Yours Until Dawn by Teresa Medeiros Read Free Book Online Page B

should be able to dress yourself without the aid of a manservant.”
    “And you were kind enough to volunteer for the task. Et tu, Brute? ” Gabriel murmured.
    Not only had his new nurse invaded his only remaining sanctuary, she had enlisted his own servants to lead the charge. He wondered how she had managed to earn their loyalty so quickly. