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Mother’s laughter cut him off. “A bird? You’re so upset about a chicken. Oh, good gracious. And it was your friend? You talked to it?”

“Mother,” Maddie and Verity hissed together.

She waved dismissively, wiping a tear of laughter. “Oh, please. This is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. Bethlehem Hospital should be Lord Wentworth’s home. A bird.” She snickered again. “What nonsense.”

“I apologise, Maddie.” Hector scraped his chair and rose. “I think I’ll return to my cabin.”

Maddie tossed her napkin on the table and stood up. “Hector, please don’t leave.”

He shook his head. “Enjoy your tea. I’m sorry.” He strode across the room among mutters and whispers.

“Mother.” Maddie suppressed an unladylike comment. “I cannot believe you could be so rude to him.”

“He isn’t human.” She giggled. “Perhaps he’s a bird too.”

Anger burned the back of Maddie’s throat. How she wished to see her mother’s smug smile vanish. “Don’t forget he’s the Duke of Blackburn,” she said in a rush.

She didn’t know why she bragged about Hector’s title. Perhaps because peerage was something her mother appreciated, and, gosh, she wanted to sting her. If Mother didn’t care about treating Hector horribly, she’d probably care about mistreating a duke.

Mother stopped laughing. “Quentin Wentworth is the current Duke of Blackburn.”

Maddie gripped the edge of the table. “He’s Hector’s cousin. He inherited the title only because Hector was already pronounced dead when Robert died. But once Hector is back, he is the direct heir.”

Actually, she had no idea if it was true. Once Hector was proclaimed alive again, why wouldn’t he inherit the title belonging to his family?

“Doubtful such an animal could be accepted as a duke.” Her mother opened her mouth to say something else, but Maddie didn’t wait for her reply.

Satisfied to have shut her mother up, she hurried out of the dining hall and along the passageway, chasing Hector. He marched towards his cabin, stepping aside every time he met someone.

“Hector.” She took his arm, and he stopped. “I’m so sorry.”

He didn’t turn around.

“Hector.” She stepped in front of him.

His eyes were a storm of sorrow. He seemed so lost her throat tightened with a lump of emotion. As more passengers walked past, she held his hand and led him to his cabin. His pain didn’t need more witnesses.

Once they were inside his cabin, she faced him. “I’ve always known my mother was cruel, but I keep discovering new layers of her depravity.”

“Am I insane?” he whispered. Tears hung on his eyelashes. “Did the island damage my brain?”

“No.” She cupped his cheeks, following an instinct that came straight from her heart. “Don’t listen to my mother. She’s the insane one. Tell me about Thomas.” She stroked his face. “Tell me everything about him.”

He rubbed his chest, his gaze lost. “Thomas was my friend. I spent days with him. I gave him pieces of fruit he’d eat from my hand.

He would perch on a tree next to me when I chopped wood or on my shoulder when I searched the forest for berries.

At first, he didn’t trust me, but then he sought my company as much as I did his.

The decision to leave him on the island broke my heart.

Talking to him kept me alive. It made me feel better.

I needed him, and I left him behind.” His voice broke.

She hugged him, and he shivered. “You did the right thing. He would have died on the raft, and even if he survived, he would have died in London, so far from his warm climate. Taking him with you would have been unkind. You proved to be selfless by letting him go. Now he’s happy on his island.”

“I feel like I’m going mad.” He shook with each breath.

“No, you aren’t.” She held him, although he didn’t lean against her. He’d crush her otherwise.

“I should have stayed on the island.”

“No. You did the right thing.” She took his face again, needing to see his eyes. “You were brave to leave, and I’m glad we’ve found each other again.”

He wiped his face with the sleeve of his jacket. “You’re the only ray of sunlight in my life. If you weren’t here now, I don’t know what would happen to me.” He was too honest to be a member of London’s ton.

“You’re strong, Hector. Don’t doubt it. And you aren’t mad or a savage. When we’re in London, I’ll be by your side whenever you need me.”

Yes, she made a huge commitment while she didn’t know anything about helping a castaway deal with society. But she wouldn’t leave him alone.

He turned serious. “I don’t want to cause you trouble. In a few days, I’ve caused you to argue with your mother more than once.”

She chuckled. “Trust me, you aren’t the cause of my constant arguing with my mother. It’s a natural occurrence.”

He laughed, and gosh, the deep, warm sound was intoxicating. “What if the people in London agree with your mother? I don’t want to be locked up in a hospital.”

“We won’t allow that.” She hitched a breath when he brushed his lips against her inner wrist.

He froze as if realising what he’d done, but she didn’t withdraw her hand and he didn’t step away from her.

“You should leave,” he whispered.

“I don’t want to.”

He kissed her wrist again, keeping his stare on her face. A fierce longing burst within her with such strength she tottered on her feet.

“Do you want me to stop?” he asked, brushing his lips against her skin again.

“No.” There was no hesitation in her voice.

He dipped his head and paused one inch from her mouth.

His warmth reached her already heated skin and caused her lips to burn.

She could easily slip her hand out of his and leave, but she wouldn’t.

She edged closer to him, feeling as if she stood on the top of a cliff, ready to plunge into the sea below.

Only a veil of air separated their mouths until he inched further and kissed her. The softness of his lips caused her inner muscles to clench with a sudden ache. It was the gentlest of kisses, merely a brush, but the effect within her was far from gentle.

He moved his mouth over hers slowly, and she let him, closing her eyes to focus only on the sweet sensations overwhelming her.

He cupped her cheek and ran the rough pad of his thumb over the curve of her jaw.

Oh, the shivers. She wilted. What would she do if he deepened the kiss?

No one had ever touched her with such reverence and passion at the same time.

She wanted to explore his mouth with her tongue and his body with her hands, but she didn’t dare ruin the moment by doing something too bold.

Before she could savour the kiss further, he pulled back, his cheeks blushing a deep crimson.

“I’m sorry.” He passed a hand over his face, horror widening his eyes.

“Don’t be. I liked it.” Was she blushing too? Because her cheeks were on fire.

“I shouldn’t have taken such liberty.” His words came out in a rush.

“I’m glad you did.”

He held her with desperation, and right then and there, she vowed to protect him.