible haste.”

  “Yes, sir!”

  Adriana caught up her skirts and flitted past Percy to lead the men upstairs. Her aunt occupied the largest bedroom in the house. Her parents were ensconced in the more spacious of the two guest chambers, which left the one she occupied as the only room that could be easily spared.

  Swinging wide the door, Adriana ran ahead of the men and whipped down the covers on the bed. At the end of the short procession came Samantha, who was trying to explain to Hodges what had happened, according to what Bentley had told Percy.

  Adriana sought the butler’s advice as she indicated the bed. “Should we not spread older sheets over the mattress and bedding to protect Aunt Tilly’s fine linens?”

  Hodges had already foreseen that likelihood before sprinting up the stairs after them. He faced the door just as a maid, clutching an armful of older linens, rushed in. Adriana quickly helped the woman spread out several protective layers over the mattress and, after the men lowered their burden to the bed, began loosening Colton’s waistcoat.

  Displaying an uncompromising dignity and discretion as he stepped beside the young woman, Hodges clasped one hand in the palm of the other as he spoke in muted tones. “Lady Adriana, this is no task for a young maiden, such as yourself. I must insist that you and Lady Burke make yourselves comfortable downstairs and leave the matter of undressing his lordship to the three of us.” Sweeping a hand about to indicate Percy, Riordan, and himself, the steward gave every indication that he had taken charge of the situation and was well able to handle everything from that perspective. “In the past, your aunt has been good enough to help Dr. Croft when he has treated soldiers returning from the war. On a number of occasions she has offered my services as well. Knowing in advance the items Dr. Croft will need to remove the lead ball and repair his lordship’s wound, I’ve already set servants to boiling the instruments as the physician usually requires and to gather bandages and whatever else is needed. I’m sure you’ll agree, my lady, undressing his lordship and cleansing his wound is neither for the delicate in nature nor an unwed maid. Be confident his lordship will be in capable hands, not only now, but especially when Dr. Croft arrives. The man is an outstanding physician and has treated some very difficult wounds with fine results. I can readily attest to that, having personally seen some of the miracles he has performed. There is therefore nothing for you and Lady Burke to do now other than sip a little port while you wait for Dr. Croft to arrive and do his best by his lordship.”

  Reluctant to leave, Adriana looked back at Colton, but Samantha laid a gentle hand upon her arm. “Come, dear. Hodges is right. The men are far more capable of readying my brother for the surgeon than we are. We haven’t the skill to treat serious wounds. If you’ll remember, we never had much success in that area when we found animals that were severely injured. The best we could do was let our fathers put them out of their misery.”

  Worried tears blurred Adriana’s vision. “But if he should wake and want me . . .”

  Samantha patted her arm in a motherly fashion. “The men will tell him that you’re waiting downstairs and will return as soon as Dr. Croft gives his permission.”

  Hodges’s predictions proved trustworthy, for Caleb arrived with the physician on his heels less than a quarter hour later. The older man tipped his hat politely to the ladies as he hastened from the vestibule and then spoke to the youth over his shoulder as that one followed hard on his heels.

  “I shall need a strong libation to cleanse the wound and to administer to the patient. Do you know of any in the house, young man?”

  “I believe, sir, my father already has what you need upstairs.”

  “Excellent. Then please be kind enough to direct me to the patient,” he bade, sweeping his hand before him in an invitation for Caleb to precede him.

  Adriana abruptly came to the awareness that she was tagging along behind them when Samantha halted her with a gentle hand upon her arm. As if coming from a daze, she turned to her friend, her concern for Colton ravaging what little remained of her composure.

  Samantha slipped her arms about her and murmured resolutely, “We must pray and trust the surgeon to do his best, Adriana.”

  It was almost an hour and a half before Dr. Croft finally emerged from the upper room with his coat draped over his forearm. Rolling down his sleeves, he began his descent as Adriana flew to the stairs and clutched the newel with slender, white-knuckled fingers. Though her question remained unspoken as she watched him, her eyes pleaded with him to give her an answer. The middle-aged physician smiled pleasantly. “You must be the young woman his lordship has been demanding to see for the last half hour.”

  “He’s alive?” she cried jubilantly as Samantha ran forward and embraced her from behind.

  “Of course,” Dr. Croft informed her, as if he had had no doubt of his abilities. “I’ve made it a habit throughout my profession not to lose patients unnecessarily, and this one definitely has a lot of life left in him. That was made plain enough when he cursed at me a time or two.” The surgeon’s lips twitched with amusement as he took full note of the lady’s glowing delight. “He didn’t seem very appreciative of the fact that I forbade anyone to do his bidding when he commanded that you be brought up to the room, but the ornery buck is alive . . . and very well, considering.” Lifting his hand, Dr. Croft rolled a lead ball between his thumb and forefinger as he perused it through square-rimmed spectacles. “I thought the man could do without this bit of lead, but you may want to give it to your grandchildren in years to come and tell them how their grandfather never muttered a word during its removal, a feat I’ve rarely witnessed. That’s certainly more than I can say when I told him he’d have to wait to see you.”

