Page 40 of A Duchess to Unravel (The Devil’s Masquerade #3)

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

“ T heo,” Dominic said, his tone gentle as he reached for her. “Perhaps you should--”

“No,” she said, her tone adamant, “I am fine, and I am not leaving this spot until the surgeon tells me he is going to recover.”

She glared at Dominic, challenging him to negate her.

But Dominic only nodded in understanding and drew his hand away.

It had felt like hours had passed since they’d brought Alistair into the surgeon’s chambers, and she was still in her dirty, bloodied nightgown.

Dominic had shrugged off his jacket to cover her exposed shoulders, but she’d barely noticed.

She knew Dominic wanted her to go home, to change and get cleaned up. It was the decent thing to do. The polite thing to do. Yet she could not bring herself to leave the spot on the wall she leaned against; ironically becoming the wallflower yet again.

“Perhaps you should be the one to go,” Theo stated, trying to sound calm. “Find Tristan. Tell him where I am.”

Dominic looked as if he were about to refuse when the door opened and Amelia, Hugo, and Seraphina came hurrying into the sitting room.

“We came as soon as the messenger told us what happened,” Amelia said, reaching one hand toward Theo and the other to her husband. “How is he doing?”

Theo’s face crumbled as Seraphina came forward and wrapped her arms around her. As soon as she did, Dominic wrapped his arms tightly around Amelia and drew her close.

“We do not know,” she sobbed into Seraphina’s shoulder, “It has been hours and no one has yet to come out and tell us anything.”

Seraphina pulled her from her embrace, giving her a determined look.

“If they are still operating that means he’s alive,” she stated calmly, “Take it as a good sign.”

Theo nodded, drying her eyes. Her friend was right. She just needed to be patient. Let the surgeon and his attendants do their jobs.

“Where is Tristan?” Hugo asked.

“Probably still dealing with the constable,” Dominic answered, his arms still wrapped tight around his wife. “Theo and I were just talking about going to find him when you arrived.”

“I will go,” Hugo offered.

“No need,” Tristan’s voice came from behind them all.

All of them quickly whirled around, and Theo took in the weary look on her brother’s face.

“Sorry it took me so long,” Tristan apologized, “The constable had a lot of questions, and when William came to, he put up quite a fight. He is in irons now, though.”

Theo let out a breath of relief, happy to know that she at least had one less thing to worry about, and then hurried to her brother, leaping up and throwing her arms around his neck in a tight hug.

“Thank you,” she whispered as they held each other tight. “Thank you for coming for me.”

“I always will,” Tristan rasped, squeezing her tightly, “You’re my baby sister, and I love you.”

Theo’s eyes welled with fresh tears.

“I love you too,” she whispered.

Those words had been foreign to her her whole life. Never once in her recollection had she uttered them aloud. Now here she was, using them twice in the span of a single day.

“So,” Tristan sighed when they finally pulled away from one another. “How is he? Any word?”

Theo felt her tears well again as she stepped back and shook her head.

“He’s going to be fine, Theo,” Tristan promised. “A man like Alistair does not go down easily.”

Theo nodded, praying that her brother was right.

It was another half-hour later before the surgeon walked into the room, and when he did, Theo sprang toward him.

“He is alive,” she stated, not allowing her words to be a question.

The surgeon smiled at her, nodding.

“He is indeed, Your Grace,” he replied, removing his mask. “The blade nicked an organ, which was what took me so long to fix. The sutures were hard to place. But we got it done, and he is already starting to improve.”

Relief flooded so intensely through Theo that she swayed. Tristan, Hugo, and Dominic all moved to catch her, and she smiled at them weakly as she steadied herself.

“When can I see him?” She asked, turning back to the surgeon.

The surgeon’s smile widened.

“Funny enough, he just asked me the same about you,” he replied. “In fact, despite his wound he was quite adamant about it. He threatened to leave the bed if I did not bring you back.”

Theo let out a weak laugh, her heart surging with joy at the news.

“He wants to see you, then he wants to be taken home,” the surgeon went on, a touch of worry in his eyes.

“Is that even possible?” Theo asked.

The surgeon begrudgingly nodded.

“We should wait a few more hours, but if we move him carefully, and a competent attendant accompanies him, I believe so,” he replied. “However, he will not be able to return to Caldermere for at least another week or so. He will have to remain in London.”

Theo nodded, willing to do anything to get Alistair home.

“But first,” the surgeon stated, waving a hand toward the door, “Let us reunite you two. It is very clear that one needs to see the other.”

Alistair sat up as he heard the door open, then winced as the pain in his side renewed.

He bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself from making a noise, not wanting to worry Theo.

The moment she stepped in, his eyes raked over her disheveled appearance and worried expression, and the fear he felt at the factory renewed.

What if he hadn’t found her? What if William had made her disappear forever?

The thought had him sitting back up and stretching out his arms as Theo hurried toward him. He didn’t care if his stitches ripped. He needed to touch her. The moment she was close enough he wrapped his hands around her shoulders and pulled her into the bed with him, cradling her close.

“Thank Heaven, you are well,” she whispered, snuggling into him.

“He won’t be if he does not lie down,” the surgeon stated, giving them both a disapproving look. “Your Grace, I must insist you lie back down!”

Alistair shot him a glare, but he loosened his grip on Theo just enough so that she could help him slide back down to the pillows.

“You must be gentle with your movements,” the surgeon said, kinder this time.

“If I promise to be still, will you give us some privacy?” Alistair asked.

With a sigh, the surgeon bowed, then left the room.

“Theo,” Alistair, said, cupping her cheek as he looked up at her. “Are you quite well?”

