Clayton pushed the wheelchair to the side of her bed. “This is your new wheelchair. I sent James and Giles to town for it early this morning.”
Thea couldn’t help her delighted smile. The chair was shaped like a triangular box with two large wheels at the back and one wheel in front. There was a square box above the front wheel that had a handle atop it and two handles on both sides. Thea stared at it in awe. “You did this for me?” She pointed at herself.
“Of course. It will ensure that your leg is stabilized, and it will make it so that you can get about the house with less trouble. You don’t want to spend your entire stay hidden away in this room, do you?”
Thea blinked at him. She’d honestly believed shewouldhave to spend her entire stay hidden away in this room, not just because of the trouble of moving about with a broken leg, but also because they were trying to keep her presence here a secret. Not to mention the fact that she expected Anthony to arrive at any moment and take her home. A bit of guilt tugged at her conscience. Lord Clayton must have spent quite a lot of coin on this chair, and she was going to leave here the first chance she got. “I hadn’t expected you to procure one so quickly.”
“After we spoke about it last night, I decided to send the footmen to town first thing,” Lord Clayton replied.
Thea’s eyes met his. “That was quite kind of you, my lord,” she said softly. Their gazes held for a long moment before Thea forced herself to look away and shook her head. “Oh, Maggie, do come help me to sit in it.” If the man had gone to the trouble to get her a wheelchair, it would be extremely rude of her not to use it and be thankful for it. Even if only for a day or two …
“No need,” Lord Clayton said, waving away the maid as he pushed the chair up to the end of Thea’s bed and stepped around it. “I’ll help you.”
Thea barely had a moment to register his words before she was unceremoniously scooped up into his arms, broken leg, splint, and all.
She clutched at his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his neck to keep from tipping over, all the while intensely aware of the spicy scent of his cologne and the feel of his muscled arms moving beneath her. Her gaze inadvertently moved to his mouth of all inconvenient places to stop. His firmly molded lips were only scant inches from hers. Thea sucked in her breath. What would it be like to … kiss him? She gulped and glanced away.
Then, just as quickly as he’d lifted her, Lord Clayton set her down in the chair as easily as you please. He even managed to maneuver her broken leg into a wooden contraption on the side of the chair that kept her leg lifted and stabilized.
“I’ve never seen a wheelchair with such an apparatus,” Thea said, more to distract herself from the memory of his muscles and mouth than anything else.
“I made that part myself,” Lord Clayton replied, looking a bit sheepish.
“You what?” Thea blinked at him some more. Surely, she’d misheard him.
Lord Clayton rubbed the back of his neck and squinted his eyes. “Last night, before I went to bed, I was thinking about how we could keep your leg stabilized inside the chair. I couldn’t sleep so I drew a sketch and then went out to the barn and create it.”
“Are you quite serious?” Thea exchanged a brief surprised glance with Maggie who lifted her eyebrows and stepped back toward her chair. “How in the world were you able to make it so quickly?”
“I … I like to … experiment with things.” Lord Clayton trailed off before scrubbing a hand across his forehead. “I do hope you don’t find it too forward of me.”
Thea smiled at him and shook her head. “No more forward than me breaking my leg in your stables, my lord.” She reached out and touched his shoulder. “Thank you. I am delighted to have this chair. It’s perfect.”
Their gazes met again, and Thea was mesmerized by the look in his blue eyes. It was beyond generous of him to not only procure the chair for her, but to go to the trouble of making a special split for her leg.
Not to mention the fact that he could have just sent the chair up with the footmen and asked them to help her into to, but he’d delivered it and helped her himself. Lord Clayton’s gaze rested on her hand, which was still touching him. She quickly snatched it away as if it had been burnt and cleared her throat. “I greatly appreciate it, my lord. I’m certain my father will reimburse you—”
“Rubbish,” Lord Clayton replied, waving away her words. “This is a gift. An unusual one, granted, but a gift, nevertheless. Now, shall I help you learn to use it in the corridor?”
THEA SPENTthe better part of the next hour out in the corridor learning how to use the handles on the sides of the square box to propel herself in the wheelchair. It was exhausting and she wasn’t entirely certain she was doing it correctly, but she made enough progress to be able to go short distances by herself. She would have to rely on the footmen and Maggie to go longer distances in the chair, but at least Thea learned how to move around a bit.
Lord Clayton took his leave about halfway through her lesson when Mr. Humbolt arrived and informed him that his solicitor was waiting in the study to go over the books with him. Thea had felt a brief pang of disappointment when Lord Clayton had been forced to leave, but she quickly continued her lesson with Maggie and Rosalie’s help and soon the three young ladies were in hysterics over Thea’s penchant for rolling herself into corners and getting stuck.
When they returned to the bedchamber, Thea found herself happy but thoroughly drained. “I think I need a nap,” she informed Maggie the moment the bedchamber door closed.
“Would you like me to summon Lord Clayton to help you back into bed?” Maggie asked, her eyebrows waggling.
Thea slapped at her friend. “Absolutely not. I’m certain the three of us can manage if we just put our minds to it.” She gestured to Maggie and Rosalie.
With the maids’ help, Thea stood from the chair and hopped back toward the bed. It was slow, uncomfortable, and somewhat painful. The entire process was much more difficult than when Lord Clayton had deftly scooped her up and sat her in the wheelchair. But she couldn’t very well rely on him to move her back and forth. Not only would that be an unreasonable request, it would be beyond embarrassing. Especially given what had happened when he’d moved her earlier. The last thing she needed was to have another moment of feeling his muscles and thinking about what it would be like to kiss him. Besides, Anthony would be coming for her soon and she would be whisked back to Blackstone Hall, she had to learn how to manage a broken legwithoutLord Clayton.
Wincing, Thea pulled herself atop the mattress. Maggie had already pushed back the covers, while Rosalie helped her to scooch against the pillows before she pulled the covers over Thea’s legs.
“Thank you, Rosalie,” Thea said, settling back against the pillows and expelling her breath. In addition to some rest, she needed a bit of laudanum. Her leg was throbbing again. “I appreciate your help. And your discretion.” It couldn’t hurt to remind the maid that her presence here was still a secret.
“Oh, don’t ye worry none, me lady,” Rosalie said, nodding sagely. “I’m an old hand at keeping things quiet ‘round ‘ere. I’ve got lots o’ practice.” She glanced over each shoulder and lowered her voice, bending closer to Thea. “Ye see, ye’re not the only secret houseguest staying ‘ere, me lady. There’s another wot’s down the far end o’ the corridor, in the next wing.”
Thea’s eyes went wide, and her throat went dry. “What?” she said, blinking rapidly, quite unable to believe what she was hearing. Could what the maid was telling her be true? And if it was true, who in heaven’s name was Lord Clayton’sothersecret houseguest?
