Isobel watched as Dominic silenced Rupert’s volley of epithets with a well placed fist. Rupert’s eyes rolled back in his head and he slumped onto the ground without a murmur.
“Thank heavens for that,” Sebastian grumbled, placing Rupert’s knife carefully out of reach. “I didn’t think the stupid man would ever shut up.”
No sooner had he hit the floor than Isobel launched herself across the room at her husband, clinging to the solid warmth of his chest with trembling hands.
“Are you alright?” Dominic demanded, tipping Isobel’s head upwards to study the torn flesh below her chin.
“It’s nothing,” she said, quick to reassure him. “It is just a small cut.”
Carefully she studied his face for injury, but could only find a small graze to the side of Dominic’s chin.
Seconds later Edward burst into the room, covered in what appeared to be splatters of blood. With a quick, assessing glance at the room before him, he shook his head briefly at Dominic. “I’m sorry Dominic, he got the better of me.”
Dominic cursed and easing Isobel to one side as he ran a worried gaze over his brother.
“Are you alright? Did he harm you?”
Edward shook his head, and cursed fluidly. “He began to struggle and shot himself with my gun,” he reported with an apologetic glance at Isobel. “It appears the prospect of the gallows was too much for him.”
“It can’t be helped. As long as you are alright, all is well,” Dominic muttered feeling no remorse for DeLisle’s death. He turned a rueful eye on the still unconscious body of Rupert lying at his feet. “Let’s get him restrained, and off to jail before he does something stupid to evade justice too.”
No sooner were the words out than Isobel watched in horror as Rupert sat bolt upright. The menacing snarl was back on his bloodied face. He snatched a small pistol out of his boot and pointed it straight at her.
Isobel’s heart sank to her knees, and she found herself staring down the wrong end of his pistol.
“Move away from her,” Rupert snarled.
“I’m not coming to you,” Isobel defiantly crossed her arms, and shot him a contemptuous glare. Inside she was a quivering wreck.
“You’ll do as you are told girlie - or you die.”
“Do you seriously believe that you will get away from here if you harm her, or even have her with you when you try to leave?” Dominic fought the burning hatred in his gut, and tried to keep control of the panic that swept through him. “The gallows will be the easy option against what I will do to you if you do anything to her.”
“Come here,” Rupert beckoned her with a quick twist of the gun.
“No,” Isobel replied, refusing to budge. She daren’t look at her husband standing so close, yet so very far away. Having his reassuring bulk so near to her went a long way to calming her fraying nerves, and gave her the strength she needed to face her tormentor.
“Come here, or you die.”
“What do you think you will achieve by killing me? All you will do is add murder to your list of crimes. You will never be a free man. You had better have two bullets in that gun, because you need to follow your friend’s example and use the second shot for yourself. It would be far better for you, than the fate my husband will have in store for you.” Isobel tried to keep the tremor from her voice. She failed miserably.
“Well said, Isobel,” Dominic declared, mentally applauding her fortitude. Nothing his wife did any more shocked or surprised him but at that moment he was damned proud of her.
“I will let you live as long as you let me leave,” Rupert’s eyes flickered desperately around the room, clearly searching for a way out.
Dominic watched sweat bead on his brow and knew that the seriousness of his situation had begun to dawn on him.
The tension thickened within the room. Everyone paused, waiting for someone to do something, or say something, to break the stand-off.
Everyone jumped when Peter suddenly appeared in the doorway, a length of rope between his fingers.
Isobel felt a lightening rod of pain shoot across her entire front, a second before she heard the report of the gun being fired. Vaguely she saw the fine spray of blood mist the air in front of her. Pain burned through her, and she suddenly found it difficult to breathe. Stars danced before her vision and she slowly crumpled to the ground. She was aware of the thumping of bodies accompanied by a cacophony of voices she couldn’t make sense of. It all seemed such a very long way away.
“Isobel!” Dominic’s worried face swam into her vision.
“Dominic,” Isobel gasped softly. She struggled to focus on his face and fought the familiar swirling mists that threatened to drag her into unconsciousness. She whimpered when she tried to take a deep breath only for burning pain to lance down her side.
“Do something for me, Dominic,” Isobel whispered, tightening her fist on her husband’s shirt and drawing him closer.
“Anything, my darling,” Dominic’s murmured, in a voice that was as tender as his shaking fingers as stroked her face. Her eyes met and held his. “Loosen my dress, I can barely breathe.”
