Chapter Five
The next morning
Bellwood Estate
Derbyshire, England
Gerald awoke with a start. Disoriented he wondered what had caused him to awaken.
A soft groan came from the bed.
Selena!
He sprang up from his chair and went to her side.
Her head moved restlessly on the pillow.
Another whimper escaped her. “Maman, I did as you bid. The fiend won’t find me…”
Confused and concerned at her words, Gerald swiftly lit the candle on the bedside table and felt her forehead. Her skin felt hot and dry. Her cheeks were flushed. But her teeth were chattering.
“Azure, we must get to Bellwood before the fiend finds out and comes after us…”
Maman , where are you?”
Emitting another cry, Selena thrashed from side to side. “I’m safe but where are you, Maman ?”
“Good God!”
Alarmed, Gerald yanked the bellpull by the bed to alert the servants.
Was she having a nightmare or was she reliving a horror she’d gone through?
“Selena, it’s Gerald. Can you hear me?”
She continued to moan and move restlessly, her eyes still closed.
He reached for a cloth and dampened it with water from the pitcher on the bedside table. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he began to gently bathe her face and neck.
He couldn’t understand it. Despite her lack of memory, Selena had seemed to be doing well. When Doctor Baker had examined her yesterday morning, he’d affirmed that she did indeed have amnesia, resulting from her fall, but he was optimistic that as she healed, her memory would return.
Gerald had regretted rushing out of her room yesterday morning after Anna had arrived with the breakfast tray. He’d hastily washed and dressed and then tackled a few chores, trying to get his mind off of… her .
Selena had taken hold of his thoughts since her impromptu arrival. The night of the rainstorm she’d been soaked and covered in dirt and mud from her fall. Gerald could barely tell what she looked like. After he’d brought her to the guest room and then left her in the capable hands of Mrs. Evans and the maids, he’d returned after Doctor Baker had concluded his examination.
Walking into the room, he’d beheld a vision that had left him breathless.
No longer the plain, tiny little bird he’d briefly encountered six years ago the night of the Adams’ ball, Selena had grown into a stunningly beautiful woman. Long silky dark hair framed a lovely face with alabaster skin, a lush full mouth, and those eyes… Those incredible translucent blue eyes.
And when she woke up that morning, she was full of questions. It was all he could do to form coherent sentences as she’d peppered him with questions about what had brought her to his home. He’d wanted to tell her about their betrothal but had held back. He’d already told her a lot and it had been most distressing for her. He didn’t want to add to her distress.
Yes, that was the excuse he’d given himself.
But deep down, he just couldn’t bring himself to reveal everything.
Not yet.
Because if he told her they were betrothed, he would have to tell her the truth…
Uh, yes, well, our first meeting was quite memorable. You and your parents and my parents had just discovered me in a sordid kiss with Lady Adams in her gazebo, the night of the ball she’d hosted with her much older husband, Lord Adams. You see that unseemly kiss was just part of a bet, between my idiot best friends and myself. Oh, and by the by, I won the bet.
Of course, my father figuratively tore a strip off my back the next morning and basically banished me to Bellwood as my punishment, while he apologized to your parents and attempted to salvage our betrothal. He succeeded in that, but with the stipulation that we were not to marry until after you came of age and came into an inheritance from your maternal grandmother. Your parents wanted you to be independent should things go awry again. And here I am still at Bellwood, six years later, a little wiser, hopefully. The rest as they say, is history…
Had he admitted the truth to her, she would have no doubt been shocked. Hell, she might have broken the betrothal that his father had worked so hard to save.
Wasn’t that what he’d wanted though? A broken betrothal?
But everything is different now.
Isn’t it?
A quick knock sounded on the door to the chamber, before it opened, admitting Anna. “My lord, is anything amiss?”
Her face reflected concern. Understandable since it wasn’t even dawn yet.
“Miss Bowles has developed a high fever. Please inform Mrs. Evans and send for the doctor as soon as possible.”
“Right away, my lord,”
Anna said, with a quick nod before rushing out of the room.
Gerald was dipping the cloth in the water again when Selena made another sound of discomfort.
“Alone…Not safe…”
“You are safe,”
Gerald whispered. “And you are not alone. I promise.” Gently he wiped her fevered brow, his worry escalating with each passing minute.
He couldn’t understand it. Where had this fever come from? She’d been alert last evening, her cheeks had been tinted with a pinkish hue. He’d assumed it had been because she was on the mend. Little did he know that the color infusing her cheeks may have been the beginning of her fever.
Doctor Baker had given Gerald a positive prognosis after examining Selena yesterday morning.
“Miss Bowles is a strong, young woman,”
Baker had said. “I am hopeful she will make a full recovery.”
Gerald had been relieved. He’d ventured back into Selena’s room, with Doctor Baker’s advice to share as much as he could with Selena about her life and answer any questions she might have. The one topic he avoided was their betrothal. He had too much guilt twisting through him at how he’d treated her and their betrothal.
“It will help in her recovery,”
Doctor Baker had encouraged before he’d left.
Indeed. He and Selena had stayed up late last evening, talking. She’d asked Gerald dozens of questions and he’d found himself sharing details about his life that he hadn’t shared with anyone, outside of his own family.
It was a strange situation, yet he’d felt at ease with her. Talking with her and telling her about his family and his life at Bellwood had been truly enjoyable.
Selena was an intelligent and engaging young woman with a clever sense of humor.
He’d told her about his own life and revealed the little he knew about hers—much to his disgrace, for not knowing more. His father and hers had been friends since boyhood. He recalled his shame when he realized she was much more curious about him and his family.
