The Devil Rogue (21 page)

Ian
blew out
a relieved breath
.
“I’m pleased to hear it – not about her injuries,
but
,
rather
,
that she won’t sustain any scars from this.”

“About that—”

“Please
–
I know about the other
scars
.
” Ian plowed the fingers of his free hand through his hair, the other hand gripping his glass so tightly it was in danger of shattering. “
In fact, I only discovered them tonight, after she
—
”

“It’s all right, Blackridge,” Winters said
quietly
.
“You can count on my discretion
.
What I’d like to know is
–
what do you intend to do about her?”

Winters
was a tall,
pleasant-featured
man in his early fifties, with silver hair and dark eyes
.
As the third son of an earl, he
’
d pursued a medical career and quite excelled at it
.
He
’
d been the Blackridge family physician from the moment Ian
had been
born, and held a certain license to speak his mind, a privilege which he exercised on occasions such as this.
And Ian
trusted him to be discreet.

“I intend to marry her,” Ian stated
bluntly
.
“As quickly as possible.”

“Does she need rescuing, then?”

Ian fought the urge to fidget under the doctor’s direct and knowing gaze
.
Even though he outranked the doctor, as a long-time friend of the family, Winters still had the ability to make
Ian
feel like a small boy
in short-pants
.

“I fear I’ve done her a
terrible disservice.”

“Is that what they
’
re calling it these days?”

“I mean to make amends,” Ian
said
, feeling guiltier by the moment
.
“I was misinformed about her involvement in something of a most serious nature.”

Winters held up a hand
.
“
As I said,
I don’t wish to know the details
.
But
I
do
know you
well enough
, Blackridge
.
You may have a
notorious
reputation as a first rate scoundrel, but I also know that
be
neath the façade of dissipation and indifference you show to the world is a man of
integrity
.”

Ian’s lips slanted in a rakish smile
.
“Then
perhaps
I haven’t done a thorough enough job as
The Devil Rogue
.
I do have that reputation to uphold, you know.”

“Some day, my boy, you
’
ll have to tell me the story of how you came by that name,” Winters
said
with a wry
smil
e
.
He f
inish
ed
off his drink
,
set the glass down, and reach
ed
for Ian’s hand
.
“Well, then, I’ll be off now
.
I’ve given Miss Hopkins a powder for the pain and to help her sleep
.
Someone should watch over her during the night
.
If there’s a change for the worse, I want you to send for me straight away
.
I left more of the powder to be given as needed for pain.”

“I suppose you wouldn’t recommend moving her?”

“No, I do not
.
”
Winters
gave
a
boyish
grin
that made him look years younger
.
“
You’ll just have to find other sleeping arrangements
, my boy
.”
Then his expression turned serious, transforming him back into the distinguished physician. “
She must have complete bed rest for a day or two.

Like hell
he’d find other sleeping arrangements,
Ian thought
.
Miss Hopkins was right where
she belonged
– in his bed, and he intended to be in it with her
.
T
hat way, he could watch over her
,
or at least that’s
how he was going to justify it
.

She
was sleeping peacefully when he returned to his room
.
Ian stood near the bed
,
studying her, his gaze roaming over her pale complexion, the smooth bridge of her nose, her pink lips
.
He should have recognized the innocence there, the lack of malice
.
He should have been able to see her pain, the penance she’d paid at the hands of her father
.

Why hadn’t he
?

It had all been right in front of him
–
her injuries
– the way
she
’d
flinched
when he’d raised his hand toward her
that day in his study. There was
her protectiveness toward the servants.

Th
at
scene in the attic now played itself out
much
different
ly
.

Her father
had
pursued her
.

They
’d
fought
.

Eberly
slashed at her with th
e
knife
.
The man
had debts that needed to be paid, and he was willing to sell his own daughter to get what he wanted
.
He’d been on his knees, begging her
.

I
an had
just
assumed she was acting the sp
oiled, petulant brat
.

