Harlequin Historical November 2020--Box Set 2 of 2 by Terri Brisbin

Author:Terri Brisbin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2020-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINE

Staring at the Viscountess’s chamber door, Isaiah wondered if he would ever have a proper night’s sleep again.

Marriage was nothing like he imagined it would be, probably because he had not taken the time to imagine it. Wives, he had ignorantly assumed, were biddable souls with no desires greater than to be helpful and to please their husbands.

Such a supposition must have come from living a somewhat isolated life where the only two people to question his decisions aloud were his sister and Miss Shirls.

And now there was Felicia. What did one do with a woman who lacked common sense—who behaved in a way that put her safety at risk?

The first time he had met her she had been making wrong choices. She had been hanging from a tree, for pity’s sake! Not only had she endangered herself, but Abigail as well.

If the memories haunting the Viscountess’s chambers were not so painful, he would throw open the door, charge across the room and wake her and firmly explain what was, and what was not, acceptable behaviour.

But visiting old memories was not the only risk to be faced in the Viscountess’s chamber. Felicia might be in bed—wearing something sheer. Or nothing at all.

He could not think of that if he was to deal with her behaviour.

What she had done earlier this evening was not acceptable. To venture out after dark was irresponsible. Anything might have happened to her.

What if she had hurt her ankle the way his sister had just done and no one had known she had gone out? The consequences might have been disastrous.

He had lived that horror once and would not do so again. It was only by God’s merciful hand he had found Abigail that stormy night. Yes, six years had passed since then, but he had not fully recovered from the gut-twisting terror of what might have happened.

What if he had not looked up from his ledgers, listened to the still small voice prompting him to check on Abigail while she slept? He would never have known she’d wandered out. What if he had begun his search in the direction of the road instead of the lake?

She would not have survived. Years had passed since then but still, the sick fear he got whenever he thought of that time remained to haunt him.

Even though Abigail had survived, the ‘what ifs’ would not leave him alone. According to what fear suggested, history might change. He would not have checked on her and would have begun his search near the road.

Learning to put the past back where it belonged was not an easy thing for him.

What was going on in the moment was enough of a challenge.

Felicia probably thought badly of him. He had picked her up and hauled her back to the house. She would have had no way of knowing his reaction had been caused by fear more than anger.

If she thought him a beast, who would blame her? He had caused her to believe he would bite her.

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