Page 98 of The Danger of Desire

He stiffened. “What do you wish to know?”

“Well, for one thing, why on earth did your mother hire him?”

“He was a member of her congregation. And he’d previously been a schoolmaster.”

She scowled. “That doesn’t make it right; she should have learned something more about his character beforehand.”

“True,” he said, relaxing. “But he’s dead now, so there’s no point in dwelling on it.”

“When did he die?”

“Last spring.”

Turning over to look at him, she said, “Before or after you went to Portugal?”

“Shortly before. What does it matter?”

“Because perhaps it wasn’t the trip itself that upset you. Perhaps it was the fact that you could never avenge yourself against him for what he did to you. And the thought of that so disturbed you that it stirred the nightmares up.”

He eyed her closely. “I suppose that’s possible. But there’s no way of being sure, is there?”

“I suppose not.”

They lay there awhile, quite content. Then he moved, as if to leave the bed.

She caught his arm. “Please. Not tonight. Stay with me.”

“I am. But I need to make preparations.”

She watched as he went over to the washbasin, then brought back a large porcelain pitcher and set it on the table next to her side of the bed.

He fixed her with an earnest look. “Promise me you’ll brain me with this if I hurt you.”

“Of course.”

“Promiseme.”

“I promise.” But she doubted she’d have to make good on that. At least she hoped she wouldn’t. Because she wasn’t sure she could hit him.

“I suspect we’re both going to regret this,” he grumbled as he crawled into the bed and drew her into his arms. “And I just want you to know that if I prove to be right, I’ll never let you live it down.”

“No doubt.” She burrowed into his arms, so warm and cozy.

“I mean it.”

“Hmmm.”

“You’re not listening to me, are you?” he asked.

“Uh-huh.” It had been a long day, coming on the heels of severalotherlong days. Her eyes had already slid shut of their own accord, and she didn’t want to move.

He gave a soft chuckle. “Doesn’t matter. Sleep, dearling. One of us ought to.”

So she did.

She wasn’t certain when she first became aware of it, but sometime in the night, she felt him thrashing beside her. He was moaning and begging as he’d done that last time, and now that she knew why, it broke her heart.

She laid her hand against his cheek. “It’s all right, my love,” she whispered. “You’re safe now.”