  “He lost consciousness in the carriage and appeared to have been much weakened by his loss of blood,” Adriana ventured tentatively. “How will that affect him now?”

  “Actually, he didn’t lose as much blood as you may have supposed. The shock and pain probably caused him to pass out, but he has abundant resilience, that one. His wound wasn’t life-threatening . . . and will not be unless it becomes tainted, which I’ve taken measures to prevent with a mixture that not only discourages putrefaction but eases his discomfort
to a goodly extent. Of course, the brandy also helped considerably in the latter area. In fact, he seems fairly spry now for a man who recently had a hole bored into his back, which thankfully missed vital organs.” Dr. Croft flicked his graying brows upward. “He has the idea that the two of you will be getting married tonight. Do you know anything about that?”

  Adriana didn’t quite know what to say in response. “Well, Sir Guy did say he was going to send his father, the rector, over to perform the ceremony, but I’m not sure he was serious.”

  Dr. Croft threw a thumb over his shoulder to indicate the one in the upper room. “Well, I can tell you right now his lordship is, and if you want to keep him abed, you’d better think of a way to placate the lad if you don’t intend to marry him toni—”

  A loud rapping of the doorknocker brought Caleb running once again from the servants’ quarters. When he opened the front portal, a tall man, dressed in black attire with a white collar, politely withdrew his hat from his graying head.

  “I’m the Reverend William Dalton. My son sent me here with a special license from the archbishop with instructions to marry a couple in some haste.” Upon recognizing the good doctor, he looked rather sheepish as he harrumphed uncomfortably. “Good evening, Franklin, I sincerely hope I’m not too late. Has the child been born yet?”

  Laughing in hearty amusement, Dr. Croft beckoned the man inside. “Come in, William, and rest your mind. I came here to tend the wounds of a man seriously injured, not a woman giving birth to a child. I believe the couple desirous of getting married has been promised to each other for the last ten and six years, at least that’s what his lordship said moments ago. ‘Twould seem after such a lengthy period, ‘tis time they marry, eh what?”

  The rector chortled in obvious relief. “Well, that does seem fairly reasonable. Shall we commence with the ceremony? My wife would like me to get back to the Assembly Room as soon as possible. She gets a mite flustered when she has to entertain important guests in my absence.”

  Dr. Croft swept a hand in the general direction of the upper room. “I’m afraid you’ll be required to perform the nuptials upstairs, William. I forbade my patient to leave his bed for several days. If he’ll stay there a week, I’d be even happier.” Lifting a hand to indicate Adriana, he predicted, “I’m sure he’d be willing to comply with my orders if the beautiful lady here would consent to be his nursemaid and hover over him to make sure he stays put. Though we’ve not actually been formally introduced, I believe this is the young woman his lordship intends to take to wife, the Lady Adriana.”

  The clergyman stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Well, uh . . . seeing as how the man is seriously incapacitated, perhaps the wedding should be postponed until he’s on his feet again. I don’t know that I’ve ever performed a ceremony while the groom has been lying abed.”

  Dr. Croft laughingly scoffed at his suggestion. “His lordship is quite adamant that the marriage vows be exchanged tonight, and if I were you, William, I’d humor the fellow. As I’ve just witnessed, he can exhibit a fairly nasty temper when he’s kept from his betrothed. He also has a wide range of epithets that may do much to broaden your vocabulary, though I give you fair warning, ‘twill not necessarily enhance it.” The doctor’s mouth twitched as he relented to his ready wit. “Must’ve been tutored by the French while he was fighting them hand to hand. ‘Tis unimaginable that a proper English gentleman should say such things.”

  “Oh, yes, I see.” The rector’s graying brows flicked upward rather worriedly. “Well, no help for it, I suppose. Humor the man, that’s what we should do, so let’s be about it.”

  It was evident that Colton’s patience had worn thin by the time the group entered, for he was scowling like an ill-humored tyrant. After the bandages had been applied and secured by winding them across his chest, a sheet had been drawn up over his hips, but in turning from his stomach onto his side, he had tested the freshly sutured flesh more than he had intended, making him excruciatingly aware of the searing pain that pierced through him during that repositioning and far less mindful of the fact that the sheet had become ensnared between his thighs and was now snugly adhering to the torpid fullness in that area. His navel had not only been exposed by that movement, but also the thin line of hair tracing down his flat, hard belly.

  The good reverend began to bluster a bit in red-faced discomfiture as he became aware of the younger man’s inadequate attire, but when the bride-to-be hurried to the bed and clasped hold of the strong, brown hand that had been extended to her, the elder’s disquiet increased significantly. His cheeks reddened forthwith at the shocking impropriety he was now witnessing. Clearing his throat in chagrin, he turned to request assistance from Percy. “Do you suppose you can find something to spread over the injured man while the ladies are in the room?”

