A wave of relief washed over her, and Amy was certain that it showed on her face. Gibson would not leave her to fend for herself. Somehow, she had always known in her heart that he would not be so cruel. He was better than that, more of a gentleman. She also wanted to think that it meant that he still cared for her, even in some small way.
"Thank you. More than I can even express. I would not have it be otherwise." She could not imagine allowing someone else to administer to her mother, nor could she dream of attempting to manage the affairs of Cheltenham on her own.
Then she paused, for she knew that, logically, there had to be more to his plan. For she had no doubt that he had one. He was more intelligent than that. "What then?"
"Have a maid or someone else with you so that I may remain in the room without giving the man reason to suspect anything is amiss or improper. We do not want gossip to spread any quicker than necessary, for I have no doubt that it will." He didn't want to mention what type of gossip, precisely, was likely to spread. Amy would be intelligent enough to figure that out on her own.
"I will tell Michaels that it is imperative that I learn the details of what business your mother has been conducting in your father's stead so that I know best how to treat her. That the type of business might have affected her brain or some other rot." It was a devious plan, certainly, and any man well-versed in medicine would know the claim was utterly ridiculous, but quite honestly, Gibson didn't care. Nor did he think Michaels was smart enough in the ways of medicine to know any differently.
Frowning, Amy fidgeted with the fabric of her evening gown, pleating it back and forth, uncertain now. The plan sounded foolish, even to her. "Won't he be suspicious?" It seemed logical that the other man would ask such a question. It was also a great risk to take. Perhaps too great.
Shaking his head, Gibson couldn't resist drawing her just a little closer, though not as close as he would have liked. Just enough so that their knees brushed ever so slightly. "To most people, medicine is like magic, so no, I doubt that he will question anything. But if I am to help you through the next few weeks, I need to know what is involved with the running of the estates and your life here in London. There are many fine details, and if I leave you alone with the steward and a maid, you may think a matter trivial when, in fact, it is extremely important."
"You're truly going to help me? Help me run the estates and make the decisions my mother did?" Gibson nodded and Amy looked skeptical. This was a great risk for him, and, from her perspective at least, he received nothing but aggravation in return. "What if someone finds out? What shall we do then?" He had mentioned the possibility of gossip a moment ago, not that she particularly cared. She had endured far worse, not that he knew anything of it. Nor would he, if she had her way.
Gibson shrugged casually, not wanting her to dwell on that possibility. "Then we come up with a plausible explanation. But they won't find out. We will conduct everything behind closed doors, if such actions are deemed necessary."
He paused for a moment, thinking hard. "How about this? We will make certain that Michaels believes that a runner is taking the information to Bath so that Marcus can make the decisions. If he is your father's steward, then Michaels already knows Marcus' location, and will not find it an odd thing to do. In fact, it would be extremely logical. It will, of course, also be a lie, but a necessary one."
Gibson flashed her a grim smile, the fact that she hadn't protested the part about being behind closed doors with him a great deal of the time not going unnoticed. "It has been a very long time since I have studied the art of estate management and, in truth, have never done so in practice. I may need time to help you make the proper decisions. By allowing the steward to think Marcus is making them, we will gain that necessary time. No one but Hastings, your family, and I know the real truth of his condition."
The plan sounded absurd. It was full of holes so big Amy could probably drive a carriage and four through it. It was also rife with opportunity for scandal. On the other hand, she had little choice. She knew nothing about running the estates, and, while Marcus was still alive, he was horribly depressed in addition to his partial blindness. His condition was something her parents had taken great pains to hide from the ton. No one was supposed to know exactly how badly off her brother was, lest it be suggested that he was fit for no place but Bedlam.
Amy's father was gone, and while a message would be sent attempting to locate him, if he did not want to be found, he would not be. She did not know much about her father's business for the prince regent, but she did suspect that, unless the situation here was dire, he would not be recalled home.
That left her to ensure that the earldom did not fail, no matter how ill equipped she was to deal with the situation. Still, she was an adult woman of reasonable intelligence. How difficult could it be? On the other hand, if she made a mistake, it could cost her family everything. Then again, if she did nothing, failure would be assured. That could not happen. She was stronger than that.
"And my mother cannot be awakened?" That would simply be the easiest way to handle the entire situation. Amy felt she had to ask, just to be certain, though she knew better by now than to doubt Gibson.
"She was not precisely lucid earlier." Gibson hadn't wanted to inform Amy of that disturbing fact until he could examine Thea further, but now, he knew he had no choice. It could not be avoided. Not to mention that he did owe Amy the truth. He could not lie, not to her anyway. "It could simply be a temporary condition. Or not. I do not know. What I do know is that she could not form more than a few words at a time, let alone a complete sentence."
Amy was thankful now that she was sitting down. Her mother completely incapacitated? How could that be? And for how long? "Why didn't you tell me?" she demanded. It felt as if a knife was twisting in her gut. "That should have been the first thing you mentioned to me when you came from her rooms."
