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

“I.”   He leant over her menacingly.   “Am.”   He placed a
hand on either side of her head. “Not.”   His gaze locked upon hers.   He
slowly lowered his head until his lips were mere inches from hers.   “Married.”   He whispered as he placed a gentle kiss upon
her stunned lips. His mouth captured the soft cry she couldn’t withhold.   His gentle fingers swept away her tears as
his lips worshipped her tenderly while she absorbed his words.  
    Could it be
true?   He was not wed to another?   When he did eventually raise his head to
allow her to breathe, his eyes were full of tender reproach.   “How could you believe that I have such
little regard for you?”  
    “There is no
baby?”   Isobel whispered shakily, unable
to believe her aunt could have been so wrong.   Was she in cohorts with Rupert?
    “There may be a
baby when we are wed my darling,” He teased with a gentle smile as he sat
beside her upon the bed.   “But until then
however, I can assure you that to my certain knowledge, there is no wife and no
child.”   Silence settled between them for
mere seconds before his final words dropped like lead between them.   “Not for me, at least.”
    In her fogged
state it took a few moments for the import of his words to sink in and she
looked at him with a frown.   “What do you
mean?”  
    He could think
of no gentle way to raise the question that was burning inside him.   “Did you marry Bertram DeLisle ?”   He couldn’t allow her to see just how much
her answer meant and ignoring her startled look moved to stand before the
window with his back towards her.   His
gaze roamed over the landscaped gardens blankly.   All of his senses locked on her lying so
temptingly on his bed, behind him.   His
nerves were stretched taut as he waited for her answer.
    “Dominic, I
promised I would wait for you.”   Isobel
murmured as she eyed his tall frame highlighted so starkly by the sunlight
shining through the window.   The
surrounding halo of light emphasised his broad shoulders and lean limbs to
stunning perfection.   “Nothing Rupert or DeLisle could threaten me with could coerce me into
marriage to anyone.”   Her voice sank to a
whisper as the last vestiges of her strength began to wane.   She desperately didn’t want to sleep.   She needed to continue the conversation.   There was much to say, so much to discover,
but somehow it became so incredibly difficult simply to keep her eyes
open.   “Dominic.”   She whispered softly as sleep began to pull
her down.   “I wouldn’t marry anyone
else.”  
    She was vaguely
aware of him approaching the bed.   Her
eyes were already closed as she felt the bed dip beneath his weight as he sat
beside her.   Her hand was clasped firmly
between his.   “I’m so very tired.” Her
whisper trailing away as she settled once again into slumber feeling more
secure than she had felt in a very long time.
    “Rest on my
love. We have all the time in the world.”   Dominic murmured not sure if she had heard him.   He surreptitiously wiped away the single tear
that had gathered in the corner of his eye as he gazed down at her for several
moments.   She was indeed free.   “Thank God.”   Dominic murmured softly placing a tender kiss upon her brow.   “We will be together.”   He promised as he moved to sit beside her,
easing her slumbering form gently into his arms.   Staring out of the window, he watched the
soft flurry of snowflakes gently drift past and began to plan.

 
     
    Sometime during
the night he was awoken by a strange noise.   Wincing at the sharp jolts of discomfort in his stiff muscles as he sat
upright, he warily glanced around the room trying to place the noise.   It was strange, almost like a rattling,
whispery noise.   Something he had not
heard before.   Quickly, he rose and
crossed to the window, cursing fluidly at the heavy snowfall drifting past the
windowpane.   They were well and