Rebellious Bride Read Online Free PDF Page B

that covered his private parts. His head was cushioned by several white pillows, and his eyes were closed. His face was pale, though not alarmingly so, and showed the strain and discomfort of his predicament.
    Her eyes drifted over his chest, broad and much fuller in muscle tone than she had first thought. His arm muscles were thick, his hands large and strong as they lay still on his flat midriff. He was much more of a man than she had given him credit for.
    Her interest in his anatomy quickly vanished when she caught sight of his thigh. It was propped up on thick white towels that were now soaked with blood. Without blinking an eye Lil rushed to his side.
    “Sir?” Jonathan’s voice roused the slumbering lord.
    Rolfe lifted his head slightly and caught Lil’s eye. “What the bloody hell are you doing here?”
    “I’m glad to see you too, Rolfe,” Lil said sweetly and put her medical satchel down on a nearby table.
    Rolfe turned his attention to Jonathan. “Get her out of here. Now!”
    “But, sir—”
    “I said now, Jonathan!”
    “I’m not going anywhere,” Lil insisted.
    Rolfe focused his most intimidating look on Lil. It didn’t budge her. It actually stiffened her resolve.
    “Childish petulance will get you nowhere,” she warned him as she opened her satchel. “Jonathan, bring me some hot water, soap, and clean towels.”
    “I will wait for the real doctor to tend to me,” Rolfe said, sending her another glare.
    With a wave of her hand, Lil gestured for Jonathan to do as she directed. “Nonsense. Doc Talbert isn’t available and won’t be for some time. You’re stuck with me.”
    Rolfe dropped his head back onto the pillows and moaned.
    Jonathan returned in minutes with the items she had requested. She took a clean white apron from her satchel, put it on, and tied the strings behind her back, then rolled up her sleeves and washed her hands. “Tell me what happened.”
    Rolfe ignored her request.
    “He took a fall from a horse, and a piece of wood tore a gash in his leg,” Jonathan offered.
    The manservant’s explanation came quickly, and Lil noticed his expression had changed to one of extreme concern for Rolfe, which meant that Rolfe’s condition must have appeared to worsen, and the servant was deeply worried.
    “Have all the slivers of wood been removed from the wound?” she asked, approaching the bed as she dried her hands.
    Rolfe sat up, causing the towel to dip dangerously low and display the dark curly hair that lay a few inches below his belly.
    Lil ignored the intimacy of the situation. She had seen almost naked men before, although never such a fine specimen of a man as Rolfe appeared to be.
    “I was waiting for the doctor to assure me that all of the splinters had been removed,” Rolfe said, emphasizing the word “doctor.”
    “Fine. I’ll make certain none remain,” Lil said with confidence and reached out to examine the wound.
    Rolfe’s hand moved so fast Lil didn’t even see it coming, nor did she realize he had grabbed her wrist until she felt the strength of his grip. His fingers were firm and locked completely around her wrist.
    His actions did not intimidate her, at least that was what she told herself while her heart thudded in her chest. “I am quite capable of tending to your wound,” she said softly, assuming he felt her skills inadequate.
    Rolfe found his own heart hammering. This small, brash woman could not actually believe he would allow her to tend to such a personal matter. Why, she shouldn’t even be in his room while he was in a state of undress. Her eyes should have been shyly cast down in distress at his nakedness. Her behavior was not at all proper.
    “I will wait for the doctor. You have no business being here.”
    Lil attempted to ignore his powerful grip. “This, Lord Sherborn, is the West, not England, where propriety is everything. Here, day to day survival is the most important consideration. And if survival means a woman tending to a