To Have and to Hold (48 page)

“He may not
Isobel,” Dominic added into the stand-off, “But I do, and I am telling you now
to stop it.”
 
Dominic snapped from across
the room, fear made his voice harsher than he intended, but she needed to know
what this whole situation was doing to him.
 
He felt as though he was about to jump out of his skin, he was so tense
and nervous.
 
His wife’s life hung in the
balance and she stood there calmly defying Rupert as though he was holding
nothing more alarming than a scroll of paper.
 

“Enough!”
 
Rupert bellowed, lunging forwards to grab at
her with his free hand.
 
Isobel was
already tensed and poised and quickly evaded his grasping hand.
 
Twirling on her heel she was aware of the
flurry of movement from the men as they surged forwards in one mass towards
Rupert who was now struggling to stand upright having spun too quickly to try
to follow her, and lost his balance.
 

Isobel felt a
lightening rod of pain shoot across her entire front before she saw the fine
spray of blood pervade the air in front of her in a fine mist.
 
A lightning bolt of white hot pain burned
through her as she suddenly found it difficult to breathe.
 
Stars danced before her vision as she slowly
crumpled to the ground.
 
Vaguely, she was
aware of the thumping of bodies accompanied by a cacophony of voices.
 
It all seemed such a very long way away.

“Isobel!”
 
Dominic’s worried face swam into her vision
as she lay upon the floor.
 

“Dominic.”
 
Isobel murmured softly as she struggled to
focus on his beloved face.
 
“I had to do
it.
 
Please understand, I had to do
it.”
 
She desperately needed him to know
why she had provoked Rupert to such an extent.
 
To simply go with him and allow Dominic to bring the proceedings to an
unscheduled resolution was untenable.
 
By
provoking Rupert she had prodded him to make a decision that would seal his
fate once and for all.
 
If by risking her
life she brought an end to his torment, then she could at last rest in peace.

“The Doctor is
on his way darling, just stay with me.” Dominic’s voice was choked as he
studied his wife’s pale features.
 
Surely
to God fate wouldn’t be as cruel as to snatch her from him now!
 

“Dominic.”
 
Isobel fought the swirling blackness to look
at her husband. “Will you do something for me?”
 
Her voice was weak as she gasped for breath that wouldn’t come.
 
Pain slowly blossomed in her chest, as she
began to pant in an effort to gasp any breath she could.

“Anything,
darling.”
 
A tight knot of fear lodged in his throat as
he saw tears trickle slowly out from the corner of her eyes.
 
“Anything.”
 
He whispered softly.

“Untie my
laces.”
 
Her lips trembled with a small
smile as she saw his frown of confusion.
 
“Please untie my laces – I can’t breathe.”
 
The laces felt like a tight band across her
chest preventing her from drawing in the air she so desperately needed.
 
Ignoring the burning pain in her side she
raised her arm and began to fumble with them herself.

Quickly Dominic
eased her into his arms before doing as she asked and untying the laces.
 
Immediately Martha appeared with a shawl that
was quickly draped over Isobel’s blooded chemise.
 
As the pressure of her stays was lifted
Isobel sucked in a huge breath, the burning in her side increasing
significantly but she could at last breathe.
  

“Please darling,
stay with me.” Dominic’s voice shook as he glanced down at the steady trickle
of blood now seeping through the woollen shawl to pool on the carpet.
 
“Don’t you dare leave me, don’t you dare
leave me alone again!”
 
He watched in horror
as her eyes began to cloud over, and knew she was about to slip into
unconsciousness.
 

“Darling
Dominic, I do love you so.”
 
Her voice
was barely above a whisper.
 
Breathing
came easier to her now and came in shorter more comfortable pants.
 
“When I thought I had lost you to another my
world was torn apart.
 
I knew I would
never be the same again.
 
I feel blessed
to have been given a second chance to be a part of your life, despite Rupert’s
best endeavours.
 
Nobody could be prouder
to be called your wife.
 
I hope you know
that.”

“Of course I do,
my darling.
 
Why do you think I pushed
you to marry me so quickly?
 
You were
still on your sick bed for God’s sakes!
 
I couldn’t bear to take the risk that you would not wish to marry me
once you were hale and hearty.”
 
His
chuckle was harsh with emotion.
 
“I had
to capture you while you were too weak and feeble to run away.”
 

Isobel smiled at
his gentle teasing over her past traumas.
 
“You have to know that I would never run away from you.
 
Not really.”
 
Her eyes were calm and wise as they met and held his.
 
“You were always with me.”

“I know
darling.
 
I know.
 
But you do have this godforsaken knack of
disappearing off on your own to deal with life’s problems.
 
That is a circumstance that must
change.”
 
Dominic scolded ignoring the
huskiness to his choked voice.
 
“As soon
as you are able I shall have to get you with child, and keep you that way until
you are too old and too worn out to run anywhere.”
 

Isobel smiled
her own eyes awash with tears at the desperate pleading in his gaze.
 
A wave of dizziness assailed her and she knew
she was going to faint.
 
Drawing in a
deep breath took concentration.
 
Fighting
the swirling darkness that was gradually creeping towards her, she tried to
gather her thoughts into some semblance of order.
 
