The Rakehell Regency(74)

They both cast shy glances at each other, and broke apart.



"He's right. Back to bed with you. I promise you, you're perfectly safe."



"Yes, indeed. They won't be allowed in again, and they certainly won't be able to convince any doctor of their Banbury Tales once the whole story is known. Everyone in the district saw them gamble for you and lose. They could hardly be described as disinterested, therefore."



"But they can harm me through gossip, and if they go around telling everyon I am mad, it will reflect badly on Clifford."



Clifford took her hand and kissed it. "Then once you are well, we can take great pains to introduce you around the district. No one who meets you will fail to be impressed with your intelligence and commonsense, so anything they might hear from the Stephenses will be known to be sour grapes."



"So come on, Miss Hawkesworth, up you go, and try to rest."



He took her hand and began to lead her slowly from the room.



"Rest? I feel like I don't dare sleep at this point for fear of some other dark force coming to get me."



"Other?" Clifford asked softly, drawing parallel with her on her other side.



She shook her head. "Never mind. It's just me being fanciful. Henry's talk of ghosts must have made me more nervous than I thought."



"I understand." Clifford was still looking at her pointedly, but the stare was soon replaced by one of his more smoldering looks that she was coming to recognize. And even to look forward to.



Her tremulous smile became one of open invitation as she put her hand to his cheek. "Thank you. For supporting me today," she added, when a slight frown began to pucker his brow. "I never knew how ugly people could be when it came to money."



The doctor cleared his throat, excused himself, and returned to his study with a promise to come up to see her shortly once she was settled again.



After he had gone, Clifford said, "I have to admit, I really had never encountered avarice until quite recently. Toward the end of my service in the war, and now. It's one thing if a person is truly desperate. Like one of our Rakehell friends, Philip, whose family ended up in debtor's prison. He had younger sisters to look after as well, but he never stooped to what your cousins tried to do today. The only person he ever hurt was himself. He got transported because he did what he could to alleviate the debt, and some called it criminal. But he certainly never tried to harm an innocent woman, or gamble. He worked hard at both his jobs and was as honest as the day is long."



"Then why was he transported?" she asked, as she mounted the stairs.



"He was falsely accused of having harmed one of his clients."



"I see. But he never--"



Clifford shook his blond head. "No. Thomas, the Duke of Ellesmere, testified for him, and saved him from being hung."



"Oh my. How dreadful." She sighed. "You certainly do know some unusual people, considering how wealthy you are."



"Which is all the more reason why I am so livid at the Stephenses. They have no excuse. They want for nothing, yet it's still never enough."



She had by now reached the top of the stairs, and entered her room. She sat on the bed and he stooped to remove her shoes. "True. All except Paul. I can't think he's changed so much."



"That may well be true, but I would like to advise you against having anything to do with him until you can be certain."



"All right, I promise."



"That's my girl." He pulled the covers up to her chin and smoothed away the tousled curls from her brow.



"Now, do you think you can sleep again, or would you like me and one of our companions to sit with you?"



"I'll try to sleep again if you don't mind. I had a bad night."



"More terrible dreams?"



She bit her lip and nodded.



"It will get better, I'm sure. I find that whenever I'm anxious about something, it comes to me in my dreams, and eventually resolves itself."



"I wish," she sighed. "But I don't think there's any resolution to this. I just feel so helpless."



"You've been very brave."



She shook her head. "Nonsense. I only wish I had been. I was woefully inept today trying to deal with my own family. Goodness only knows what would have happened if you hadn't been there."



Clifford gave a tight smile. "Though some might accuse me of actually making the situation far worse. Or even having been the cause of the situation in the first place."



"Don't say that, Clifford," she insisted, taking his hand. "If anything you've helped a great deal. And after all, it was their choice to allow the card game. You merely did what you thought was best in the circumstances. Even I can see that, even if I'm rather stunned at the idea of marrying you."