FREE! In The Arms of My Enemy (Completed!) Book 1

Kisses and Promises

William closed his eyes against his wife's scream of pain and held her tighter to his chest.

"Shh," he said against her hair, stroking the back of her head. A small sob escaped her throat, and she burrowed closer to him, her hands clenching the fabric of his waistcoat.

As the physician finished, William felt Fidelia's muscles begin to relax. The medicine was starting to take effect, thank heavens. With speed and efficiency, the physician splinted her leg while William rubbed his thumb over Fidelia's temple in soothing motions. Her now-familiar scent of basil was comforting as he tried to block out the memory of her scream.

"M'lord, a word?" The physician gestured to the door. William nodded and slowly lowered Fidelia to the bed before he reluctantly stood to follow the man. Fidelia grabbed his hand, stopping him.

"Come back?" she asked. Her face was pale, with curls clinging to her sweaty forehead. Her normally stubborn expression was replaced by an anxious look that reminded William of when they were children and she followed him everywhere. His heart softened, and the corners of his lips lifted in a smile.

"Always," he promised, placing a kiss on the back of her hand. She nodded with relief and released her hold on him. He followed the physician to the door, closing it quietly behind them so Fidelia wouldn't hear.

"Although her injuries are minor considering what could have hap­pened, I fear Lady Greyville has had a terrible shock," the physician muttered, glancing down the hall.

"Will she be all right?" William clenched his hands, remembering what had caused her injury in the first place. Could this have been an accident? Or was something larger afoot?

"Yes, in time. With these types of injuries and the medication I gave her, fevers and delirium for several days are common." The doc­tor paused, tilting his head. "I will remain close at hand over the next five days to monitor her condition and administer the laudanum. Even after her fever breaks, she may have nightmares or suffer hysterics. I recommend that you keep a careful eye on her for a few weeks."

William rubbed a hand over his eyes. "Thank you." After the doctor left, William peeked back in at Fidelia. She was examining the splint on her leg with a grim face, her tongue tucked into the corner of her mouth. She struggled to sit up and tug at the bindings.

"What are you doing?" William asked gently, pausing beside the bed. He reached out to put a hand over hers.

"This is humiliating," Fidelia said, not meeting his gaze.

William scoffed, sitting on the bed beside her. "The splint? Fidelia, don't be silly—"

"I cried." Her voice was quiet. She frayed the edge of the blanket between her fingers. William realized with a jolt what she meant.

"Fidelia." He laughed, but when he saw the look of hurt and em­barrassment on her face, his heart softened. "Oh, my clever girl." With a smile, he lifted her chin. "To feel pain is not weakness."

She shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. "It's not about the pain. The look on the carriage driver's face . . ." She closed her eyes. "It filled me with such fear that I froze. I should have been braver, I should have-should have—"

"Hush." William pulled her into his arms and rocked her, his lips pressed against her hair. She returned his embrace, burying her face into his neck. William's gut lurched at her touch, at her willingly reaching out to him for comfort. As he held her, he recalled the moment he saw the carriage barreling toward her and the uncontrollable fear that had overtaken him.

"I was scared, too," he said, pulling back to look at her concerned eyes. "When I saw you in danger, the thought of you getting hurt—I have never been so scared."

Her eyes softened as she glanced at his lips. The scent of basil filled his mind again like sweet ambrosia, luring him in.

His heart quickened. Slowly, he brushed his thumb over her bot­tom lip. She smiled slightly, hopefully.

Hardly daring to breathe, William leaned down toward her.

The door flung open, and Edmund strode in. "William, I have—" he began urgently, but he froze when he saw them.

William flushed angrily and launched to his feet. Never mind that Edmund was his best friend since childhood; William was about to pummel the man.

"Edmund," he said. "Now is not a good time—"

"It . . ." Edmund stared at Fidelia, and his face clouded in an ex­pression that William couldn't comprehend. "It's urgent news from Mr. Hughes."

"I will be there in a moment," William said, rubbing a hand over his brow. Edmund retreated with a nod. William sighed and cast a guilty glance at his wife, who smiled and shrugged.

"Don't be long," she said with a wink.

His heart jumped, and he grinned down at her. He lifted a lock of her curls, rubbing it between his fingers. "You should be careful about such insinuations, Lady Greyville," he said, bringing the lock to his lips.

She giggled and looked up at him boldly from flirtatious eyes. With a sigh, William left. He closed the door firmly behind him then glared at Edmund. "Your timing is truly terrible, Edmund," he mut­tered, crossing his arms.

"My apologies, William." Edmund glared at him. "Mr. Hughes wants us to meet with an informant that has news on French move­ments in Russia. He's ordering us out immediately, but it shouldn't take long."

William groaned and leaned against the door, thinking back to his wife and the kiss that had been so agonizingly interrupted. "Fidelia needs me here."

Edmund shook his head grimly. "Your country needs you more."

***

Hey guys!  What do you guys think of this chapter?  Fidelia and William both have the feels now!! I'd love to hear what you think of their romance, I haven't really written many romance scenes for 3 years, so I'm a little out of practice; any advice is helpful and appreciated! :)

If you like this chapter, please think about voting!