Chapter 19 #4
Appalled by his undisguised curiosity, Genevieve tried to pull her hand free of Theo’s grasp. With a strength that surprised her, his fingers tightened around hers, preventing her from escaping his grasp. Genevieve’s gaze flitted back to Theo’s battered face.
“You’re…safe,” he rasped, and a tremor of relief rippled through her at the guttural note of pain in his voice, then frowned with anger.
“Of course I am, you arrogant half-wit.” Genevieve’s mouth tight with irritation she glared down at him. “Do you have any idea how lucky you are to be alive, Selbourne?”
“Worth…keeping you…safe.”
“You, my lord, are an idiot and an ass,” she said in disgust.
The man had lived up to the Rockwood reputation of being reckless, and had almost gotten himself killed in the process.
She didn’t know what infuriated her more, his foolhardy behavior or that deep inside his effort to keep her safe warmed her heart.
She chose to focus her anger on his recklessness.
The moment his lips parted to reply, Genevieve’s forehead furrowed into the fiercest scowl she could manage.
“Don’t. Don’t you dare try to defend yourself, you imbecile,” she snapped. “I told you Freddie would kill you, and the bastard would have if I’d not shot him.”
Across from her, Uncle Sebastian made a sound that might have been one of amusement. Genevieve jerked her head up and narrowed her eyes at her uncle, but his features were stoic and unreadable.
Horseshoes clattering over the cobblestones made her turn her head to see a carriage rolling toward them at a fast clip.
It came to a halt just a few feet away, and her brother hopped out of the carriage striding toward them.
Together Vincent and her uncle carefully lifted Theo up off the ground, and a growl of pain blew past his lips.
“Damnation,” he muttered.
“You’re going to be home soon, son,” the Earl of Melton said in a low voice filled with deep love for his heir. “And in a few days, you’ll be feeling much better.”
“And when you are, Lord Selbourne, I hope everyone in the foreign section beats you senseless again for just how reckless you were,” she huffed to cover up her fear.
Again she heard a soft snort of amusement come from the earl, and when she looked at him, Uncle Sebastian had a wide grin on his face.
Glaring at him until his smile faded, she jerked her head to look down at Theo whose good eye was closed, but she was certain the grimace twisting his battered mouth was a smile.
When they reached the carriage, Genevieve climbed in first and slid to the opposite side of the seat then leaned forward to help guide Theo’s long body into the vehicle.
They were forced to bend his legs at the knees in order for him to rest more comfortable, which caused him to protest with a loud, lusty oath.
A moment later his head was resting in Genevieve’s lap.
Seconds later, her Uncle Sebastian climbed in and seated himself opposite Genevieve and his son.
“I’ll take care of Simpson. I know several of the officers who patrol this area,” Vincent said from the open doorway of the carriage. “I’ll make them aware of what happened, and they’ll deal with the bastard’s body. After that, I’ll find the others, and we’ll come to Melton House.”
With that parting comment, her brother closed the vehicle’s door, slapped the side of the carriage and ordered the driver to take them to Uncle Sebastian’s house.
The moment the vehicle jerked into motion, Theo groaned with pain, and reached for Genevieve’s hand.
She tried to pull free of his grasp, but he’d entwined his fingers with hers in a grip so tight it was almost painful.
“Thank you, Genevieve,” her uncle said quietly. “Theo would be dead if not for you. His mother and I can never repay you.”
Unable to reply for fear of losing control of her emotions, she simply nodded her acceptance of her uncle’s gratitude, wishing they were at Melton House already. Once Wills confirmed Theo would make a strong recovery, she would leave London.
It meant she’d never find Peter’s killer, and she would have to forgive herself for that failure. She had saved Theo, and that would have to suffice. But she knew she couldn’t remain in town. The family would most certainly meddle, thinking they were doing the right thing, but they wouldn’t be.
Theo’s reaction when she’d told him she could never have children a month ago had reinforced her belief that he would regret marrying her.
In those few brief moments, his lack of a response had proven she’d been right all along.
No man could ever love her enough to overlook the worst of what her past had made her.
Theo might think love could overcome every obstacle in their path, but she knew better.
There would come a time when her inability to bear children would cause a rift between them.
It would create a divide so wide, they would grow apart, and she couldn’t bear the thought of that.
Genevieve knew Theo would say she was running away, and she no longer knew if he was right or wrong.
All she knew was that it was time for her to accept herself for who she was, and she didn’t need anyone to help her with that.