Dark Angel by Tracy Grant Page B
Authors: Tracy Grant
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Historical, Regency, Historical Romance, romantic suspense, Women's Fiction, Regency Romance, adult fiction, Historical Mystery, historical romantic suspense, Dark Angel, tasha alexander, lauren willig, vienna waltz, rightfully his, loretta chase, imperial scandal, beneath a silent moon, deanna raybourn, the mask of night, malcom and suzanne rannoch historical mysteries, josephine, cheryl bolen, his spanish bride, liz carlyle, melanie and charles fraiser, m. louisa locke, elizabeth bailey, shadows of the heart, anna wylde, robyn carr, daughter of the game, shores of desire, carol r. carr, teresa grant, the paris affair
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to the village well for more water and murmuring softly to Ramon. Adam was silent, but Caroline could feel his gaze upon her. When she tried to ease the shirt away from his skin, she felt him wince.
"I'm sorry," she said.
"Better pull it all off at once," Adam advised, in the tone of a detached observer.
As she tugged the shirt free he drew a shuddering breath. "Just one more," Caroline said.
The pad, soaked through with blood, was more difficult to remove. Adam groaned, but when Caroline looked at him, he gave a faint smile. "That's the worst of it. It's not much of a wound considering all the trouble it's caused."
This, at least, appeared to be true. The wound looked shallow and reasonably clean. But it had begun to bleed again when she removed the bandage. Caroline pressed a fresh cloth against it.
"This will cleanse it," Adela said, kneeling beside Caroline and handing her a vial of vinegar. "The girls will be back with more water soon."
"My thanks for your hospitality," Adam said, switching to Spanish. "Señora—?" He looked at Caroline in inquiry.
"Adam Durward, Adela Soro," Caroline said formally, hoping she could leave it at that and not explain Adam's reasons for coming to Acquera.
"Señora Soro." Adam, lying flat on his back, managed to give the words a semblance of gallantry. "My most sincere thanks."
"You are English." Adela smiled. "You have come for Caroline?"
"That was my intention."
"I'm so glad," Adela said warmly.
"I'm pleased to know someone is," Adam murmured.
Caroline reached for the vial of vinegar. "Time for more stoicism," she told him. "This may sting."
Adam's eyes glinted with ironic amusement. "A bit drastic for a change of subject."
Caroline looked away, disturbed. There was something much too intimate about shared humor. Adam did not speak again as she cleansed his wound and she did not permit herself to think about anything but the task at hand. The girls returned, chattering and bearing a pail of fresh water. Juana gathered the little ones in the back room and told them a story, while Adela tore strips of cloth for a new bandage.
"There," Adela said, when she and Caroline had finally secured a fresh bandage over the wound. "You're an excellent patient, Señor Durward."
"You and Mrs. Rawley are excellent nurses, Señora Soro."
Caroline sat back on her heels, pushed some loosened strands of hair out of her eyes, and forced herself to look at Adam. His face was pale beneath his sun-darkened skin, but his eyes were clear and focused again and they seemed to see far more than she wished. His shirt was pushed back, so that save for the bandage his chest was bare. Now that her task was done she could not help but notice the dark hair on his chest in which she had once tangled her fingers, and the lines of bone and muscle which she had once traced with her lips.
When he had collapsed in the street, it had seemed for a moment as if they were children again. But they were children no longer, and if she allowed herself to think that way it could only lead to disaster.
Caroline got to her feet abruptly and went into the other room. The children were getting restless, despite Juana's efforts to amuse them. Emily asked if Mr. Durward was all right, and Ramon wanted to know when they were going to have supper. By the time Caroline went back to the outer room, she had recovered her self-possession. Hawkins had returned while she was gone. He greeted her cheerfully and seemed matter-of-fact about Adam's injury, but Caroline saw the concern in his eyes.
"How is he?" she asked, glancing at Adam who was covered with a second blanket and seemed to be sleeping.
"He was half-asleep when I got here, but he says he'll be ready to travel in the morning."
"Will he?"
Hawkins grinned. "Knowing Durward, he'll travel, ready or not."
That, Caroline knew, was an all too accurate characterization. Hawkins said nothing about Caroline traveling with them. Adela merely said, "Rest is the best thing for
"I'm sorry," she said.
"Better pull it all off at once," Adam advised, in the tone of a detached observer.
As she tugged the shirt free he drew a shuddering breath. "Just one more," Caroline said.
The pad, soaked through with blood, was more difficult to remove. Adam groaned, but when Caroline looked at him, he gave a faint smile. "That's the worst of it. It's not much of a wound considering all the trouble it's caused."
This, at least, appeared to be true. The wound looked shallow and reasonably clean. But it had begun to bleed again when she removed the bandage. Caroline pressed a fresh cloth against it.
"This will cleanse it," Adela said, kneeling beside Caroline and handing her a vial of vinegar. "The girls will be back with more water soon."
"My thanks for your hospitality," Adam said, switching to Spanish. "Señora—?" He looked at Caroline in inquiry.
"Adam Durward, Adela Soro," Caroline said formally, hoping she could leave it at that and not explain Adam's reasons for coming to Acquera.
"Señora Soro." Adam, lying flat on his back, managed to give the words a semblance of gallantry. "My most sincere thanks."
"You are English." Adela smiled. "You have come for Caroline?"
"That was my intention."
"I'm so glad," Adela said warmly.
"I'm pleased to know someone is," Adam murmured.
Caroline reached for the vial of vinegar. "Time for more stoicism," she told him. "This may sting."
Adam's eyes glinted with ironic amusement. "A bit drastic for a change of subject."
Caroline looked away, disturbed. There was something much too intimate about shared humor. Adam did not speak again as she cleansed his wound and she did not permit herself to think about anything but the task at hand. The girls returned, chattering and bearing a pail of fresh water. Juana gathered the little ones in the back room and told them a story, while Adela tore strips of cloth for a new bandage.
"There," Adela said, when she and Caroline had finally secured a fresh bandage over the wound. "You're an excellent patient, Señor Durward."
"You and Mrs. Rawley are excellent nurses, Señora Soro."
Caroline sat back on her heels, pushed some loosened strands of hair out of her eyes, and forced herself to look at Adam. His face was pale beneath his sun-darkened skin, but his eyes were clear and focused again and they seemed to see far more than she wished. His shirt was pushed back, so that save for the bandage his chest was bare. Now that her task was done she could not help but notice the dark hair on his chest in which she had once tangled her fingers, and the lines of bone and muscle which she had once traced with her lips.
When he had collapsed in the street, it had seemed for a moment as if they were children again. But they were children no longer, and if she allowed herself to think that way it could only lead to disaster.
Caroline got to her feet abruptly and went into the other room. The children were getting restless, despite Juana's efforts to amuse them. Emily asked if Mr. Durward was all right, and Ramon wanted to know when they were going to have supper. By the time Caroline went back to the outer room, she had recovered her self-possession. Hawkins had returned while she was gone. He greeted her cheerfully and seemed matter-of-fact about Adam's injury, but Caroline saw the concern in his eyes.
"How is he?" she asked, glancing at Adam who was covered with a second blanket and seemed to be sleeping.
"He was half-asleep when I got here, but he says he'll be ready to travel in the morning."
"Will he?"
Hawkins grinned. "Knowing Durward, he'll travel, ready or not."
That, Caroline knew, was an all too accurate characterization. Hawkins said nothing about Caroline traveling with them. Adela merely said, "Rest is the best thing for
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