“Stop pretending you care! It is nothing. I will deal with it. Can you not see the true cause of my anguish? I knew I was in danger of falling in love with you from the moment we met. I tried so hard to stop myself. I forced myself to list your faults.” She sniffled. “But you have none.”
He sighed. “Blessed saints, I have plenty.”
“Well, I cannot seem to find them. You are irresistible, and I have been so foolish as to put my heart at risk. What a goose I am. I know I am nothing to you and will now be added to the pile of ladies you have cast aside. I wanted so much to be special to you.” She hiccupped and held back a sob. “I am so angry…not with you, but with myself.”
She reached for the bottle of sherry, but he moved it out of her reach. “This won’t help.”
“Oh, yes it will. Give it to me, or I shall become angry with you. In fact, Iamangry with you. You know the effect you have on ladies. Why did you turn your charm on me? Why were you nice to me? You knew I would be defenseless.”
“Cherish, I am taking you upstairs now and will have a doctor summoned to look at you. You’ve done more than merely scrape that elbow. The blood is oozing down your sleeve.”
“I have told you, these physical injuries are nothing.”
“They arenotnothing.” He attempted to assist her, but she rose from the settee on her own despite her noticeable pain.
“If you will not let me carry you, then at least take my arm to steady yourself.”
“And rely on you once more? Lean against you and let you be my hero?” She slapped his hand away and then rushed out of the parlor.
Gawain was now left alone.
Was this not emblematic of his life? Alone. Not a single meaningful relation in his life.
No, that was not so. Cherish was that meaningful person, and he had just let her slip away.
What was wrong with him? Why had he not stopped her?
Chapter Eleven
Cherish retired toher quarters to change out of her soiled gown and try to calm herself. Had she been too hard on this Silver Duke? She did not believe her injury was his fault. In truth, he had been sincerely concerned and rushed to help her.
But almost being trampled by Lady Albin’s beast of a horse brought back terrors of that fall off her own horse all those years ago. She was shaken and overset, and her head was throbbing at the sensitive spot she’d hit when falling as a child. Then Reggie had lashed out at his uncle and set her off further.
She understood Reggie’s concerns. What had started off as a fun bit of plotting between him and Fiona to match her to the Duke of Bromleigh had now gotten out of hand. Reggie did have the softest heart, and seeing her injured had upset him as much as it had upset her.
Everyone was now angry. Lady Albin, for one. The duke, for another. Reggie. Even sweet Margaret.
As for Fiona, Cherish expected to hear Lady Albin go flying out a window once her friend heard the full story of what had happened and got her hands on the woman.
It would be no less than that horrid countess deserved.
Cherish had just managed to remove her soiled gown and was standing in nothing but her chemise when she heard a knock at her door. “Who is it?”
“It’s Fiona. Let me in.” She opened the door a crack to make sure no one else was with her, then nodded and stepped aside as Fiona marched past her in a huff. “I cannot believe that woman!”
Cherish sighed. “I gather you heard what happened by the stable. Who told you, Gawain or Reggie?”
“Reggie told me. The witch might have killed you.” Fiona’s eyes were blazing, and she began to pace across Cherish’s room, but paused to stare at her when she saw that Cherish had a handkerchief pressed to her elbow and it was stained with blood. “Should I summon a doctor for you?”
“No, I am more shaken than seriously harmed. Truly, I can take care of this scrape myself.”
Fiona continued to stare at her, an eyebrow raised in question. “Will you help me bury her body after I strangle her?”
Cherish laughed. “Sure, why not? I keep a shovel at hand by my bedside for just such a purpose.”
They both had a chuckle.
“But seriously, Fiona. I am all right. Do stop pacing. You seem to be more upset about the incident than I am.” This wasn’t quite true, because Cherish was very much outraged and had unfairly taken her frustration out on the duke. “I promise you, I am just a little bruised, that’s all.”
