Page 17 of Nobody’s Angel (World of de Wolfe Pack #5)

“Call me Max, please. I pride myself in being a good judge of character. My wife and I liked you and Brynne from the moment we met you. Now infinitely so. I don’t know how we can ever repay you.

” He carried a chair to Brynne’s bedside and motioned for her to sit.

“Know that we will do all in our power to attend to him. He’ll stay here until he returns to health.

Stay by his side as long as you need. If you wish for anything, you have only to ask. ”

She nodded, thankful for his friendship.

He sighed and ran a hand through his thick hair. “My wife will come by to personally thank you as soon as she stops hugging our son. Max the Terrible. He’s certainly earned his reputation today.”

Lettie took Brynne’s hand and held it in both of hers.

“No wonder my father never complained of having daughters. Your son can keep an entire army running in circles.” She cast Lord Wrexham a gentle smile, appreciating all that he was doing for Brynne and desperately hoping it would be enough. “I’m glad little Max is all right.”

“So am I,” he said with sincere feeling, clearing the lump of relief obviously stuck in his throat. “I’ll have one of my staff sent up assist you. Don’t hesitate to ask for anything you desire.”

The only thing she desired was a healthy Brynne.

Brynne suddenly shifted and turned onto his side. Lettie jumped from her chair and sat on the mattress by his hip. “Brynne, can you hear me?”

He muttered something unintelligible. “My lord… Max! He’s talking.”

Lord Wrexham was already at her side and his eyes were wide as he studied Brynne’s birthmark. “Lettie, what is that mark on his shoulder?”

“He’s always had it. It’s in the shape of a wolf. But I don’t know if it signifies anything. In truth–”

“My father has to see this.”

“The earl?” Lettie was suddenly on her feet, gaping at him. “What do you know about that mark? Please tell me.”

He shook his head. “I don’t really know anything about it, but… my father might. I can’t make promises, of course. I know Brynne’s situation, a foundling left on your neighbor’s doorstep. It seems impossible… too farfetched…”

Lettie’s heart began to pound through her ears.

“In truth, I came here hoping to find something that might connect him to your family. The mark of the wolf is unmistakable. Brynne dismissed the notion, for surely the de Wolfe clan would have noticed a missing infant and searched high and low for him. I suppose I’m grasping at air.

That mark doesn’t link him to your family. But I didn’t know where else to start.”

She let out a long, ragged breath. “He means to leave me as soon as he’s fit to travel.

He thinks he’s unworthy of me. I’ve tried my hardest to convince him otherwise, to no avail.

So you must tell me what you know, I’ll never see him again unless I can prove to him that he’s fit to marry an earl’s daughter. ”

Lord Wrexham grinned at her. “We’ll see if the de Wolfe family can help you out.”

While he left to speak to his father, Lettie sank back in her chair beside Brynne’s bed, trying not to allow her heart to soar.

What if the earl did know something? What if he refused to tell them?

More likely, what if he sadly assured them that there was no connection between Brynne’s wolf and the de Wolfe family?

Suddenly feeling completely spent, she rested her head against Brynne’s chest as he shifted onto his back once more.

He felt a little warmer now, but the heat could have been coming from her, for her skin was flush with excitement after her conversation with Lord Wrexham.

She hoped it was Brynne’s warmth and he was truly starting to heal.

Her tears continued to fall because the wild swings from despair to hope and back again had wrung so much out of her.

Still crying softly, she put her arms around Brynne because she needed to do something to ease her fears.

Holding him close and feeling the renewed strength of his heartbeat went a long way toward allaying those fears.

“Please wake up. I can’t do this alone. I need you, Brynne. ”

His silence left her in despair once more, but after a moment she suddenly felt the soft brush of his hand against her cheek. “Lettie, sweetheart.”

His voice was a croaking rasp, but it sounded like music to her ears. She sat up and smiled. “You’re awake!”

“What happened?” He glanced around and must have noticed he was naked under the covers.

She would have been burying herself under the covers, too embarrassed ever to show her face again, but he had no such qualms about his nakedness.

He arched a dark eyebrow and grinned. “Wicked girl. Still trying to seduce me?”

She laughed. “Absolutely.”

He traced his finger along her jaw and momentarily turned serious. “How is little Max?”

“He’s fine. Howling and terrorizing the de Wolfe staff. Not to mention that he aged his parents about fifty years.”