Gerald had told her as much as he dared.
The evening had been pleasant and had gone by so fast, that he didn’t recall when he’d nodded off in the chair.
And now, she’s burning with fever and trapped in a nightmare. And God knows if she’ll survive.
Gerald raked his hands through his hair in agitation when another groan brought his attention back to Selena.
“He locked me in my room… That demon. Percival…”
Tears flowed, from her closed eyes, wrenching Gerald’s heart.
“Selena, you’re having a bad dream. I’m here,”
he said, taking her hand in his.
Selena whimpered. “…so dirty. He kissed me. Couldn’t breathe. Said vile things…Maman, I’m so sorry,”
she cried.
Dear God, what have you been through? And who’s Percival?
The gut-wrenching pain coursing through him was only surpassed by the burning anger he felt at what Selena had suffered at the hands of this bastard named, Percival.
And then Gerald recalled his mother’s letter. She’d informed him that the late Viscount’s solicitors had taken months to track down the heir—a cousin by the name of Percival Bowles. He’d been a first officer aboard a merchant ship. The man was clearly a brute.
He reached out and caressed her cheek, it was burning with fever.
“Selena, you’re safe, my darling. I’m here. I’ll protect you. I promise.”
He wished his parents were there. They might know what had led to this horrific situation.
“Selena…please, open your eyes,”
he rasped, caressing her cheek. “You are safe. Everything will be fine, I promise.”
Her eyelids fluttered open, and she looked at him, her translucent eyes burning with fever. “It’s y-you,”
she whispered. “Y-you’re here. You were there…in the storm. S-so kind…so noble. You helped me…I’m so l-lucky. So lucky to have you…”
Gerald swallowed, at the revelation. Fever or no fever. “Was she referring to her status as his betrothed? This young woman had ridden in a rainstorm to the point of exhaustion and fell at his feet from her horse. He would have been a complete cad if he hadn’t helped her. “Many people would have helped you.”
“But I needed you,”
she said in a broken voice. “I came here for a reason—even if I d-don’t know why…”
He wished he knew why, too. He surmised it had to do with that bastard, Percival, but he needed to know everything. My God, he was desperate to know what Selena had gone through. And when he did, he would deal with Percival Bowles. But at present, he had far more pressing worries than her lack of memory—with this raging fever, he feared for her very life.
He bent closer to bathe her forehead and was taken aback by her sudden movement, as she grasped his shirt and tugged him down to kiss him.
Her lips were soft and vulnerable and heated from her feverish state. Gerald’s mind swirled as she pressed her lips against his. Her guileless, fumbling feverish kiss, and the soft moan that escaped her were his undoing. Her innocently innate passion and the look in those beautiful blue eyes mesmerized him, and he abandoned his good sense. Uttering a helpless groan, he pulled her up against his chest, wrapping his arms around her, and deepened the kiss.
He was lost. Lost in the pure bliss of kissing Selena. His hands moved up and down her slender back, her nightgown was damp and plastered to her body like a second skin. She felt like heaven. He could not believe he’d ever thought her skinny. Her petite frame was deliciously formed with curves that fit his hands perfectly. Her breasts, pressing against his chest, made him feel as feverish as she was.
“I love you, Gerald,”
she said in a breathy voice, and it was like a bucket of cold water splashed in his face.
What am I doing? She’s a complete innocent , he reminded himself. And I’m acting like a complete cad! Selena was injured and feverish. Worse…he knew she didn’t know what she was doing. Hell, she couldn’t even remember who she was. Not to mention, Mrs. Evans would be rushing into the room at any moment.
“I’m so sorry, love,”
he pulled back and gently set her back down against the pillows.
“More kissing,”
she whispered, a half-smile on her lovely lips, her eyes were closed as though she were dreaming. “Love your k-kisses. Love you…”
Oh God! She didn’t even know what she was saying. Gerald couldn’t help but smile at her impishness. The girl was burning with fever and delirious and here she was flirting with him, making feverish declarations of love.
“I love kissing you too. But it will have to wait. You need to get better.”
He kissed his index finger and touched her lips just as a knock sounded on the door.
Blowing out a breath, he tucked the blankets around Selena’s shoulders and stood to open the door.
“My lord, my apologies, I was in the kitchen helping Cook when Anna found us and told us everything,”
Mrs. Evans said as she bustled into the room with the young maid. “Rest assured, I sent young Joshua to fetch the doctor. That boy is faster than a fox on a hunt.”
“Cook and I prepared a mustard poultice and willow bark tea to help bring down the fever.”
“Good. Very Good.”
Gerald rubbed the back of his neck, stepping out of the way as Anna set a tray next to the bed.
“Cook has a hearty breakfast ready for you and some good strong coffee,”
Mrs. Evans told him.
“My thanks, Mrs. Evans.”
He glanced at Selena, reluctant to leave.
“My lord.”
Mrs. Evans reached out and touched his hand. “We must see to Miss Bowles’ comfort. We’ll let you know when the doctor arrives.”
Gerald felt a flush creep up his neck. Had Mrs. Evans guessed something? He gave a hasty nod and left. Striding to his room, he felt a flurry of emotions churning through him. That kiss. Those lips. Those eyes. But he was all too aware of how vulnerable she was. How innocent. What made her leave her home and travel in a rainstorm on horseback to Bellwood? To him. His mind was full of questions and the haunting words that Selena had uttered in her delirium. He had to find out the truth. He had to keep her safe.