"When you were so close to swooning yourself?" Gibson knew he should have mentioned the situation immediately. It had been a mistake not to do so. Now he needed to salvage the situation before he completely lost Amy's trust. "I'm sorry, Amy, but I did what I thought was best. And remember, I did tell you that the apoplexy affected her brain."
Gibson took a risk and used her Christian name, something he hadn't done in months. "I didn't want to hurt you any more than you already have been. You are dealing with a great many things at the moment, and your mother's condition might only be temporary. I do not know for certain yet, and didn't want to cause you undue worry. Tomorrow, you must be prepared to take the reins of Cheltenham, and you cannot do that if you are ill or overset with worry yourself."
Amy hated to admit it, but Gibson was correct in his assertion. There was an undeniable logic to his words as well. She could berate him for the omission later. In private. Though in her heart, she had already forgiven him. He had only acted as he had in order to protect her. For now, she needed to be the lady of the manor. She needed to be the one in charge of Cheltenham. And for that, she would need a new mask.
It seemed that breaking free of her confining life was not possible after all, much to her disappointment. Then again, this was an adventure of sorts, was it not? She decided to think of it in that manner, anyway.
"Very well. But this isn't forgotten, Gibbs." Amy used his nickname, letting him know that she did forgive him - to a degree. "Next time, however, you need to tell me everything. I cannot do this if you withhold information from me."
"I will. I promise." Amy was stronger than she looked, something Gibson hadn't really known about her. How many more details were there about her that he did not know? Suddenly, inappropriate as it was, he wanted to know them all. Then he sobered, needing to make certain Amy understood everything clearly. "Since we are dealing with truth, I will tell you this as well. Your mother needs to rest. Undisturbed. She cannot continue on in her duties as she has been or they will kill her. Even after she is well. There is an underlying condition of some sort that caused her to fain
t this evening, and until I know what it is, I cannot effectively treat her over the long term."
Tears pricked Amy's, eyes and she attempted to fight off yet another urge to cry. This time, she gave in, tired of being strong. "Please, Gibson, don't let her die. I'll do whatever you wish, whatever is necessary. I don't want to lose her. She is all I have. Yes, I have my father, and while he cares for me, he is never really here. My mother is all I have in this world to cling to."
A part of her was embarrassed for confessing so personal and private a thing, but if she could not tell Gibson, then whom could she tell? No one. There was no one in the world who knew or understood more about her than he did. Not even Marcus. As the tears slid silently down Amy's face, it was as if she could feel the wall between them slowly start to crumble. In a way, it was relief.
Gibson wanted to say that she could cling to him, but it wasn't his right. It never would be. Instead, all he offered her was a risky friendship, and even that was pushing the boundaries of propriety a bit too far. Still, he would not change his mind. He cared for her, perhaps more than he should. Secretly, he knew he would do anything for her.
"Then I will do my best to ensure that you will not lose her. If it is within my power to keep her from death, I will, even if it means that I step down as one of the Prince Regent's advisors. I will be by your side until your father returns, whatever the risks." He wanted to offer more, but, for the moment, that was all that he could manage and not seem like a besotted, lovesick fool. Though he was probably that, too.
His words struck right to her heart. Amy was in awe that Gibson would risk so much for her, especially given the time that they had been apart, and the way she had treated him that evening at the museum. In that moment, she lost another small part of her heart to the man. Not that he didn't own almost all of it already, though she doubted he realized it. "Why?" Her voice was barely a whisper. "Why would you risk that? You have worked so hard for your position with Prinny!"
Gibson knew it was time for more honesty. Amy deserved it. She deserved so much more, really. However, all he could offer her was the truth.
"Because you are my friend, Amy, and, perhaps a bit more. Were circumstances different, I would like to think so, anyway, especially after what we shared." He noted that she blushed all over and couldn't help but remember the way her skin had flushed the first time he had told her that he found her beautiful. "That afternoon between us... It changed so much, for me at least."
This was the first time he had spoken of that day since it had occurred. It was right that he should speak of it with her. Right that he told her, though he did not deserve her nor could he offer her anything, he still cared. Deeply. He probably always would.
Amy clenched her hands together tightly, fighting the urge to reach for Gibson as was her instinct. Did she truly dare believe that he still cared for her? "It did for me as well."
In truth, she wanted to fling herself into his arms at that moment and allow his strength to comfort her. However, time apart had made her more than a little uncertain, not to mention that this was London. The rules were different here. Worse, what if he no longer felt as strongly as he had that magical day? He intimated that he still felt the same, but what if she was misreading things? She could not bear that on top of the other tragedies that had already occurred that evening.
Gibson's eyes were filled with concern, and she saw the truth of his desire for her in their golden depths. "More than that, sweeting, you need my help. You are a female alone in a man's world." Her heart soared at his use of the endearment. "I will not abandon you. My conscience will not allow it. Prinny can fend off his indigestion by himself for a bit."