There was so much she wanted to say to
him.
 
         

She raised her
hand to draw his head down towards hers.
 
Placing a tender kiss upon his lips she managed to whisper, “I love you,
Dominic,” before surrendering to the dark void that swallowed her.

“Isobel!”
 
Dominic shook her shoulders, fear lodged in
his gut.
 
“Isobel!”
 

“Dominic, come
away now.”
 
Dominic shook off the firm
hands that were pulling him away from her and lifted her limp form into his
arms.

“Isobel talk to
me darling.”
 
Renewed fear clawed at him
as he gave in to the horror that she had gone. Clutching her to his chest, he
rocked to and fro slowly as he gave into the grief, oblivious to everything
other than the woman he held in his arms.
 

He thought the
belief she had died was bad enough before, but it had been nothing compared to
the pure despair that engulfed him now.
 
Her beautiful smile and gentle nature had quickly secured her a place in
the hearts of all of the staff.
 
Her warm
humour and tinkling laugh brightened his days.
 
Her presence in his house gave him something to come home to.
 
She was his life.
 
His very soul.
 

He vaguely
became aware of the insistent pressure of hands prising his arms from around
her.
 
Instinctively he tried to shove
them away but was pinned back as she was gently lifted from his lap by a grave
looking Edward and swept out of the room and a rapid clip.

“What the hell
are you doing?”
 
Dominic snarled filled
with rage.
 
Swiping a hand down his face
he watched in astonishment as Isobel was carried swiftly from the room.
 

Hubert came to
stand beside him. “Watson, the Sergeant was a field Doctor in the War.
 
He is the best one amongst us to assess
her.
 
The Doctor, even if he is at home,
will take too long to get here.”
 

The next hour
was the worst of his entire life, Dominic thought later that night as he sat
beside the bed.
 
Exhaustion fogged his
thoughts but he refused to give in to it.
 
A tray of food lay untouched beside him.
 
He had no appetite for anything other than his wife.
 
He needed her to open her eyes and reassure
him she would be alright.

The medic had
been unable to find any bullet inside her and after much searching had declared
that the wound was a surface wound.
 
The
bullet had sliced her skin as it had travelled between the bones of her corset
but not pierced her.
 
An inspection of
the corset had revealed the bullet had broken one of the bones, the end of
which had pierced Isobel’s skin.
 
The
blood had come from the length of the wound that ran along her ribs.
 
There was no imminent danger to her life; she
most probably had fainted through the shock of the ordeal she had
encountered.
 
The Doctor’s later arrival
had supported this opinion and Isobel’s wound was dressed with ointment and bandages
with instructions she had to remain in bed for the next day or so.

Several hours
later Isobel awoke and slowly became aware of the looming presence above
her.
 
Without opening her eyes she knew
instinctively who it was, his scent was enough.
 
Ignoring the burning pain in her side, she raised her eyes to meet with
the tender emerald gaze of her husband.

“Hello.”
 
He whispered with a tender smile.

“Hello.”
 
Isobel whispered through lips that were dry
and cracked.
 
“I am so thirsty.”

Without further
hesitation Isobel found her shoulders lifted enough to drink thirstily from a
goblet of water that had seemingly appeared from nowhere.
 

 
“You know, you really must stop doing this,”
he murmured when she was once again settled upon the plush pillows.
 

“What?”
 
Isobel frowned as she wondered what he meant.

“Lying
upon your sickbed, while I worry myself to death!”
 
His voice was full of raw emotion as he
whispered before placing a tender kiss upon her lips.
 
“God, Isobel.”
 
He couldn’t deny the tremor that laced his
voice as he rested his forehead briefly upon hers.

“Rupert?”
 
She had to know.

“Will be tried
for attempted murder, kidnap, embezzlement and hideous debts he has no hope of
repaying.
 
He has been taken to Derby
gaol to await trial.
 
Overall darling, he
is out of our lives.
 
At best he will
hang from the gallows.
 
At worst, he will
be transported to the colonies should he be released from the Debtor’s
prison.”
  
Dominic couldn’t hide his deep
satisfaction at either possibility.

“I hope he goes
to the Colonies.”
 
Isobel murmured and
watched as her husband’s eyebrows rose incredulously.
 
“I do hope he doesn’t swing for his
crimes.”
 
At Dominic’s start and frown of
consternation she hastened to continue.
 
“I want him to suffer.
 
I want him
to understand what it is like to lose everything, to have no avenue of escape
from the misery of destitution, poverty and starvation.”

Dominic suddenly
pushed himself away from the bed.
 
Ignoring her interested gaze, he quickly removed his shirt and breeches and
slid into the bed beside her, carefully tugging her around until she lay within
the comforting solidity of his arms.

“Then I think we
should both speak to Hubert, and see what he can do to ensure the correct
outcome.
 
If a life in Debtor’s prison,
with no chance of escape, is the route he should take then that is the route he
shall have.”
  
Dominic’s voice held no
sympathy for the sordid little man who had so nearly destroyed his future.
 
Carefully kissing the top of her head, he
felt raw emotion slide through him as the memories of the day clouded his
thoughts.