Page 36 of Seven Nights with the Wicked Duke (Regency Beasts #3)
T heo came to consciousness slowly, his senses first noting that whatever bed that he was lying on was definitely not his, this mattress lacked the firmness of his bed, the air smelt different and his head pounded like a group of drummers were pounding away at it with obvious glee.
His throat also felt dry and scratchy and his body ached everywhere.
Perhaps he had collapsed drunk somewhere? .
This theory was shot to hell, when he opened his eyes, squinting at the light that filled the room with traumatizing cheerfulness. When his eyes finally fell on the disgruntled face of Magnus where he sat in a chair, watching him. It all came rushing back.
The fight. Cuthbert. The attack. Magnus finding out about his affair with Cecilia.
That last one explained the reason why Magnus was watching him like he was a possibly volatile criminal.
"You are awake," he said simply,
"It appears so," Theo replied, trying to pull himself to a sitting position, but the piercing migraine that shot through his skull informed him on the folly of attempting that maneuver at the moment.
"I would advise you stay put," Magnus said, no hint of sympathy in his voice.
"How long have I been out?"
"Three days," Magnus clipped out. "Cecilia had been caring for you ever since."
The sound of her name must have woken her up, because she opened her eyes now, and when she met his open eyes, hers widened with joy and she shot up, jerking the back of her palm to his forehead to check for a fever.
"Thank goodness," she sighed, her eyes closing in relief. When next she opened them, they shone with tenderness and happiness. "Thank goodness, you are awake."
Theo could offer only a smile in return.
He was too busy feasting on the sight of her beautiful face to form a sentence in response.
She looked tired, her eyes rounded by giant dark circles.
She needed to sleep. He was willing to bet that she had stayed awake most of the time he was unconscious, tending to him.
"You did not have to go to the trouble of tending me. You could have sent me home, the servants at my home would have tended to me."
"It was no trouble," Cecilia replied with a smile, squeezing his hand in hers. "I wanted to make sure that you were well tended to. I would have never forgiven myself if you had taken a turn for the worse. You were wounded because of me, after all."
"I assure you, my lady, I was already injured before Cuthbert's paltry attempt to maim me," he replied, smiling at her and enjoying the blush that claimed her cheeks in response.
"Believe me," Magnus began interrupting the moment.
"I would have enjoyed nothing more than to take you home to be tended by your servants, but your uncle's display showed us that your enemies are even closer than you know.
I was not willing to send you home to be vulnerable to attacks from any misguided servant that might be loyal to him.
Besides, I do not think you would enjoy the gossip that could spread amongst the ton if you arrived at your door, bleeding and unconscious.
You have a dark reputation already. I do not think it would serve you to have any more unsavory rumors circulating about you. "
"I am most appreciative of your care, Blackmore," Theo replied, sarcasm ringing from his tone.
He tried again to sit up and this time, there was no return of the headache, so he pulled himself to sit, his back resting on the head post of the giant queen bed so he could be at the same eye level as Magnus.
"You do not have to thank me," Magnus replied. "I am most grateful that you saved my sister's life. This is the only way I could pay you back. I only request one thing in return."
"What is it?" Theo asked warily.
"I ask that you stay away from my sister.
Once you are strong enough, you are going to leave and I do not want to ever see you touch my sister ever again.
Ordinarily I should kill you to defend her honor.
I am granting you this mercy as a friend.
I will ask that you do not force my hand.
I do not know what I might do then," Magnus said with a fierce scowl, his hands rolled up in a fist. It was obvious he was angry.
The Theo that his friends knew would have acquiesced, cracking a joke to smooth things over, burying his desires as he made his way out of the castle like his friend had requested. He was tired of that version and the restraint it required to rein in his desires .
Almost losing Cecilia had reminded him of just how fleeting life was and how much he no longer wanted to spend the little time he had pretending. He was going to live fighting for his love and what he desired, no matter the cost.
"I am afraid I cannot do that, Blackmore," he said, staring steadily at his friend even as his gaze darkened with rage. " This matter is between me and your sister. We are both adults, you do not get to decide for us how we go about our feelings."
"So help me, Emerton," Blackmore growled, his fists closing tightly on the arms of the sofa he occupied.
"Oh shut up, Blackmore. You do not get to play the overprotective brother with me now. If you were so protective, if you had trusted your sister's ability to choose her own husband, she would have never been in this mess."
"She was dragged into this mess because of your family."
"They would have never gained a foothold if you had done what you were supposed to. If you had played your damn role as a protective older brother, you would not have fallen prey to the machinations of a fake viscount and your sister's life would have never been in danger," he roared.
Magnus was transfixed for a moment, staring at him like a creature he could not recognize. Of course, he was surprised, he had most likely expected him to accept his dictates meekly, covering his anger underneath humor, but he was done pretending.
Bracing his hand on the mattress, he levered himself to a standing position enduring the vertigo that came with that change in position. He waited, holding on to the bedpost until the room stopped spinning and he no longer felt the urge to heave.
Reaching for the shirt he could see folded on the side table, he put it on, his gaze fixed on Cecilia were she sat quietly, visibly torn between him and her brother. He did not like to see her confused, but this time he was not letting her go without a fight.
"If you want me out of your lives," he announced as he fastened the neck of his tunic, "I will do so. I do not fancy forcing myself into places that I am not wanted.”
While Cecilia was ecstatic at Theo's recovery, she did not know what to do with the new Theo that challenged her brother.
For the past three days, she had bathed his body when his temperature spiked, quietened him when he became restless with fever, and dribbled broth down his throat.
In between, Magnus had offered his help to make Theo as comfortable as he could while he recovered.
But even though they’d worked together in some unspoken agreement of civility, she could still feel the weight of the unanswered questions that remained between them.
It seemed that Magnus had decided to wait until his friend woke up to ask the questions that were surely eating at him.
Perhaps he thought she was too innocent to have invited this, Theo was the rake, of course, he would easily believe that he was the originator of the affair.
But that was the thing about assumptions, they were usually wrong.
Even though she had expected it, it was certainly bewildering to wake up to find that Magnus had already begun interrogating Theo, and in typical masculine fashion they were locked in a battle of egos, one she was not interested in getting into.
After all, even though Theo had saved her from being stabbed, he had already broken his attachment with her, he had no reason to defend her.
She became even more confused when he defended her to her brother. This was a side of himself that he usually kept hidden. She did not understand while he was behaving this way with Magnus, after all he claimed he did not bear great passion for her after all.
Just before he exited the room, he strode towards her, lowering his voice to a rumble.
"I have completed the painting I made of you. I will be waiting for you to come retrieve it."
Having delivered his message, he strode out like he had not spent the last three days in bed, leaving her with many questions.
Was she willing to take the risk of going to see the painting Theo had made of her? A nude painting of her at that?