Then, he stroked a thumb over the back of her hand. He found that he could not keep silent about the other part of his reasoning for wanting to assist her. Just like her mother's true condition, she needed to know the truth if this plan was to work. "And because I find that despite our time apart and our vow to forget that afternoon, I cannot. Nor do I want to. I hope and pray that you feel the same, at least a little. For me, whatever the tragedy that precipitated it, I cannot be completely sorry for the gift of time with you that I have been given."
Amy smiled then, the first smile that had graced her face since her mother had fallen ill. It was inappropriate, but that did not stop the warmth of feeling from blossoming deep inside of her chest. He still cared. Thank God. "I thought I was the only one who could not forget, who continued to wish that the situation was different. I thought that you regretted that day." It had been her greatest fear.
"No, sweeting, you were not the only one. And I regret nothing, at least not where you are concerned. Even if we cannot repeat that day, I will never forget it, either. It was the best day of my life." Amy was silent for a moment, simply staring at him as if she could not believe he had just bared part of his soul to her.
Gibson wanted her to speak, to say something. To either accept or reject his words. Yet she did nothing, as if the shock had rendered her frozen in place. He could not bear it.
So he did perhaps the worst thing imaginable. Or maybe the best.
"God forgive me," he mumbled as he pulled Amy to him and kissed her - the same way they had kissed that day at Seldon Park - hot and hungry and full of desire. The moment their lips met, he knew he had made a terrible mistake. For at the end of this, wherever his time with her might lead, he didn't know if he would be able to walk away.
Chapter Four
Society Tales
It seems that all of London cannot stop discussing the events that unfolded at Lady F.'s ball last evening. Though the ball itself was sadly disappointing and lackluster, the collapse of Lady E. made the night memorable, and, to this author's way of thinking, not in a positive way. It was fortunate that one Dr. G.B. was present at the soirée, and was able to attend to the injured lady immediately. It should also be noted that the man fiercely overruled the notorious lady's iron-clad rule that the terrace doors should remain closed and locked at all times during such events, indicting that the physician in question is, indeed, a force to be reckoned with this season!
He quickly escorted the lady and her daughter, Lady A., away from the scene for their own safety. It has reached this author's ears that the family, as a whole, is in questionable health. If this is true, will we see the dashing doctor out and about in society more often, caring for his charges? Given that the family in question has ties to the throne, it is extremely likely.
It is also interesting to note that the good doctor cut a dashing figure in his evening clothes and caught the eye of many an eligible woman before tragedy struck. However it was plain for this author to see that he only had eyes for one woman, though I suspect that no one else noticed his longing looks in her direction before the melee began. Which lucky woman could that be? Hmm? I shall not divulge that information, but I will say that, in this author's opinion, the match would be a brilliant one - on both sides.
- Lady X
The next morning as she waited for Gibson and Michaels to finish their discussions regarding Lady Cheltenham's duties to the estate, Amy could still feel the heat of Gibson's kiss on her lips. After learning of the countess' condition, Michaels had summarily forbidden Amy from commenting on the meeting, much to her annoyance, though, at Gibson's warning look, she had not pressed the issue. However, she had insisted upon remaining in the room with the two men as they talked. Gibson had a plan and she would trust him. She had to. She had no other choice.
It was of no consequence, really. Her exclusion simply gave her more time to contemplate that magical, wonderful kiss. It had been hot and sweet and hungry, just as it had been that day in the summerhouse. Unfortunately, it had also made her desire Gibson all over again. And that was something that absolutely could not happen. Not again.
Not now. Not here, anyway, especially if people like the infamous Lady X were watching, and apparently, she had been. Closely. Had Gibson been looking at her last night from across the room? Amy didn't
know, but she had decided earlier that morning that he probably had been. And Lady X had noticed. If she had, then had others at the ball made the same observation as well? There was a good chance of it. Amy would not risk her reputation, and, more importantly, Gibson's medical practice, for a few more stolen kisses. Sweet as they might be.
If Gibson was barred from practicing medicine, he would no longer be her mother's physician and after the splendid news he had given her that morning, Amy knew that would be a true tragedy. She would not allow such a tragedy to occur, even if it meant chaining herself to the bed to keep her hands off of the good doctor, an idea that held a great deal more appeal than it probably should.
Despite Gibson's caution in raising false hope the night before, Thea had shown marked improvement overnight. However, if it truly was an apoplexy, he had informed Amy over a light breakfast of tea, toast and a rasher of bacon, then the best thing for Thea was to allow her to rest, and give her body time to heal itself. Not much was known about conditions involving the brain, he had informed her, but that in his experience, allowing a person to rest with the aid of a little modern medicine, including laudanum, was often the best course of action. Gibson had also warned Amy that, despite the outward signs of improvement, the countess was not out of danger quite yet, and a full recovery was far from assured.
However that news had been enough to lighten Amy's heart considerably. Her mother would live. The rest of the details would sort themselves out; she was certain of it. That was all she needed to know. Given how weary Thea had been before the attack, the only possible better news - however unlikely - would have been that her mother had awoken completely whole and healthy, and rather apologetic for causing everyone so much worry.
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