“Don’t rush his recovery,” Hugh admonished gently as he returned, leaving the gas lamp as their only light left in the room. “He has to take it slow or he could suffer a setback.”
“I’m in the room,” Harlan said, his voice a bit rusty from disuse. “You don’t have to talk about me like I’m not here.”
Hugh snorted. “I can tell you’re feeling better.”
With an answering huff, Harlan said, “I would actually like some soup. I feel as though I’ve been at death’s door and I would like to get back to normal as soon as possible.”
Leah nodded and walked over to the bell pull in the corner of the room to ring one of the servants. When a footman arrived, she offered her request to the kitchen.
Before she could return to Harlan’s side, Hugh intercepted her. With a quiet tone, he suggested, “Why don’t you get some real rest now? We know that Harlan is through the worst. I can take it from here.”
Leah wasn’t about to agree to that. “If you think I’m going to leave him—”
“And I would like the chance to speak to him in private.”
Her tirade instantly faltered. She was a bit deflated at being sent out of the room, but as soon as he mentioned rest, she realized how exhausted she truly was. She hadn’t done more than doze for almost three days. “Very well,” she returned grudgingly. “But only because you asked nicely.”
He inclined his head and she walked over to talk to Harlan. “I will see you later. Eat well.” She hesitated, wanting to say more, but she didn’t want to overwhelm him the moment he’d awoken.
After another glance at Hugh, she slipped out of the room.
Harlan wasn’t pleasedthat Leah left. He wanted to keep hearing her voice, to look upon her adoring face. “What did you say to her?” he asked Hugh when he sat down in the chair next to the bed. He detested the hoarse way he sounded, but he knew his current status had been much worse.
“I told her to get some rest,” Hugh said evenly. “She’s exhausted, Harlan. If she doesn’t start taking care of herself, it’s going to affect her health.”
Although he wanted to be selfish, Harlan couldn’t abide the thought of switching places with Leah while she fought for her life in this bed. Instead, he said the words that he hadn’t wanted to claim before. “I think I almost died.”
“I think so too,” Hugh returned softly. “But for whatever reason, your life was spared. You have been given a second chance. The question is, what do you plan to do with it?”
Harlan frowned. “What do you mean? I plan to marry Leah if she will have me.”
“Will you?” Hugh asked. “That is another reason that I sent her away. I wanted to make sure you understood how much she has been praying over your bedside, and that if you dared to say anything other than you loved her, then I was going to take one of those pillows and put you out of your misery right here and now.”
In all the years that Harlan had known Hugh, he’d never known him to get so defensive. Leah must have made quite an impression on him. “I can see she’s charmed you.”
Hugh crossed his arms. “And I am starting to wonder if you truly deserve her.”
That, Harlan did take offense with. “I just said I wanted to marry her!”
“But you never mentionedlove,” Hugh pointed out. “I find it to be a rather important emotion. I could think of nothing else but Marie when we wed. I knew it was the best thing I ever did and that I was afraid I wouldn’t seal our vows with a kiss quickly enough before she slipped through my fingers.”
“Trust me,” Harlan breathed out slowly. “I wouldn’t have made the suggestion if I wasn’t convinced of my feelings for her.”
“Indeed.” Hugh’s eyes narrowed. “I would still take offense to you seducing your way into her bed, putting her through all of this chaos, without using the proper precautions.”
Harlan’s mouth tightened. He could feel a headache starting to pound between his brows, but he knew he deserved nothing less. He resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose and said slowly, “I allowed myself to get carried away. I know I made a mistake, but if you think I would have left Leah to defend herself on her own, you are wrong on that score.”
Making a point to glance at the bed, Hugh said, “You nearly did just that.”
“It won’t happen again,” Harlan said emphatically. “I am giving my notice to Wellington as soon as I’m strong enough to leave this blasted bed.”
“Why wait?” Hugh lifted a brow. “I will send for Wellington this very instant and you can tell him that you will be leaving the Home Office effective immediately.”
Harlan clenched his jaw. “Do it.”
His cohort grinned broadly. “That’s the spirit.” He started to go, but he paused and said, “You know, I think you might actually care enough for Miss Lindquist to make an honest woman out of her.”
Harlan rolled his eyes in frustration. “Isn’t that what I’ve been saying all this time?”
