The Gift of Love (The Book of Love #8) - Meara Platt Page 0,64
the House of Lords with sword drawn like a vengeful Valkyrie, I shall do it. I will take exquisite pleasure in gutting Lord Peckham and his foolish brother, Viscount Hawley.”
“Sweet mercy, you’d make a glorious shieldmaiden. But stop talking like that or I’ll pull you under me and probably puncture both lungs making mindless, low-brain love to you. Lord, you’re beautiful when you’re fiery.”
She couldn’t help but laugh. “Tell me the rest of what happened to The Invictus.”
“Not much to tell. It ran aground. We managed to tow it back to deep waters. It is safely on its way back to Harwich, although who knows what else might happen between Tilbury and there since Viscount Hawley is still in command of the vessel. But he will be called back to London. I expect there will be a summons from Lord Liverpool waiting for him when he docks the ship at Harwich. Fortunately, there appears to be only minor damage to the hull. The seabed is mostly soft silt. We don’t believe she struck any boulders. But we’ll know more once she’s properly inspected.”
“So, your budget is safe?”
He cast her a pained look. “For the most part. But the navy will have to absorb the cost of this incident within that budget. The barges, the ropes, the local fishermen who had to be paid off to assist in the operation, and those who could not get out to sell their catch of the day.”
“Too bad Peckham and his brother cannot be made to pay for it,” she muttered. But this was the way of things, noblemen promoted to positions for which they were grossly unqualified merely because they were titled or closely connected to titles. Their rise to important ranks had nothing to do with merit. No wonder the members of the House of Commons were screaming for reforms.
“Indeed, too bad. Joshua wouldn’t let me near Viscount Hawley. He feared what might happen if I got close enough to put my hands on him. Specifically around his neck. Well, it’s done. Whatever is going to happen, will happen.” He closed his eyes, and they sat in silence for several minutes. But he hadn’t fallen asleep. Each time she tried to slip her hand out of his, he grasped it tighter and whispered, “Don’t leave me, Queen Pea.”
As if she ever would.
But she thought he might want a cool cloth against his head, for he did appear a little too hot. She wouldn’t touch his wounded chest, afraid to do more harm than good. In any event, her Uncle George would be here shortly to take care of the ugly gash, his bruised and perhaps broken ribs, and whatever else he had done to damage his body.
Would her uncle be able to tell if Ronan had suffered a punctured lung as well?
She dearly wanted to climb in bed with him and wrap her arms around him. Perhaps later, when they had more time to spend alone. Perhaps he’d raise the topic of marriage again, and they’d discuss it once he was more lucid. Although, in truth, he did seem lucid now. “I’d like to put a cold compress on your head. Will you let me fetch it?”
He nodded. “Queen Pea, you didn’t say it back to me.”
She knew what he meant. Don’t be a fool. Listen to Lady Withnall. “Ronan, I–”
Robbie came back in the room, followed by her uncle. She moved away from the bed to give her uncle the space to examine him. “So, I understand you got tangled in the tow ropes,” Uncle George said, opening up his medical bag.
“Just a little.” He opened his eyes and glanced at Dahlia.
Robbie snorted. “A little? That is no’ the way Joshua tells it. He says Ronan would have been crushed had Joshua not grabbed a hatchet and cut the ropes. But in cutting them, Ronan could no’ hold on and plunged into the icy waters. Joshua had to dive in after him and pull him out.”
Dahlia gasped.
“Robbie, you talk too much.” Ronan frowned at his friend. “It wasn’t quite that bad.”
Her uncle shook his head. “Dahlia, go downstairs for a few minutes. I have to check his ribs and lungs. He is going to howl when I do.”
“I want to stay, Uncle George. I can hold his hand.”
“I also need to remove his trousers to see if he suffered more bruising that he hasn’t told anyone about. Captain Brayden, how high up were you when you fell into the water?”