  Percy’s brow quirked above an amused smile as he glanced at the two women. From all appearances, they seemed oblivious to Colton’s near nudity. “Well, one’s his sister, and in the next few moments the other will be his wife. I can’t see where it matters much.”

  “Nevertheless, the sheet seems painfully inadequate for a wedding ceremony,” Reverend Dalton pointed out, feeling especially unnerved by the sight. It was bad enough the man’s lower belly was exposed without one being made painfully aware of the cloth clinging to his private parts. He was just thankful his lordship kept his wits in the lady’s presence and didn’t thoroughly shock them all.

  Amid his chuckles, Percy relented to the pleading look his wife gave him and took pity on the red-faced rector by spreading a light quilt over the bridegroom’s lower half. Colton hardly noticed, for his gaze was focused entirely upon his bride-to-be.

  “What of your parents?” he asked in some concern as his eyes searched the beautiful visage hovering close above his own. “Are they here yet?”

  “They’re with Aunt Tilly and your Uncle Alistair. Considering their delay in joining us, I can only imagine they’ve been told of my return to the town house but nothing more than that.”

  Colton’s lips curved in a slow grin. “Won’t they be surprised when they finally arrive?”

  Growing suspicious of the glowing warmth in his eyes, Adriana leaned near. The strong odor of the intoxicant that Dr. Croft had given him prompted her to arch an elegant brow suspiciously. “Are you sure you’re sober enough to know what you’re doing, my love? I don’t want you to complain later that you had been duped. Perhaps we should delay the nuptials until your head is clear of the influence of spirits and you’re on your feet again.”

  “Absolutely not! I don’t want to chance losing you,” Colton declared and cast a quick glance toward Riordan. Although his rival was trying to put on a brave front, his dark eyes had lost their lively sparkle. Having been very close to losing Adriana himself, Colton fully understood the heartache the man was suffering and felt great empathy for him. “I may lose out altogether if I wait, and I don’t want to take that chance, considering I have serious competition right here in this room. Let’s proceed with the ceremony.”

  Believing she was doing what was right and beneficial for her heart and future happiness, Adriana stood beside the bed and repeated her vows with teary-eyed conviction. Her hand was clasped securely within the one belonging to the man to whom she had been promised years ago, and though Lord Sedgwick was not alive to realize the culmination of his heartfelt aspiration, it was a fact his foresight had been instrumental in bringing about their union. Had it not been initiated by the elder years ago, Adriana knew she would’ve likely thrust the memory of Colton Wyndham far behind her and accepted Riordan’s first petition. She had no doubt that she would’ve been happy with the man, but a greater love had reentered her life, and thereinafter she had been held captive by the yearning of her heart. Only by marrying Colton would she be able to utterly appease that longing.

  When the good reverend asked for the ring some moments later, there was some confusion, for that small detail had been forgotten. Colton would not let the requ
est go unfulfilled, however. For nigh on to twenty years, he had worn a small family ring on his little finger, and it was this he tugged off and, though it proved too large, slid over the slender digit of his bride as he repeated the reverend’s words. “With this ring I thee wed, with my body I thee worship, and with all my worldly goods, I thee endow. . . .”

  Tears were streaming down Samantha’s face by the time the ceremony ended, and with an exaggerated sigh of relief, she threw her arms about her friend and joyfully wept with her. “At last, we are sisters through and through!”

  Congratulations were warmly extended, and also a warning . . . from Dr. Croft.

  “My lord, I urge you to consider your injury. Although I’ve liberally dabbed on a paste that has deadened the pain and will reduce the possibility of infection, I plead with you not to stress the wound overmuch. There’s time later for you two to . . . ah . . . get acquainted.”

  Percy couldn’t restrain his amusement, which spilled from him in hearty chuckles. “What are you asking him to do, Dr. Croft? Ignore his wife after he’s finally permitted to take her into his bed? ‘Twould take a blessed saint to do that, especially when the lady is as beautiful as his bride. Frankly, if my brother-in-law doesn’t mind hearing a fair sampling of my opinion of him, I think he misses sainthood by a wide margin.”

  “Percy, behave yourself for a change,” Samantha bade, her cheeks glowing though she seemed unable to subdue a smile. “You’re embarrassing me. No telling what you’re doing to Adriana.”

  Percy chuckled as he drew his wife’s hand through the bend of his arm. “I don’t foresee her cheeks cooling for the next month, my love, so she might as well get used to the heat.”

  Adriana did indeed find it difficult to subdue a blush, but Colton grinned as he accepted Percy’s comments as a fairly accurate assessment of his character. He had never claimed to be a saint, but considering how profoundly his bride now held his heart ensnared, he could believe there was more of a chance of that possibility coming into fruition in the future.