“The water has been kept hot for two hours. When you request something, be on hand to receive it.”
She ignored the surliness as she headed to the bathing room to find the water, tossing back, “The roomisa little warm from that fire, isn’t it?”
It wasn’t really. She guessed the window in the bathing room had been left open to draw out the heat from the fireplace and she found that she was right. She dipped a small towel in the bucket of simmering water, then dropped it in a clean bowl to take back to his bed. She wrung out the towel and placed it over his wound. It was no longer hot enough to burn, but he must have thought it was. He roared. She raised a brow at him and got a nasty look for it.
To distract him she mentioned what was on her mind. “How soon do we need to marry?”
“Too soon.”
“Would an engagement do instead?”
“No. The Prince is fickle. He has a tendency to change his mind so he sets specific time limits on important matters he wants to see done. He wants money out of this absurd arrangement to pay off his debts, wants one of us to refuse to go along with it so he can dip his hands into fresh coffers. He wants that immediately, so if we don’t marry in the time he has prescribed, he will get what he really wants out of this absurdity. The first of the three banns was read yesterday at Sunday mass. The emissary saw to that before he left.”
She felt a little queasy hearing that news. “So in only two more weeks? I’m surprised he didn’t bring a special license with him to shorten the time.”
“He did. I got the delay only because of the severity of my wound, which he could clearly see since I had to receive him in bed. It was his stipulation that you remain here for the duration. If you leave...”
“Yes, yes, we already know your sentiments. Mine are the same as yours. Believe me, I wish none of this had happened. As I told you, I was looking forward to having a Season in London, but instead I was thrown to the wolves, or wolf as it were. Oh, I beg pardon. I suppose you don’t like that nickname.”
“You shouldn’t try to provoke me,” he warned darkly.
Her heart skipped a beat. When he got all feral like that, he really was frightening. She had to remind herself that she didn’t know what he was capable of. Then again, maybe she should try to find out.
So she steeled herself to say drily, “Only you are allowed to be provocative? Oh, wait, that assumes I’ll still be here to see what happens if I don’t heed your advice? Which means you won’t say the words to end this, will you? Which suggests a truce is still the best path forward for both of us.”
She grabbed the herb pouch and headed back to the bathing room to mix another batch of salve. She was surprised he didn’t retaliate with another resounding no.
When she was back at his bedside, she risked raising his ire once more by asking, “Will we marry here or in London?”
“I refuse to plan for an event I don’t believe will happen,” he said darkly.
His ire didn’t rise because it hadn’t subsided! So she quickly spread the salve around his stitches, then handed him a fresh bandage, saying, “I will return again after lunch. Take heart that I won’t suggest we share all three meals each day. But I will be back to have dinner with you again.”
“Be precisely on time, vixen, or I will fire my cook.”
Her eyes flared. Her mouth opened to revile him for that threat, but she snapped it shut. She didn’t doubt he would do exactly that, even though his cook was his friend’s mother. How despicable!
In answer she wriggled her nose. “You stink. The fever has made you sweat quite heavily. You can’t take a bath yet, but that doesn’t mean your manservant can’t bathe you.”
“You dare—”
“An unclean body can affect—”
“If you’re not out of my sight in two seconds, I will share thisunclean bodywith you!”
She hurried out of the room, trying to suppress a grin. She hadn’t really insulted him. He did stink and probably knew it. He just didn’t like being told about it.
Chapter Twenty
RETURNING UPSTAIRS AFTER LUNCH,Brooke caught Gabriel coming down the corridor from Dominic’s room and stopped to ask him, “Am I ever going to get a tour of the house?”
“This is going to be your home, so you’re welcome to explore all you like.”
“Tell me about Eloise then?”
All of a sudden he looked wary. “Why? It’s not good to talk about the—”
“Nonsense. What was she like?”
