She stopped in front of him and grasped one of his hands. His heart jumped to his throat. He lifted her hand to his mouth and brushed a kiss across her knuckles.
“Adrian, I want to thank you again for allowing my sister to lie down. But Mrs. Wendel says Prissy’s fever is getting higher. I fear we might not be able to move her when it’s time to leave.”
“There’s absolutely no need to do that. She shall stay here until she is well.” He kissed her knuckles again, slower this time, loving the softness of her skin against his lips.
“I thank you, Adrian,” she whispered. “But I should send word to my father.”
“Allow me,” he said quickly, wanting to do anything that would make her happy.
She nodded, her smile growing. “You don’t know how much I appreciate your help.”
She reached her other hand up and cupped the side of his face. He hitched a breath. She had made the first move to touch him, and not only that, but the look in her tantalizing gaze was one he had not seen before. Warmth spread through him, and his heart swelled.
He wanted to take her in his arms and show her with his lips how much this moment meant to him. But any one of his servants could walk by and see them kissing. Even Collin could catch them in an intimate embrace.
Expelling his breath slowly, Adrian covered her hand that still rested on his cheek, turned his head, and placed a kiss on her palm. Her throat jumped with what must have been a hard swallow, and the pulse at her neck beat quickly.
“What can I do for you, my lovely Bridget? Name it and it’s yours.”
Her shoulders relaxed. “Just send a note to my father. That is all I need at the moment.”
Nodding, he took both of her hands and kissed each one before releasing her and heading for the stairs. Happiness filled him, giving him hope for a brighter future. At least for now, he felt she would be easier to convince that he wasn’t a horrid scoundrel after all.
Chapter Sixteen
Bridget was mentallyand physically exhausted. The doctor had examined Priscilla and thought that she might have typhus—which, thankfully, wasn’t contagious. He had noticed a bug bite on the back of her arm and decided that was how she’d become infected. Unfortunately, he wasn’t certain how long she would be sick, and he even suggested that typhus could take Priscilla’s life. Bridget knew that prayers were the only thing to heal her sister.
Her father and sisters had visited earlier today but left within a few hours. Adrian insisted that Bridget stay by her sister’s side, and he let her father know they were welcome to stay for as long as they needed.
Smiling, she realized Adrian had changed drastically. She approved of the man he had proven himself to be. Bridget moved her fork around her plate, cherishing the silence in the dining room as she ate. Mealtimes at her house were rarely quiet. But being alone also made her uncomfortable. Not often did she eat by herself. In fact, she wished she could have taken her meal in the guestroom where Mrs. Wendel had placed her, next to Priscilla’s room.
The food smelled heavenly, but as Bridget ate, her mind wasn’t on the taste. Her thoughts had moved away from her sickly sister and were completely occupied with one man—Adrian.
It was different thinking about him in a new light. She liked the changes in him. Or… was it she who had changed? Had he been caring and selfless all this time and she hadn’t noticed?
No, he was the one different now. When they first met, he would have never thought of others first.
The last few times they had been together, she’d felt her feelings toward him softening. And when she talked to him by the stair railing, it was all she could do not to throw her arms around him and kiss him soundly on the mouth. When he had brushed his lips across her knuckles, shivers of delight had rippled through her and made her weak in the knees.
What she wasn’t certain about was whether he hadreallychanged—or had those things she’d witnessed in the past few days been just an act for her sake? If hehadbecome the kind and selfless man she wanted, it would be very easy to fall in love with him, especially since she had been fighting those feelings since their first kiss.
“Bridget.”
Hearing her name in his deep voice brought her out of her thoughts. She looked up from her plate. He entered the dining room and walked toward her.
“How are you faring, my sweet Bridget?”
She blew out a tired breath. “If I wasn’t so exhausted, I would be able to tell you how I was faring.”
He sat beside her and touched her hand. “Caring for a sick relative takes its toll on us, that is certain.”
“You have taken care of someone who was ill?”
He nodded. “My mother.” He shrugged. “I suppose I wasn’t the only one who cared for her, but I was only fourteen at the time, and worrying endlessly about her was exhausting. I hadn’t dared even leave the manor for fear she would die before I had a chance to say goodbye.”
“Did she… die?”
He nodded. “She left this world, unfortunately.”
