Page 10 of A Father's Insistence

She shakes her head and proceeds to tell me for the remainder of the journey about how beached whales have to be offered to the Queen first.

When we pull up the driveway to my home, I’m relieved to finally be back. I hadn’t exactly expected to leave, and a lot has changed since I was drugged and taken by my father. I help Joanna out of the car and show her around the house. I’ve put us in adjoining rooms again. I know the last few nights I’ve stayed with her as a comfort blanket, but I don’t want to presume anything tonight.

“Do you like it?” I ask as she strokes her hand over an antique dressing table. The room she’s in is painted a pale pink with a silk wallpaper hung on one wall. Everything in the room is a family heirloom, including a silver brush and comb my mother used to use, which rest on the dressing table. When she looks out the window, she’ll be able to see all the beautiful roses in blossom that Victoria loves so much.

“It’s beautiful. I love it.”

“I’m glad.”

She picks up the silver mirror and stares at herself in it.

“This looks old. You should put it away somewhere safe.”

“It’s Victorian. From my mother’s family. We don’t really have anything to do with them. Apparently, they didn’t approve of her marriage to my father.”

Joanna places the mirror down and comes over to stand by me.

“Where is your mother? Is she here?”

“No.” I shake my head. “Her family were right…the marriage didn’t work. She and my father are still married for appearance sake, but they live separately. I don’t see her that often.”

“I’m sorry. My parents are similar.” A sadness crosses her face.

“It’s a curse of society marriage, which we won’t repeat.” The words come out of my mouth before I have a chance to truly think about their implication.

“What do you mean?” Joanna asks, her brows knitting together in confusion.

“That’s a matter for a later discussion. As I said, we need to ensure you are healed first.”

She turns away from me and looks over at the bed. Her shoulders slump.

“Will you be joining me in here?”

“If you need me, yes. Again, my room is just next door.”

“You promise me nobody here knows about me?”

I don’t know what propels me toward her, but I suddenly find my arms wrapped around her waist, and her slight body pulled closer to mine. She doesn’t flinch but melts into my embrace as though she welcomes the comfort I can offer. With all the abuse Joanna has suffered, alarm bells should be ringing in my head, alerting me to the fact she hasn’t run screaming from my touch, but they don’t. Instead, I enjoy her warmth against me.

“I promise you. You’re safe here. If I’m not around, I will have a guard with you at all times, so the Cavendish brothers can’t get to you. You’re mine to protect now, and I will with my life. Trust me.”

Joanna goes up onto her tiptoes and presses a soft kiss to my cheek.

“Thank you. You don’t deserve any of this.”

“Hush.” Placing my finger over her mouth, I let it linger there, and she presses her lips against it. There is an undeniable sexual attraction growing between us. For the first time, I start to entertain the thought that this marriage could be more than just a means of offering her protection. I’ve seen glimpses today of the happy woman she can be. I want more of that. I let go of her and walk to the bookshelf in the corner of the room. Flicking through the titles, I snort out a laugh to myself when I see just the book for her, and pulling it out, I hand it to her.

“Here.”

She looks down at it.

“The Guinness Book of Records?”

“I thought you might enjoy it. Considering your passion for random and obscure facts. I’m going to go and make a few calls. You can enlighten me with your new-found knowledge at dinner.”

She clutches the book to her chest, a big smile blossoming over her face. I adore that smile. It lights up the room and warms my heart in the knowledge there is hope she can overcome her past.

“Thank you, Theo.” She looks down at the book and back up to me. “I’m so glad to have met you.”

“Me, too.”

I head for the door, but as I reach for the handle I stop, remembering something I need to tell her. As I turn back, Joanna is settling herself in a comfortable seat ready for a few hours of reading.

“I almost forgot. I’ve arranged for your mother and father to join us at dinner in a week. They are desperate to see you again.”

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