All About Seduction(58)

“You don’t want to go so long the pain gets out of control.” She avoided his eyes.

Rather than continue to examine her, he nodded toward the sideboard. “I can fetch it myself, if need be.” Moving gingerly, he scooted back on the bed. “Where are my clothes?”

“I’m afraid they were ruined when we removed them, but I will send for Mr. Broadhurst’s tailor. You will need a suit or two to work in the office.”

Jack winced. No, the sooner he returned home, the better chance he had of making it to London on time. “I don’t need another suit. What I need are clothes so I can go home.”

Her mouth tightened.

“I am grateful for all that you’ve done, I am, but I cannot afford a new suit.” Especially not one made by Mr. Broadhurst’s tailor.

“If you insist on paying, we’ll deduct it from your wages.”

He rubbed his hand over his face. Even if he didn’t get the job in London, he needed to tell her he wouldn’t be able to be a clerk. But admitting he could barely read and write would undoubtedly take him down another peg in her estimation. “I cannot afford Mr. Broadhurst’s tailor.”

She blinked. “There isn’t one in the village. And I can assure you, Mr. Broadhurst would chose one in Manchester who offers the best value. Besides, you do not need clothing just yet. You must bear with being an invalid a bit longer.”

“I should practice with the crutches. I should be clothed while I am out of this room.” He’d have to manage stairs or suffer the indignity of being carried down them when he did leave. How he would ever manage the ladder to the loft where he slept in his father’s home was another question. “Broken leg or no, I will have to get up and down stairs.”

“Would you like to try now? It is gone one. No one is likely to be awake.”

She’d avoided the issue of his getting dressed, but practice was probably more important than his dignity. He reached for his crutches again. “Why are you?”

Her cheeks bloomed and she tilted her head down. “With all the guests, the servants are overtasked. If I sit with you a few hours, I can lessen their burden.”

So was he to believe she wouldn’t sit with him if not for the guests? Or was that what she wanted to believe? A wave of irritation passed through him. A man who could spend thousands upon thousands for a wife could afford the pittance of a few servants’ salaries. “Hire more servants.”

“Mr. Broadhurst cannot bear to see employees standing about, so they would be dismissed as soon as the guests leave.”

He positioned his crutches. He could tell her he didn’t need a minder, but he needed to learn to stand without assistance. As it was, his left leg shook like a palsy victim as he pushed up to a standing position. His arms shook too. He didn’t know when he’d ever been this weak.

“Besides, Mr. Broadhurst would not approve the expenditure if I listed you as a cause. As it is, I am only granted this boon because I am in a position to bargain.”

The reminder that she had anything to offer Mr. Broadhurst or what she was likely offering the miserly old man only made Jack clench his fists, but then he released them before she could notice.

She held out her hand. Taking her proffered assistance, he made it to his foot and positioned the crutches under his arms. He swung away from her.

“I need to learn to do for myself without help,” he muttered by way of an apology. It sure as hell wasn’t because he didn’t want her to touch him, but then when he had her hand, he hadn’t wanted to let go.

Her mouth tightened. “You’re not exactly steady.”

She followed him to the door. He leaned to open it and she put her hands at his waist. Knowing she only meant to stabilize him, he groaned. He wanted so much more.

Her hands slipped away as his crutches encountered the marble floor. The marble was slick, so he concentrated on the placement. She glided across the floor and turned up the gaslights. Everywhere he looked there was a marker of how different her world was from his, yet he couldn’t take his eyes off her. Everything about her made him want her more. If only she had been callous or cold, but she wasn’t. The quietness about her, which others had taken as a superior attitude, was born of a calmness he admired.

As he planted the crutches on the bottom stair and prepared to swing up, she fisted her hands in the material at his sides.

“I shall stay right behind you in case the crutches slip,” she said.