Page 30 of The Worst Possible Match (The Marriage of Inconvenience #1)
Chapter Thirty
T he following days in Brighton had done Alex good. To the extent that when he slept through the night without waking in a coughing fit, his first thought was wondering if something new was wrong. But no, it was just the simple recovery process. His chest no longer ached, he did not have as much difficulty swallowing, and the fevers that came and went were less frequent. He had more of his wits about him, especially noting that the hotel room they occupied had only one large bed. Which he frequently shared with his wife.
Except when Alex opened his eyes this morning, she was not there. Not in his arms, or by his side, and it made him frown. It had become his favorite way to wake up, watching her sleep in the calm, morning light. Seeing her without the worries she bore during the day.
He turned his head and found her on the other side of the room, standing in her dressing gown and covered in a robe as she stared out the window. Their room faced the ocean, and he had taken in his lot of the idyllic view. But even now, he preferred the view before him. Mrs. Westcott, his wife, with her blonde curls hanging over her shoulders, eyes glossed over and lost in the distance, arms folded across her chest while she nibbled on her thumbnail between her pink lips.
Lips that had wholly captivated him once before, and he found himself wanting to attempt again.
She must have sensed his gaze, for she whipped her head in his direction. “You’re awake?”
He nodded. “As are you.”
“Let me check you,” she said, returning to the bed. She sat beside him and pressed her hands to his forehead, and the side of his face. Alex would never object to this regiment, her morning routine of checking him for fever. He would never tire of her urgent touch, the flat of her palm on his face, her skin caressing his.
“You seem much improved.” She said the words in a definitive manner, and such words should have been reason to celebrate, but her lips remained in a firm line.
“Shall we go take a walk, then?” he suggested. “I should very much like to go enjoy the seaside again instead of just looking at it.”
But his wife shook her head. “Not yet. I will have Mr. Fox call a doctor to confirm your situation first. I will not endanger you unnecessarily.”
“I feel fine,” he insisted, but she turned her gaze on him.
“We will wait for the doctor.” Her blue eyes were sharp and adamant. “I cannot tell you how many times I have witnessed friends on death’s door, only to see their health momentarily rally, then suddenly… they’re gone.”
Alex nodded. “Very well.” He did not know what horrors she had seen, and he did not wish to worry her further.
She moved to stand, but he caught her gently by the wrist. “I only want you to know that I have improved over the past days because of your quick thinking in getting me here. I could have died back in the country estate. I owe my life to you. ”
She shook her head, brushing off his hand and returning to her stance by the window. “We never should have gone to the house in the first place. And we need never return again.”
Her words surprised him, but it was not a case he would argue. “If you wish.”
“No, Alex!” she snapped. “You must have your will and your own desires. It cannot only be what I wish. It is my fault you were subjected to that place again. You did not wish to go, but you felt it necessary because of me. And I will not ruin your life any more than I already have.” Alex saw the clench in her jaw as she turned away.
“Come sit with me, please,” he asked gently, but she shook her head, so he went on. “I suggested we go to Markham because I knew reuniting with your horse would make you happy, when so much of our situation had left you unhappy. And I would do so again, without hesitation. Wasn’t that enjoyment worth it?”
Her blue eyes took on a dangerous sheen. Was she angry? Anxious? Fearful?
“A few days of horse riding is not worth your life.”
Alex swallowed. She was not saying something he’d hoped she would, but it was something adjacent to caring for him.
“You are right. I did not wish to go back to Markham Estate. It bore terrible memories of my father, and his mistreatment of my mother. I was a sickly boy there, which apparently still lingers to this day. But I do not regret making this trip with you.”
He watched as her defenses slowly came down. Her shoulders softened, her brows eased, her jaw unclenched as she listened to him.
“I was reminded of my grandfather. He was a General in the Royal Navy, and he had taught me how to make ships in bottles. His are the ones displayed in the study. He was a good, kind man, much to the chagrin of my father. It was because I was a weak, sickly boy, that my father hated me. I was too much like his father, whom he disapproved of greatly. But I loved my grandfather, and everything he taught me. I grew up knowing the distinction between both men and vowed never to be like my own father. Though unfortunately,” Alex sighed, “I’ve failed on that front many times in your presence.”
Only then did she drop her folded arms and, hanging her head in shame, make her way back to standing before the bed.
“You have not failed,” she mumbled. “I must admit I made our whole ordeal more difficult than it needed to be.”
Alex reached up for her hand. “Then let us start over, here in Brighton.” He brushed his thumb over the back of her hand, and her eyes flitted to his. “A clean slate for the both of us. We are no longer enemies, but friends working toward a common goal of having a successful marriage.”
She bit her lip again, drawing his gaze down. There was firmness returning to the set of her jaw, and concern filling her ocean blue eyes. She was still clinging to some of her armor, still protecting her heart from him. That was fine; she didn’t have to blindly trust him right away. As long as she didn’t come after him with barbed words or threats anymore, he could be patient until she let down her guard over time.
She nodded, giving his hand a squeeze in return. “That I will agree to.”
“I am glad to hear it.” He smiled up at her, and he was pleased she gave him a small smile in return. “Shall we venture down for breakfast? I’m quite famished.”
“No, not yet,” she said, pulling away from him. “I’ll bring up your food and inquire about the doctor. Don’t push your luck.”
Alex chuckled as she moved to dress behind the changing screen. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”