She looked quite delicious in it.
The pins had been taken out of her hair, and her silken tresses were in a gloriously loose tumble down her back. Gideon gently brushed a few curls off her lovely face.
Horace cast him a triumphant smile. “You did it, Mr. Knight.”
The others were hovering by the door, Joss, Pudge, Henry, and Bonham, all eager to hear the tale. Gideon was eager to hear theirs, as well.
But first, Dr. Farthingale insisted on having Lord Berwick settled in Bonham’s chamber so he could examine the man.
Horace handed the soup bowl to Gideon. “Here, you help Lady Berry. I’ll assist the doctor. Lord Berwick will require a fresh nightshirt, too. And he’ll need to wash the filth off him.I’ll give him the musk soap you foolishly refused to use. Cook made a fresh pot of marrow soup. I’ll have some sent up for his lordship if Dr. Farthingale approves.”
Gideon chuckled. “Thank you, Horace. I see you gave Lady Berry the best care.”
“Of course I did,” the valet said with a sniff. “And when I’m finished settling Lord Berwick, I’ll return to take care of you. You not only look like a mountain troll, you smell like one, too.”
Joss and Pudge burst out laughing.
Berry did, too. It did Gideon’s heart good to see her in fine humor.
“How are you feeling?” he asked Berry, an eyebrow quirked in hopeful question.
“In the pink.” She held out her arms to him.
They were the arms of heaven to him.
“I don’t care if you smell like a mountain troll,” she said with a wealth of feeling. “You saved Lord Berwick’s life.”
“And Henry savedyourlife,” Gideon said, relieved to see her looking better.
He called the lad over and gave his hair a ruffle. The lad was beaming as brightly as a lighthouse torch. “She already gave me my hug, Mr. Knight. But I expect she has a very special one saved for you.”
Gideon sat on the edge of the mattress beside Berry, his heart beyond full, and took the tray holding the soup bowl off her lap.
“I’ll take that for ye, Mr. Knight,” Henry said.
“Thank you, lad.” Gideon handed it over to the boy, whose chest was still puffed up with pride. He then leaned forward to embrace Berry, whose open arms still beckoned him.
“I love you,” she whispered.
“Same,” he said, careful to hold her with exquisite care.
He felt such a fierce longing for her, but hardly dared touch her while she was hurt and in such a delicate condition. Despite her claiming to be in the pink, he knew she was not.
However, she was on the mend, and this relieved him greatly.
“Same,” he repeated, hoping she understood how much he loved her.
She had become so important to him. He wanted so desperately to marry her.
How was it possible for her to have such an impact on him in so short a time? He could not ever see himself without her. They hardly knew each other, and yet it felt as though she had always existed for him and always been in his life.
In a way, she had.
The Thane family had been so closely bound to the orphanage. He must have seen Berry, a sweet child by her mother’s side, once or twice while he still resided there. Of course, he had been working through the anger of being abandoned, and too caught up in his own concerns to pay attention to the little angel who sometimes accompanied Lady Thane on her weekly visits.
He might not have been aware of her at the time, but his heart had known.
Yes, his heart had known and remembered. This had to be why he felt that immediate recognition upon their meeting again as adults.
