Page 40 of Barbarous

“Yes, you should.”

Her head whipped around.

He was grinning. “There, I knew that would get you to look at me rather than the furniture.” He laughed and then winced. “Damnation, that smarts!” He clutched his side and took several shallow breaths. “Wicked woman, stop trying to beat me up or make me laugh. Tell me, what you are doing here at this hour? Dressed as you are.” His one eye did the work of two as it roamed her body, smoldering. The sheet around his waist jumped in her peripheral vision.

Her mouth went dry at the primitive desire on his face and she yanked her eyes away. How could he discompose her with only a look? She stared at the patterned carpet and did what she always did when she needed to focus her attention and gain control of her thoughts: she conjugated Latin.

Amo, amas, amat—

“Daphne?”

amamus, amatis, amant.

“Do I need to ring for Kemal to get an answer?”

She looked up at the threat. “Doctor Nichols wants to keep you under observation for a while.”

“What the devil for?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “Where is Kemal? Surely he should be here observing me?”

“He has been observing you, for the greater part of the day and evening. As much as watching you snore is a delight to him, I insisted he get some sleep.”

Hugh raised his eyebrows at her tart tone and then frowned, his left hand going to his temple. A hard, cold look slid across his face and transformed him into someone else—someone terrifying.

“Where is my eye patch?” His voice held a chill menace she’d not heard since that day in the clearing, with Malcolm.

“I do not know—it was not on you when I arrived.”

“Will you find it for me, please?” His mismatched eyes skewered her as if she were a thief he’d interrupted riffling his luggage.

“Of course I will bring it to you,” she said with deliberate calm, rising from her chair and going to his dressing room on shaking legs. Once she was beyond his sight, she leaned against a tall cupboard and caught her breath. What in heaven’s name was that all about? He’d gone from teasing lover to gelid stranger in a heartbeat. Who was this man?

Daphne stared into the small mirror atop the bureau, forcing her pulse to slow and schooling her face into neutral lines before picking up the leather patch and returning to the other room.

“Here.” She tossed the small scrap of leather onto his chest and turned away.

“Thank you, Daphne,” he said a moment later.

She turned and found him smiling up at her, as sunny as ever.

“May I have a glass of water, please?”

Daphne hesitated. Had she imagined the personality change? It had happened so quickly it—

“I apologize for my rudeness.” His expression was honestly repentant, without his characteristic amusement.

She nodded, more than a little shaken. It didn’t startle her that he would apologize; he did not seem like the kind of man who would find it difficult to admit when he was wrong. What startled her was his ability to shift moods in an instant. He appeared so amiable now—but was that amiability just a mask?

She brought him a glass of water.

“Thank you. I’m afraid I’m overly sensitive. I do not care to expose my deformity to the world in general.”

“I am not the world in general.” For once it wasn’t an effort to give him a cool look.

“You are correct, Daphne. As usual,” he added, his expression far too meek for her to believe. “It has been so long since I’ve had a ministering angel that I’ve forgotten—” His gorgeous face distorted with a huge yawn. “I beg your pardon! I’m not sure what has come over me.”

“Doctor Nichols gave you a sedative earlier. He wanted you to rest. You should get some sleep.”

“What if I’m not tired?” She raised her eyebrows and he chuckled. “All right, I’m a little tired.” He looked down at the white strips of cloth around his chest and his smile grew. “I think my bandage needs to be tightened.”