She was unsurprised when she heard the sound of her dress tearing and cool air brushed her aching flesh.
“The doctor is on his way darling; just stay with me,” Dominic’s voice was choked as he studied his wife’s pale features. Surely to God fate wouldn’t be as cruel as to snatch her from him now!
“Please darling, stay with me,” Dominic pleaded, glancing down at the steady trickle of blood now seeping onto the carpet. “Don’t you dare leave me, don’t you dare leave me alone again.” He watched in horror as her eyes began to cloud over, and knew she was about to slip into unconsciousness.
“Darling Dominic, I do love you so,” she said in a voice that was barely above a whisper. Breathing came easier to her now the confines of her dress had been removed, but came in shorter, more comfortable pants. “When I thought I had lost you to another, my world was torn apart. I knew I would never be the same again. I feel blessed to have been given a second chance to be a part of your life, in spite of Rupert’s best endeavours. Nobody could be prouder to be called your wife. I hope you know that.”
“Of course I do, my darling. Why do you think I pushed you to marry me so quickly? You were still on your sick bed for God’s sakes! I couldn’t bear to take the risk that you would not wish to marry me once you were hale and hearty.” His soft laugh was hoarse with emotion. “I had to capture you while you were too weak and feeble to run away.”
Isobel smiled at his gentle teasing. Her own eyes were awash with tears as she studied the desperate pleading in his gaze. A wave of dizziness assailed her, despite the fact that she was lying down and she knew that she was going to faint. Drawing in a deep breath took concentration. Fighting the swirling darkness that was gradually creeping towards her, she tried to gather her thoughts into some semblance of order. There was so much she wanted to say to him.
She raised her hand to draw his head down towards hers. Placing a tender kiss upon his lips she managed to whisper, “I love you, Dominic,” before surrendering to the dark void that swallowed her.
“Isobel!” Dominic shook her shoulders, fear lodged in his throat. “Isobel!”
“Dominic, come away now.”
Dominic shook off the firm hands that were pulling him away from her, and lifted her limp body into his arms.
“Isobel talk to me darling,” Dominic commanded, moving to sit on the chaise with her draped across his lap. Fear clawed at him, and he gave in to the horrifying possibility that she had gone. Clutching her to his chest, he rocked to and fro slowly and gave in to the grief; oblivious to everything other than the woman he held in his arms.
He thought the belief she had died was bad enough before, but it had been nothing compared to the pure despair that engulfed him now. Her beautiful smile, and gentle nature, had quickly secured her a place in the hearts of all of his family. Her warm humour, and tinkling laugh brightened his d
ays. Her presence in his house gave him something to come home to.
She was his life.
His very soul.
He slowly became aware of the insistent pressure of hands prising his arms from around her and instinctively he tried to shove them away, but was pinned back as she was gently lifted from his lap by a grave looking Edward who quickly swept her out of the room.
“What the hell are you doing?” Dominic snarled, rising to follow. He entered the hallway to find Mrs Holcome rushing toward him.
At the bottom of the stairs, Sebastian placed a restraining hand on Dominic’s shoulder when he made to follow them up the stairs. “They are going to settle her in the bed while we wait for the doctor. Let Mrs Holcombe work on her, she knows what she is doing.”
The next hour had been the worst of his entire life, Dominic thought later that night as he sat beside the bed. Exhaustion fogged his thoughts, but he refused to give in to it. A tray of food lay untouched beside him; he had no appetite for anything other than his wife. He needed her to open her eyes and reassure him she would be alright.
The doctor, when he had arrived, had been unable to find any bullet hole and had instead stitched the long, thin gash along her ribs carefully before declaring that her surface wound would heal in time. There was no imminent danger to her life; she had most probably fainted through the shock of the ordeal she had experienced.
Several hours later, Isobel awoke and slowly became aware of the looming presence above her. Without opening her eyes, she knew who it was. His familiar woodsy scent was enough. Ignoring the burning pain in her side, she raised her eyes to meet the emerald gaze of her husband.
“Hello,” he whispered with a tender smile.
“Hello,” Isobel replied softly through lips that were dry and cracked. “I am so thirsty.”
Without further hesitation, Isobel was lifted by the shoulders enough to drink thirstily from a goblet of water that had appeared from nowhere.
“You know, you really must stop doing this,” he declared when she was settled upon the plush pillows once more.
“What?” Isobel frowned, wondering what he meant.
