Page 80 of My Darling Rogue
She lay upon a huge bed, the curtains of the canopy pulled back in great swaths of gold brocade. Overhead, that same fabric gathered into elegant swoops, meeting in the middle and held in place by a beautifully carved medallion of roses and entwining thorny branches.
“Celia?” Gabriel’s face appeared before her, his eyes wild with concern. “Seven hells, you just took twenty years off my life.”
When she went to prop herself up, Gabriel’s hand restrained her. “No. Do not move. I’ve called for a physician, and he will determine if you are well enough to rise from this bed.”
Celia frowned. How had she ended up in this bed when the last thing she remembered was standing in the gravel driveway?
And then you saw him. Bryan Flannigan. The man who stole your innocence. Who so cruelly forced his way with you. And who laughed at you while you cried in pain.
A sob caught in Celia’s throat. What was the man doing here? At Rosenthorne Hall? Five years had passed since that night, and still, she felt the terror. The darkness of the stall and his hand clamped over her mouth, suffocating her while he hurt her.
He must be one of the new hires. But why had he sought employment in the service of the marquess? Did he know she was the new marchioness?
Thinking on the moment in the courtyard, Celia recalled his smirk of satisfaction. He’d not been surprised to see her, and that made her heart thump faster with fear. He’d known she would be there and had relished her shock.
“The physician should be here shortly, but until then, you will remain just where you are,” Gabriel repeated, his hand going to her shoulder and gently pressing her back against the pillows.
“Don’t be silly, Gabriel.” Her voice sounded so far away, even to her own ears. “I merely fainted. Women do it every day.”
But not her, she admitted to herself. She’d never fainted before in her entire life, although she’d faked it on numerous occasions in the past to escape overeager males. The real thing, however, was an odd experience she certainly did not recommend.
A strange little laugh bubbled in her throat at the irony of the situation.
Gabriel frowned with intense concern. “I’m not married to those other women, Celia.”
“I’m perfectly fine, I swear it.” But was she really? Her fingers felt icy and her head was still swimming with enough terror to make her dizzy.
“That is to be determined,” Gabriel replied, annoyance evident in his tone. “Fainting dead away in my arms is an alarming event.”
“I’m sure I’m not the first woman to do so, my lord.” Celia thought injecting a bit of humor into the situation would ease Gabriel’s worry. She was mistaken.
Brow furrowed, his expression turned dark as a thunderstorm. “I’ve never cared for another woman the way I care about you, Celia.” His hand cupped her chin. “You will allow the doctor to examine you. I must know that you are well. That the demands I’ve made upon you these past few weeks have not damaged you. If this is a result of something I’ve done…”
Something unknown glittered in the depths of his eyes with that abrupt confession. Possessiveness, yes, but it mingled with something undefinable. It was warm and beautifully entrancing and capable of melting Celia’s willpower to resist his commands.
She became lightheaded, exhilaration and amazement swooping about her stomach with the uplifting force of a thousand fluttery butterflies. Her heart tightened painfully but not from fear. This was much bigger. More encompassing and empowering. It both weakened her and made her invincible. A paradox of emotions. Two sides of the same coin. Soft and yet unyielding. Giving and taking. The conqueror and the sacrifice. Light and dark. She was all that at once. A perfect match for a man like Gabriel because he was all those things and more.
The realization that she loved him hit Celia with the sudden clarity of a lightning bolt. It was stunning how it rolled over her, leaving her a pile of mush in his hands. Easily bent to his will and desires. Eager to do whatever he asked of her, no matter how infuriating or silly she thought it might be.
“Please,” Gabriel added, and Celia melted even further, the terror over Bryan Flannigan’s sudden reappearance in her life easing when his thumb rubbed gently over her bottom lip. “Do this for me, sugarplum. Let me take care of you.”
* * *
“Most likely,it is simple exhaustion stemming from recent events in your life. I understand you only recently married, my lord?”
“Two weeks ago,” Gabriel replied.
The physician smiled knowingly. “Ah, then that explains it. I see this many times with newly married wives. I would not worry over much, Lord Rosenthorne. Your wife appears to be in perfect health.”
Gabriel eyed the doctor with a critical stare. “Are you positive? I’ll not have her fainting again only to have you diagnose some malady.”
“I’m quite sure,” the doctor said in a jovial manner. “Your concern is unfounded, my lord. I’ve found women faint on a regular basis. Perhaps it is on account of their fragile constitutions, but the condition always resolves itself rather quickly. Lady Rosenthorne is no different than my other patients with the same complaints.”
Celia refrained from a rather biting comment. She and her “fragile” constitution would like very much to kick the good doctor in the shin. The man was quite handsome and surprisingly young for his profession. No doubt, there were many women who “needed” his medical expertise. He was definitely a charmer, but for all his popularity in treating members of theton,the man knew nothing about her, nor what she’d endured in the past. She was far from being a frail, brittle creature.
“So, may I get up from this bed now?” she asked in an exasperated tone, earning a sharp glance from Gabriel.
The peevish note in her voice was simply not complementary of a marchioness, and the flare in Gabriel’s gaze was a stark reminder of her new status. Swallowing hard, she amended in what could only be considered a breathless, flirty explanation. “That is, I would very much like to see my new home. We only just arrived, Doctor Franklin, and right away, I was carried to this room and put to bed. Please say I don’t have to remain in it for very long.”
