Sweet Hoyden (21 page)

'You are evidently bedeviled by the megrims, which is only to be expected,
for you have been exceeding ill, I fear. At one time I despaired of seeing you
sitting up and recovered of your senses."

He advanced across the room, both hands clasped behind his back. At the same
time
Nan
passed him on her way out with the
rejected beef tea.

'Her ladyship still refuses to eat, my lord," the abigail complained.

'No doubt she will do so in due course," he replied.

Pandora could not look at him as he stood at the bedside. "Well, how do
you feel today, my dear?" he asked, and there was nothing but concern in
his manner.

'My head aches."

'That is not so surprising. You cracked it exceeding hard when you fell.
The miracle is that you were not more badly hurt." After a moment's
silence between them he went on, "You will be glad to hear I have sent
word of your recovery to Lady St. James."

'I am much obliged to you,
Asheville
."

'I am bound to confess, when she called upon me, I was less than gracious to
her, but I was concerned for you at the time."

Tears pricked in her eyes, which remained downcast. "Dare I ask your
forgiveness, Gareth."

He sank down onto the counterpane and his proximity
to her could only add to the weakness she felt just then. "Forgive you? I cannot conceive of a reason why I have
the need."

"You must know why."

"In truth, Pandora, I had
come to make amends to you. You might have been killed the other night."

She looked up at him then. "I did
not mean the accident, which was a consequence of my own folly. I
meant"—again she looked away—"my foolish masquerade as Madame de
Chambray."

'Oh,
that," he answered with a sigh.

'You have known about it all along,
haven't you?" she asked in a very small voice.

'No,
I did not."

More hopefully then, she asked,
"When exactly did you rumble me? Mayhap I deceived you for a little
while."

'Oh, you did," he assured her
in a rallying tone that gave her more heart. "When I saw you at Roddy St.
James's house, I had no notion you were not Madame de Chambray."

'Then, when did you realize?"
she asked pite-ously.

'On the following
day when St. James's carriage passed me in

'You
recognized me so soon," she wailed.

Tears spilled onto her cheeks as he asked
wryly, "Did you think I would not know my own wife? It is like I would
have seen through your disguise a day earlier if I hadn't been in
such a hurry to get to that mill."

'Why
did you not denounce me and put an end to the wretched business?"

'At first I was in a fidge to know
what you were about, and then"—he paused—"I acknowledged I wanted you
near to me and not at Brocklesby Hall, after all. For much of the time you were
exceeding infuriating to me, but truth to tell, Pandora, I did miss you when
you were gone."

Again Pandora lifted her eyes to meet
his. "You let me continue that absurd playacting! Oh, Gareth, how could
you be so heartless?"

'You appeared to
be enjoying yourself hugely," he answered in some dismay, "and
joining in the pretense most certainly amused me."

'I am relieved to
hear you say so, but what if I had been rumbled by someone other than
you?"

He shrugged.
"That would have been a trifle embarrassing, but I dare say I would have
admitted to knowing all along. In fact, I could have declared it a wager,
something everyone understands."

'What a
chucklehead I have been," she wailed.

'Such a
delightful one, I must own. I have enjoyed the masquerade, and I am persuaded
so have you, so we can dispense now with all this penitence. It does not become
you, Pandora."

He brought out his
lace-trimmed handkerchief and dabbed at the tears that were once again beginning
to spill onto her cheeks. "There, Pandora, we will have no more tears over
this matter. I insist upon it."

'I was persuaded you would be
furious with me"

'My anger
was great the evening I caught you with Buckley. I cannot deny that, but just
now I am so pleased to have you back here with me and restored to good
health." He fumbled behind his back and brought out the box he had been
hiding since he came into the room. "Perchance this will banish your
megrims for good and all."

Pandora just stared at the box and the earl was obliged to open it for her.
There, nestling in the velvet, was a necklace of the finest emeralds.

'Oh, this is magnificent. Why… ?"

'A gift, a small gewgaw, to make amends for the anguish I have caused you of
late. You may argue that you were deserving of it, but I could have called a
halt at the outset if it had pleased me to do so."

'But even so, this is overly generous of you."

'Nonsense. Have I not always said you must wear
emeralds? They match your eyes, although even the most flawless gem could not
rival their brightness. That is something you could never disguise."

He fastened the necklace at her throat, and she looked at him in awe.
"You knew all the while; I can scarce credit that you contrived to hide it
from me.

'You are not the only one with an inclination for playacting, my love."

'I am bound to concede that you played the part with good grace, Gareth. I
was quite persuaded you had a definite fancy for Madame de Chambray."

'And so I had. She was a delightful lady, but I must confess, Pandora is
more to my liking. I am so glad you have disposed of those patches you were by,
my love, I trust that young man who championed you so
well will be satisfied to retire now. If he has hopes to become your gallant, I
fear I will allow you time only for me from now onward."

'For my part I am resolved to be the most dutiful wife," she assured
him. "Francois will recover from his infatuation, as will his sister, who,
I fear, is now wearing the willow for you. I do love you, Gareth," she
added plaintively. "That was the only reason I accepted your offer above
all others. Buck Buckley means nothing to me and never did."

'I know," he answered gently. "It seems," he added, affecting
a sigh, "I forgot to tell you how much I love you, Pandora, so I am
telling you now, and vow to continue doing so in the future. For
the rest of our lives together, in fact."

She gasped softly before he kissed her again. This time she wound her arms
around his neck and returned his kiss with equal passion, as she had longed to
do for such a long time.

However, when a knock on the door heralded
Nan
's
return, the earl cursed softly before turning to ask, "What do you want
now, woman?"

'Beggin' your pardon, my lord, but Doctor Challis has arrived to see her ladyship."

He cast Pandora a regretful look and would have moved away, but she said
quickly, "Doctor? Oh, do send him away,
Nan
.
I need no physician, There is absolutely nothing wrong
with me."

The maid looked about to protest, when the earl added, "You heard what
her ladyship has said. You may dismiss Doctor Challis. The payment of his account
will be solace enough."

'Yes, my lord," the abigail replied, looking
mutinous. "There is also the dowager Lady Asheville. She is insisting
upon seeing her ladyship, and I fear I can no longer gainsay her. What am I to
say to her?"

The earl smiled. "Tell her the doctor is with your mistress; that
should be sufficient to delay her a little longer."

A look of bewilderment came over the maid's face, and as soon as she had
gone, the earl turned back to his wife, who slipped her arms around his neck
once again.

'You are the only physic I need, Gareth. Now that we are reconciled, I feel
the strength flowing into my bones."

'One thing I am quite determined upon, nothing will ever set us apart
again," he vowed as he went to turn the key in the lock.

'I have also made up my mind on that," she told him wryly, and when he
came back to her, at long last Pandora was able to give herself up to his embrace,
now she was in her rightful place.