“Lying upon your sick bed, and making me worry myself to death!” His voice was full of raw emotion. He placed a tender kiss upon her lips. “God, Isobel!” He couldn’t prevent the surge of emotion that thickened his voice, and rested his forehead briefly upon hers, savouring the feel of her being so close, and so alive.
“Rupert?” She had to know.
“Will be tried for attempted murder, kidnap, embezzlement and hideous debts he has no hope of repaying. He has been taken to Derby gaol to await trial. At best, he will hang from the gallows. At worst, he will be transported, but he is most definitely out of our lives for good.” Dominic couldn’t hide his deep satisfaction at either possibility.
“I hope he remains in prison,” Isobel watched as her husband’s eyebrows rose incredulously. “I don’t want him to swing for his crimes.”
At Dominic’s frown of consternation she continued. “I want him to suffer. I want him to understand what it is like to lose everything, to live knowing there will be no escape from the misery of destitution and starvation.”
Dominic suddenly pushed himself away from the bed. Ignoring her interested gaze, he quickly removed his shirt and breeches, and slid into the bed beside her on her good side. He carefully tugged her around until she lay within the comforting strength of his arms.
“Then I think we should both pray for a lenient judge. However I think we need to understand that given his crimes, he is most likely to swing from the gallows. Attempted murder will now be added to his list of crimes after all, and that carries the harshest punishment.” Dominic’s voice held no sympathy for the sordid little man, who had so nearly destroyed his future. Gently kissing the top of her head, he felt raw emotion slide through him as the memories of the day clouded his thoughts.
“I thought I had lost you again,” he murmured, pressing a soft kiss on her brow. “I thought it was bad enough to lose you to death. I stood beside your grave with Peter, and felt a grief that brought me to my knees.” He was unable to keep his voice steady as those horrific memories came flooding back. “Despite everything I have experienced in life, nothing could have prepared me for losing the one woman who held my heart, my very future in her hands. To stand beside your graveside in the drizzle, believing you to be far from my reach, was unbearable.” His voice turned husky with emotion. “I would have gladly crawled into that tiny space, and lay with you had I been able.”
Isobel slid her head backwards to look into his eyes, stunned at the moisture she found shimmering on his lashes, “I love you, Dominic.”
She was suddenly emboldened by the certainty of her future, yet desperate to hear him say the words she so longed to hear.
“I love you, my wife,” Dominic slid a whispering kiss upon her lips. “I love you too.” He peppered tiny kisses upon her lips tenderly. There was nothing passionate about them, they were gentle, caring kisses meant to reassure, console and seek comfort.
Her heart soared as she absorbed his husky words.
Silence settled between them for several moments while they enjoyed being able to just lie together without any threat of mad uncles to darken their happiness.
“Can I ask you something?” Isobel hated to break the peace, but desperately needed to know. At his answering nod, she settled her head upon his chest and hesitantly whispered, “Did you believe the marriage documents were real?”
Dominic frowned up at the ceiling for several moments. “At first, yes. As I told you before, you were so desperately ill when you arrived here, I couldn’t be certain if you didn’t wish to acknowledge a marriage to DeLisle through sheer trauma. But it was only for a few moments. The wisdom of knowing you soon made me realise that you would never enter into a bigamous marriage.”
Isobel eased backward in his arms until she could meet his steady gaze lovingly. “I love you. I have from the very moment we met, and I shall do so for the remainder of my days.”
Dominic smiled; his heart swelling with intense satisfaction as he read the sincerity in her steady gaze. “I love you, my darling.” Capturing her lips in a tender kiss, he carefully eased back with mock alarm when her hands stole below his waist to caress the growing bulge beneath the sheets. “My dear, you are not in any position to enter into that game,” he chided, easing away from her searching fingers.
“Haven’t you heard?” Isobel turned her gaze sideways. “A husband’s duty is to ensure his wife is adequately cared for, and all of her needs are met - in every sense of the word.”
Dominic groaned and knew he was lost. “If you are sure?”
At her confirming nod, he sighed and could see no reason not to prove his love for her, as long as there was no discomfort. Studying her carefully, he was reassured by the clear, sensual gaze staring back at him and with a low moan, knew he was lost.
“Then of course I must ensure that my wife’s – needs – are adequately met.” With that he eased himself between the welcoming warmth of his wife’s thighs with a sigh of belonging and set about ensuring all of his wife’s needs were met with complete satisfaction.
The End
If You Were Mine Page 22