Instead,
Angela
– for that’s how he thought of her now, rather than Miss Hopkins –
ha
d been trying to defend herself, and in a moment of desperation
,
seeing her chance
to escape, she’d
taken the only option she’d felt was available
.

A surge of pride washed through him at the courage she’d displayed, the way she’d turned the situation to h
er advantage
.
She’d been magnificent as she’d boldly faced her father with bravery and dignity.

Turning down all the lamps
,
except one, Ian undressed and climbed into bed
.
He was careful not to disturb her as he inched closer
,
until he could feel the naked warmth of her body pressing
along
his
.
His
cock instantly
filled,
pulsing with a life of its own against her smooth thigh
.
It was a natural reaction
,
and
even tho
ugh his intentions weren’t of a
sexual
nature
,
it was
hardly prevent
able
.

He raised his head onto one hand and stared down at her
.
The movement caused the
sheet
to slide away, exposing her breasts
.
She was beautiful
–
an angel
–
his
angel
.
The knowledge of
her innocence, her innate kindness, her strength in spite of her suffering,
shamed
Ian
for
his treatment of her, of his blind need for revenge that had ultimately brought her down.

Having always lived his life as though everything in the world was his for the taking,
Ian
had never considered how his actions
–
his arrogance
–
might have affected others
.
It made him appreciate what he saw before him now
–
his chance for redemption
– an opportunity
to make things right
.

As soon as possible, he would apply for a special license
.
With his wealth and connections, it shouldn’t be too difficult
.
Once they were married, no one w
ould
dare question her standing in society, or they
would
answer to him.

Ian
drifted to sleep listening to the soft sighs of her even breathing, feeling oddly comforted, as though he was exactly where he should be
.
As he hovered in the realm between consciousness and the dream world, he imagined his angel in all her naked glory, her long, silky limbs entwined with his
as they joined and became one
.
The
dreams
that followed were lush and erotic, filled with sensuous
images
that seemed to weave a magical spell over them both
.
And in those dreams, he had no wish to free himself from whatever mysterious force held him there.

When he awoke to the meager light of early morning,
it was with a sense of having lost something
–
of a prize just beyond his reach
.
It was fanciful nonsense, of course
.
Ian prided himself as one who never subscribed to the silly notion of fate or
,
God forbid
,
true love
.
He was satisfied to leave that romantic affliction to females and poets
.
It was just a dream, after all, and as soon as he married
Angela
, he
fully
intended to reenact everything that had transpired in that dream
. . .
down to the
very
last sigh
.

Turning
over
, he saw that she was still sleeping peacefully, her features serene as golden rays of strengthening sunlight bathed her in an ethereal glow
.
What was it that had him so enthralled
?
She was beautiful, yes, but he’d had beautiful women before
.
Was his fascination with her the result of his desire t
o rescue her
?
He
’
d always known he would
have to
marry someday, just not for a few years yet
.
He supposed now was as good a time as any, and then realized the idea of marrying
Angela
didn’t bother him as much as he might have expected.

Today he would petition for a special license, and in a few days,
after
she’
d
had some time to recover, he would apprise
her
of the change in plans
.
She would become Lady Blackridge
–
his wife
–
in every sense of the word
.
Ignoring the rush of need filling his cock to a painful
state,
Ian
slid quietly from the bed
.
He would have her, soon enough
,
on their wedding night.

EBERLY WAS DESPERATE
.
That damn stubborn girl
!
S
he
’
d just
laughed in his face
when he’d asked about the money
.
Blackridge had yet to settle his debts as agreed, and
Eberly’s
creditors were getting downright nasty
. They were
threatening to send him to debtor’s prison
, of all things
!

A
s if that w
as
n’t bad enough, his head ached where Angela had thumped him with that over-sized book
last night
.
She could have killed him
for Christ sake
.
He’d been unconscious
,
waking early this morning with a throbbing headache
.
Well, he’d been giving her a right good beating before she
’d
got
ten
her hands on that book
, he thought s
mug
ly, huffing out loud.