“Yes, my love. I will not argue.”
Her pretty face relaxed. “Oh, Gavin. I was so frightened when I saw you lying on the floor, and you weren’t answering me.”
“Forgive me for worrying you so.”
She glanced over at the door, frowning. “But how could your door have justfallenon you?”
“I’m quite sure whoever is trying to sabotage my life was the one responsible for unhooking the door from the frame.”
“Then I shall have Mrs. Jones send for the constable at once.”
“The hour is late. This matter can be addressed tomorrow, I assure you.”
She sat back on her legs and sighed. “I have been waiting to talk to you all evening.”
“Again, please forgive me for being so inattentive to your needs, my love. After we are married, I will devote all of my energy to you.”
“Gavin Worthington,” she snapped. “Are you making fun of my feelings?”
“On the contrary. I also wanted to talk to you this evening, but I didn’t want to see you in my filthy state of dress. I also wanted to be with you without fearing I would fall asleep.”
She offered a faint smile. “Now it is I who feels foolish. I should have realized how exhausted you were.”
“My lovely Cilla, I hope you know I hurried back from my journey just to see you. Sadly, other things got in the way, like the carriage accident and my door.”
She hiccupped a laugh. “Well, you must be feeling better, since you are finding humor in this.”
“Indeed, I’m somewhat better.” He tried again to sit up, and thankfully, the spinning room wasn’t going as fast, and his stomach didn’t feel like upheaving. “Please have Stewart help me to the bed.”
Although he didn’t see him, his valet stepped behind Gavin and slowly helped him up, with Priscilla’s assistance. Together, they carefully helped him to the bed and laid him down.
Once the softness was beneath his body, he took Priscilla’s hand. “My lovely, you should probably leave now. I’m sure Stewart would like to make me more presentable for when the doctor arrives.”
Priscilla’s cheeks darkened with color, and she nodded. “And I shall check on your grandmother. I’m certain she heard the crashing noise of the door falling on you as well.”
“Let her know I am no worse for wear. I shall be my cheerful self come morning.”
She gave him that stare to let him know she didn’t believe him. “Please get your rest.”
“I shall, but only because I don’t want another day to go by without being with you again.”
She finally smiled fully. “I’ll hold you to that promise, Your Grace.”
As she walked out of the room, his hopes sank. These accidents must stop before someone was killed. He would make certain to find the culprit one way or another.
Chapter Fifteen
As promised, hewas up at a decent time the next morning. Although there was still a slight pounding in his head, at least nothing else was wrong. The doctor had come not long after Priscilla left the room, and thankfully, the man reported Gavin had no broken bones.
As he went through the movements of having his valet dress him in his favorite dark gray trousers and jacket, ideas of what he could do filled his mind. Of course he had been thinking about this for a few days, but he tried to compile a list of people who might want to do him harm. Sadly, the only ones he could think of were the women he had hurt over the years.
The only problem with suspecting those women was wondering how they knew where he was currently living. He doubted they had spied on him all this time. And because it couldn’t be them, it had to be someone at the estate, since the accidents didn’t start happening until after he arrived.
“There you are, Your Grace,” Stewart said. “You are looking quite well, even after last night’s incident.”
“I thank you,” Gavin told the valet. “I’m glad nothing worse happened. I can’t be bedridden at a time like this.”
“Exactly, Your Grace.”