Her loving smile had a ball of emotions welling in his throat.

“I am perfectly well,” she promised, soothing her hands over his naked shoulders, his pectoral muscles. “It was you that was injured, not I.”

“Because of me,” Alistair grumbled, frowning. “Because I sent away the wrong man. I promised you I would offer protection and I failed.”

“Stop,” Theo hurriedly replied, placing a quick kiss on his lips. “You mustn’t blame yourself. If I had not broken our deal early, William would have never gotten to me.”

“But he would have,” Alistair argued, “It would have just been later. After I left for Scotland again.”

Theo shook her head.

“I do not wish to talk of this,” she replied. “He is dealt with. In irons and behind bars. You did stop him, Alistair. You found me. That is all that matters.”

Alistair pulled her closer again, stroking her hair.

“It is not all that matters,” he said after a while. “I should have never pulled away when I realized my feelings for you were growing.”

Theo went rigid in his embrace but did not move away.

“I pulled away too,” she said softly. “Feelings … love … I did not know how to handle them. I’m still not sure if I do. All I know is that I missed you terribly from the moment I left for the country.”

Alistair nuzzled his chin to her hair, pressing her closer.

“And I missed you. Terribly.”

He felt her sigh.

“And what are we to do about that?” Theo asked, tracing her fingers along his chest.

He tilted her chin up until their eyes met.

“We stay together,” he commanded.

Worry filled Theo’s eyes as she looked at him and shook her head.

“But that was not our deal,” she replied. “You were not interested in a love match. Neither was I.”

“To the devil with our deal,” he insisted. “I meant what I said at the factory. I love you, Theo.”

Theo’s eyes went soft as they grew watery.

“I meant it too,” she rasped, reaching up to caress his face.

“So, no more talk of living in separate houses,” he insisted. “Wherever we go, we go together.”

“Yes,” she sobbed.

They leaned toward one another, their kiss passionate and full of affection as they both accepted their new relationship.

“Oh, would you stop.”

Upon hearing Tristan’s voice, both of them broke away from the kiss and turned their heads, finding him standing in the doorway.

“I am glad you are feeling better, Harleigh,” Tristan grunted, “But you and I are still at odds.”

Alistair moved to sit up, but Theo pressed him back down to the bed and then stood.

“No, you are not,” she commanded, raising a pointed finger toward her brother. “If you want to be mad at anyone, be mad at me. I kept the threats a secret as well. Alistair has done nothing but try to protect me and give me what I want.”

Alistair and Tristan both looked at her, shocked.

“I lied to you because I wanted some semblance of control over my life,” Theo went on, her tone adamant.

“I know you love me, Tristan. I know you tried to protect me too. But it was Alistair who let me be who I truly am. Who ultimately protected me in the end, even if he did send away the wrong man at first. So, if you’re going to row with anyone, you will have to row with me. ”

She lifted her chin defiantly in the air and clenched her fists. “I already took down one man today. Am I going to have to make that two?”

For a moment silence filled the air, then Tristan leaned to the side to peer over at Alistair.

“Good heavens, is she always this demanding?” he asked.

Alistair nodded.

“Oh, yes. Frightening, isn't it?”

“A bit,” Tristan agreed, turning his eyes back to his sister.

“Something tells me I would not survive a fight with you.”

“You are quite right,” Theo replied, giving an assertive nod.

“Very well,” Tristan said, moving further into the room. “Let us have no more brawling today. If I promise not to hit him, will you give us a moment?”

Theo looked unsure, but Alistair reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

“We will be fine,” he promised her. “Would you please fetch the surgeon? I want to find out when I can go home.”

Theo gave her brother another warning look, but she begrudgingly nodded and turned back to Alistair to kiss his forehead.

“I shall be right back,” she promised, then left the two of them to talk.

“I love her,” Alistair stated as soon as she shut the door, “And trust me, Tristan, I will never make a mistake like this again.”

Tristan rubbed his lips together as he shoved his hands in his pockets and nodded.

“You truly mean it? You love her?”

Alistair nodded.

“In a way I never thought I could love anyone,” he confessed.

“And you will keep her safe?” Tristan asked.

“With everything I have,” Alistair swore.

Tristan took a step toward him, then a step back. Then with a sigh, pulled a hand out of his pocket and extended it to Alistair.

“Then I suppose we should work on being friends then,” he admitted, “For Theo’s sake.”

Smiling, Alistair accepted Tristan’s handshake.

“I knew beneath that polite exterior that you did not like me from the very beginning,” he teased.

To his surprise, Tristan actually let out a laugh.

“Yes, well, not many can see past my facade. Perhaps that’s why I did not like you to begin with. I could tell you truly saw me,” he replied.

Alistair raised a brow.

“We are brothers-in-law, Tristan,” he stated. “If there are secret burdens you carry, you can trust me with them. My protection extends beyond Theo and to you, you know.”

Tristan let go of his hand and took a step back.

“Just focus on making my sister happy,” he said, heading toward the door. “She’d be rather upset if I have to hurt you after all.”

Even though there was a teasing tone in Tristan’s voice, his eyes glittered with warning as he gave Alistair one last look, then left as Theo came back.

“I have sent a messenger to the house to prepare a bed for you on the first floor,” she told him, coming to his side. “The surgeon, Dominic, and Hugo will be in shortly to move you to the carriage. They all insisted they stay through the evening, so we will have some house guests.”

“As long as you will be there too, you can move me anywhere you want,” Alistair replied, holding her hand.

Her smile was full of love as she looked down at him.

“I will,” she replied, leaning down to kiss his lips. “I promise.”