“I’m glad he’s back in form. I was afraid that I’d be too late.”

“The little terror is strong. So are you. Oh, Brynne, it was such a close call! I thought I’d lost you, too.

” Her lips began to quiver, but she tried hard not to burst into tears again.

He was awake. This was a joyous moment, for Brynne and little Max were safe.

“We have to talk seriously about our future. Our future. Together. You can’t leave me behind, Brynne. I won’t let you.”

She saw by the furrow of his brow that he was going to protest, but he didn’t have the chance to speak before the Earl of Wrexham hobbled in. He was a tall, distinguished looking gentleman with a full head of white hair and intelligent, dark eyes.

Lettie, sensing the importance of this moment, moved aside to allow the earl access to Brynne.

He walked slowly to his bedside, leaning heavily on his cane and obviously in pain from the gout that had plagued him for days.

He studied Brynne for a long moment before he spoke.

“Young man,” he said in a voice of gentle authority, “care to show me your birthmark.”

Brynne didn’t appear pleased about it, but he nodded and turned slightly to show the earl the back of his shoulder. Lettie tried her best to show no feeling, but she was too excited to contain herself. There had to be a reason why the earl was staring at it so intently.

“My lord,” Brynne said quietly, “it’s just a mark. Doesn’t mean anything, nor do I expect that it is in any way connected to your fine family.”

The earl said nothing for another long moment. “I know another who bore the identical mark.”

Lettie gasped.

Brynne was frowning.

She reached over and took his hand, but her thoughts were on her guardian angel. Please, Jeremiah! Is this why you had us save Max? I’m sorry that I called you cowardly.

“Who, my lord?” Lettie said, stepping in when Brynne said nothing. What was he thinking?

“Ours is a proud family, directly descended from Atticus de Wolfe, the famed Lion of the North. He was a brave and ferocious fighter, fiercely loyal to his family. We’ve always been a close and loving family, which was why… Brynne, let me sit and chat with you a while.”

He sank into the chair that Lettie had earlier vacated. “Lady Letitia, would you allow me a moment alone with him?”

No! She thought her heart would burst from the anticipation.

She turned to Brynne, expecting that he would agree and request that she leave so that they could speak in private.

Why did men have to be so secretive? Honestly, secrecy was overrated.

But this was such an important moment that if Brynne wanted her to leave, she would swallow her disappointment and do as he asked.

Sighing in resignation, she bent to kiss him on the cheek. “I love you.”

He grinned at her, somehow managing to look innocent and seductive at the same time. “You’re going to put your ear to the keyhole, aren’t you?”

She shot him an indignant look, but the blush now creeping up her cheeks gave away her plan. So what if she was?

Brynne shook his head and chuckled. “Then I suppose I may as well ask you to stay.”

“I can stay?” Her mouth gaped open in surprise.

He reached out and tucked a finger under her chin to close it. “Yes, Lettie.” Then he turned serious. “You brought me here, gave me this chance. You belong here as much as I do.”

He took her hand in his and nudged her to sit beside him. She hadn’t minded at all while they were alone and he was on the verge of death, but now that he was recovered and his muscles were on sinful display, she suddenly felt awkward. “You have no clothes on.”

He arched an eyebrow. “ You removed them.”

She began to sputter. “Yes, I don’t deny it. But it had to be done to save your life. I had no choice. It isn’t at all the same thing.”

She turned to the old earl who seemed to be enjoying her embarrassment.

“I had to rip them off…” No, that sounded even worse.

“Because the big oaf was going into shock.” That much was true.

The fact that she had taken exceptional delight in running her hands over his big, handsome body was of no moment and merely a happy coincidence.

In any event, Brynne now had the covers securely drawn to his waist, and even though his chest was shockingly bare, who was to know that she’d been in here and seen him in this compromising position other than the earl, his son, and a few servants?

The de Wolfe family was not about to let word slip out.

“My lord, you had something important to tell Brynne.”

The earl turned to Brynne as though questioning his decision to allow her to stay, but Brynne simply squeezed her hand in assurance. “She saved me and little Max,” he said with unmistakable gratitude and affection. “Lettie belongs by my side.”

“Forever?” she asked. Well, she had to ask, for she wasn’t likely to find him so compliant again.

Instead of responding, he turned to the earl. “Will you please tell me who I am?”