Page 14 of Lady of Charade
David smiledwhen he heard the door close behind her. He wasn’t sure what had caused him to kiss her like that — he knew he shouldn’t have, that this was a woman who would never be more than an acquaintance, and was now his healer. He had awoken to her light touch upon his forehead, and then she had leaned over him, her bosom so close to his face, her scent filling his nostrils, and there was nothing in the world that could have kept him from knowing what those lush pink lips upon his would feel like. So he had taken what not only wasn’t his, but also what he had no right to even ask for. The problem? Now that he had a taste, he yearned for more, and he wasn’t sure any other flavor could ever satisfy him.
It was no use — he had to get out of here. For if he stayed, he was liable to seduce her, and that would certainly make a mess of things, especially after all she had done for him. Were it not for her, who knows where he would have ended up last night?
Despite the pain in his chest and the sore bruises that covered him, David looked around the room for the remainder of his clothing, finally finding it in one corner. It looked to have been washed, but there were still blood stains upon it that would likely never come out, and as he lifted the shirt, he noted that it had been cut clear through to the bottom. Well, it was of no use. There was nothing else in this room for him to wear but Sarah’s dresses, and he couldn’t walk through the streets of London completely shirtless. He gingerly donned his destroyed garment, finding that dressing took far longer than he could ever have imagined.
He eased himself to the edge of the bed, pleased to find he could stand, and shuffled to the door, unsure of just how he would find his way home with no carriage or money, and then nearly fell back to the ground, where he had spent far too much time as of late. For there, in front of him in the corridor, was Miss Jones, standing with her hands on her hips and a stern expression on her face.
“David Redmond,” she said, “Whatever do you think you are doing out of bed?”
CHAPTER7
Ashort walk around the neighborhood had thankfully cleared Sarah’s thoughts. The kiss never should have happened and was clearly just a feverish mind assuming she was someone else. Sarah returned to her rooms at a good clip, now determined to ignore the fact that the kiss had even happened, for Mr. Redmond likely would have no idea of what had occurred. Instead, her fresh outlook provided space to consider how she should treat his injuries. He should be well soon, and then he would leave and she could continue her quest, and all would be as it was.
Then she had opened the door and was shocked to find him standing there awaiting her. The man should hardly have been able to get out of bed, let alone dress and determine that he was fit enough to leave.
“I ah… thought I’d take a walk myself,” he said with a shrug. “It’s a bit stuffy in here.”
Sarah nodded slowly. “That it is, Mr. Redmond.” She sighed. “If you are so insistent, then I will accompany you, and we will go for a few minutes. If you feel a moment of weariness, we return. Is that fair?”
“Very well,” he said, with a half-grin. “I shall obey your command.”
“You will if you want to get well,” she said sternly. “Follow me.”
They passed the small door to the left where she stored and prepared her food. Sarah walked across the bedroom to her wardrobe, rummaging through a bottom drawer for the man’s shirt she had stored. She had a few items on hand, in case of such situations.
“Here,” she said, holding it out to him, refusing to look at his bare chest peeking out between the two halves of his torn linen. “It is not nearly as fine as your own, but at least it is still in one piece.”
She locked the door behind them and held out her arm. He hesitated, but she insisted, and he finally took it, though she could tell he was attempting to resist from leaning on her.
“So tell me,” he said, looking around them at the neighborhood as they emerged from the alleyway in a slow shuffle. Sarah’s building was fairly small and away from the busier street, but not far from her were similar lodging residences, as well as storefronts and markets offering a variety of wares. “How is it that you have come to stay in such… accommodations by yourself? I would suspect it of a young man, perhaps, but a lady?”
Sarah knew the question would be coming, and she had prepared for it.
“I am in London visiting family,” she said. “Lady Alexander has been kind enough to act as my chaperone, but unfortunately she does not have the capacity for me to stay within her residence. Therefore, I found my own lodgings.”
David looked at her out of the corner of his eye, and she could sense his confusion. She knew it was not an altogether commonplace situation, yet how else was she supposed to explain?
“As a healer, I must be close to those who need me,” she said. “And I find that this is a neighborhood which bridges those who would come to a healer instead of a physician, and yet is not too threatening a place. It has worked well for me, I must say.”
“But you are alone,” he stated, and she nodded, for she couldn’t very well deny it.
“What if,” he continued, “The night I was placed upon your doorstep, I was someone else — someone who desired to take advantage of you?”
“I don’t suppose there are many who would do so,” she murmured.
“Whyever not?” he demanded, and she could see that he was actually concerned now. “You are a beautiful woman and one who must return to her lodgings late at night in fine gowns. You could not be more attractive to those who would be looking to steal from you or… more.”
Sarah swallowed hard. “Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Redmond,” she said, though she knew he was simply being kind. She had seen the women he preferred, and she was far plainer than the lot of them. “However, I am well able to defend myself.”
“Are you telling me that you know how to fire the shotgun that sits in the corner of your rooms?”
“I do,” she said indignantly in response to his incredulous expression.
“And how long would it take you to prepare the shotgun?” he asked, his eyebrows raising. “Longer, I’m sure, than it might be for someone to break into your door.”
“I have other weapons,” she retorted.
He shook his head. “Is there really no one who can watch over you? I had thought Lady Alexander was a relative? Have you no other family to rely upon while you search for the rest?”
