A Marquess for Christmas Read Online Free PDF Page A

wrung out the towel when Avery
interrupted her.
    “Laudanum
first. It will hurt less.”
    She
took a spoonful of liquid, pulled the man’s mouth open, and poured it inside.
Since the teaspoon was small, she poured a little more and gave him a second
dose.
    The
man’s mouth made a sour face, but she closed his jaw and made him swallow it
all.
    “I
should’ve told Sally to fetch some tea. Laudanum tastes worse than a radish
covered in dirt.”
    This
time, Avery did manage a tiny smile.
    “Do
not tell me it is my feminine sensibilities.” Violet crossed her arms and
stared at the butler. He was teasing her without uttering a word, something he
did often, though no one else seemed to notice it.
    The
man coughed loudly. She rushed to pat him on the back.
    “ Neber sheen.” Cough. “Woman like you.”
    Avery
still wore his half-smile and Violet realized that both of the men were
laughing at her.
    “Well,
obviously you have not been acquainted with many women.”
    The
man shook his head. “Plenty.” He groaned loudly and raised his hands to his
face.
    She
put her hands to his temple and pressed lightly, rubbing in the slowest circles
she could manage. “See, you should not argue with a lady.” She continued
ministering to him until she could hear his breathing become even.
    When
she lifted up, he caught her hand and held it. “Thank you.”
    “You
are welcome.” She looked into his eyes and they seemed less cloudy and dark.
“Do not talk too much. You should rest, but try to stay awake until the doctor
comes.”
    “You
should do the same, my lady,” Avery said to her.
    “But
we haven’t finished. He needs to be bathed.” She went back to the basin and
wrung out the towel. It was warm still, but most of the heat had gone.
    Tenderly,
she wiped her patient’s face, but paused when she caught him staring at her.
For the space of two breaths, she couldn’t move. The water trickled down from
the edge of the towel, pooling over his chest.
    This
man was not her husband, but here she was, leaning over his naked body, bathing
and stroking his skin, wishing that he would press his lips to hers.
    “This
might go faster if you would allow me,” Avery said, breaking their stare.
    She
looked and realized he had bathed half of the man’s body in the time it had
taken her to wipe his face.
    Violet’s
cheeks burned. She was going to hell for this. Her duty was to bathe and nurse.
Nothing else.
    “I
am sorry,” she said.
    “Perhaps
my lady should go and take a bath and get into clean clothes. He will be fine
until you return.”
    Violet
nodded, which caused her to look down and see that the gentleman wasn’t so limp
as before. She turned her head away, ashamed for looking at him so intimately
while he was nearly helpless.
    It
was natural for a man to be stimulated while being stroked and bathed. And he
was barely conscious as it was. There was no need to assume that it meant
anything more than that.
    So
why did she want it to?
    Violet
glanced at the butler and nodded before hurrying from the room. She dared not
look at the gentleman again.
    * * * *
    A
hot, steaming bath did little to soothe Violet’s nerves. The water felt good,
but the tightness in her limbs had less to do with weariness from her ordeal
and more to do with the fact that she was still thinking about him.
    As
if she could do aught else with her ladies’ maid quizzing her.
    “How
gallant. Did he really take on both thieves on his own?” Miriam looked
dreamy-eyed as she washed Violet’s arm. “Sally said that even with the bandages
and blood, she could see that he was handsome. Is he handsome?”
    Violet
nodded. To speak might give away more than she wanted. Miriam was a sweet and
devoted girl, but she loved to gossip. She hadn’t the discretion of Sally or
Mrs. Norris. But the girl was sharp as a tack.
    “A
dashing gentleman, a lady in distress. It’s like a tale from Camelot.”
    “Hardly.
In Camelot, the villains do not use