Husband Wanted (HC #1)

19: The Discoveries in the Maze

Elizabeth sat on her heels, her dress bunched up in a disarray that had one knee freely on show, and stared up at David. One hand drifted to her throat, fingers dancing lightly across the skin, and her mouth was ajar. She could feel a few strands of hair brushing against her shoulders, but she was sure there were more that had escaped that she couldn't feel. Overall, she certainly looked a fright.

In contrast, David resembled an avenging angel.

With the faint light behind him, it was impossible for Beth to see his face. She wasn't sure she wanted to. As it was, he stood tall, weight slightly to the side of his good leg, with his crutch gripped upside down in his right hand. The crossbar, which usually nestled underneath his shoulder, was resting on the crumpled form of the man that lay between them. Beth looked away from that quickly. His breath was coming quickly, moving his entire torso, and she let out a shaky breath of her own to match.

He extended his other hand to her.

Beth tried to take it with the hand that still held her shoe. In the back of her mind, the idea that she'd just tried to hand him her slipper bubbled, escaping from her lips as a deranged giggle. It turned quickly into a sob, and her other hand moved from her neck to cover her mouth.

With a grunt of... of what, Beth couldn't tell, David threw the crutch behind him. Beth watched it go with wide eyes, barely feeling as he took the shoe from her and then gently took her hand. She only looked back when he pulled her to her feet.

And then she was lifted.

The entirety of Beth's mind was still not working, or perhaps she would have protested. Instead, she took the moment to curl into his solid, reassuring form, briefly enjoying the sensation of being cradled and protected as he limped away from...

She jerked away from him for a moment, trying to wriggle out of his grip. "Your leg, David!" Her voice was somehow both gravelly and squeaky, but neither of them were inclined to laugh.

David grunted and pulled her closer so that she wouldn't fall. "One more moment."

They turned suddenly, entering the maze and putting a wall of hedge between them and the unconscious man they'd left behind. David squeezed her tightly one last time, and then gradually lowered her to the grass. Her back was to the leaves and he was standing so close to her, but unlike the similar scene from moments ago, she wasn't afraid.

David looked down at her, their faces separated by a handspan, and this close she could finally see the emotion in his eyes. She had to glance away, fixing her gaze on his cravat.

"Are you alright, Beth?" His voice was low, deceivingly calm as his arms rose to grip the hedge on either side of her, shielding her from the world around them.

Not trusting her voice, she nodded.

"Did the ba-," he shook his head slightly, more to remove the anger from his tone than anything else. "Did he hurt you?"

This time she shook her head, letting her fingers trail up to absently play with the knot at his neck. She didn't know who had tied it for him, but they had done a rather excellent job. Or perhaps this was how all cravats were tied and she'd just never ventured this close to inspect one.

David's hand raised to her throat, resting on her shoulder to run his thumb across her skin. The area was tender and the gentle touch hurt, but that wasn't the reason the contact left a trail of fire in his wake. His movement reversed, moving back towards the middle, and as he trailed over a particularly sore spot, Beth couldn't help but flinch.

His hand retracted instantly, forming a furious fist.

"I ought to kill him." For the first time, David's gentleness was completely absent from his tone. Beth had to glance up, a little afraid and a little curious about what she'd see on his face. His eyes were clenched shut, however.