Read Online To Have and to Hold by Rebecca King - Free Book Online

energy she had
evaporated like a puff of smoke.   Her
chest ached, and breathing seemed such hard work.
    “You are at Tavistock Hall my darling,” Dominic murmured softly,
offering her a small smile of reassurance.   Quickly, he rose and tugged on the bell pull beside the bed.   “You are perfectly safe now.”   Fighting to hide the sheer relief that surged
through him, he carefully eased her off the pillows and held a cup of water to
her lips, pleased when she drank greedily.    
    “Safe?”   Isobel croaked hoarsely, wincing as the
throbbing headache increased in strength.   “Why does my head hurt so?”   Her
throat felt raw and hot.  
    “Because you
haven’t eaten enough and are quite poorly,” Dominic murmured his voice sterner
with stark memory of the last few hours.   “You must eat and rest if you are to get well again.”  
    Isobel eyed the
room around them.   Entirely masculine in
design the dark oak panelling gleamed in the firelight.   Decorated in reds, browns and golds it was simple in design yet bespoke of an understated
wealth.   Isobel frowned as she eyed the
heavy marbled fireplace and solid furniture adorning the walls of the clearly
masculine room.
    “Do you have any
idea how worried we have been for you?”   His eyes scanned her pale features, tenderly tracing each new curve and
hollow.   Even with her hair cut
unfashionably short, with her startling blue eyes she had an ensnaring beauty
about her that made him wonder how she had succeeded in fooling anyone into
thinking she was a boy.
    “Worried?”   Isobel murmured wearily as she reluctantly
drew her gaze back to his.   She had so
many questions to ask.   So many things
she wanted to say but couldn’t form the words.   Suddenly, she realised where she was.   “I should not be here, I must leave at once.”   She gritted her teeth and tried desperately
to raise herself from the bed only to have Dominic immediately push her back
down again, a fierce glint of reproach in his eye.
    “You are not
going anywhere.”   His voice was
firm.   “Where would you expect to go
anyway?”   He was curious and determined
she wouldn’t be leaving the bed.
    “I don’t know,”
she whispered feeling tears beginning to well.   “But I cannot stay.”   Misery
swamped her.   It was so wonderful to be
so close to the man who was now burned into her very soul, but the joy was
marred by the pain of being so close to someone who could never be hers.  
    “Why
not?”   Dominic murmured, gently sitting down on the
armchair beside the bed.   Tenderly, he
smoothed a few stray strands of hair away from her face, pleased when she
didn’t flinch under his touch.   He
frowned at her clear distress.   Quickly,
he scanned the room, looking for anything amiss that would upset her so.   Moments ago she had been quite relaxed.   Muddled but at ease.   Now she seemed so uncomfortable Dominic
wouldn’t have been surprised if she had jumped out of bed and ran around the
room.  
    “How long have I
been here?”   Isobel looked towards the
window.   A fine blanket of snow covered
what she could see of the ground outside.   The last Isobel could remember, it had been windy and raining, certainly
too wet for snow to settle.
    “You have been
here for a week now.”    Dominic replied
smiling softly at her startled gasp.   “And it has been a very eventful and difficult week I can tell
you.”   He chided softly as he watched her
guilty start.  
    “I’m sorry,”
Isobel murmured once again trying to get out of the bed.    “I’ve imposed on your good nature long
enough.   I must leave.”   She tried desperately not to show just how
weak she was and wondered how she would manage to get out of bed.
    “My
good nature!”   Dominic began to frown, not sure where she
was heading.   “What do you expect me to
do Isobel?   Leave you out in the
cold?”  
    “I don’t want to
cause you any more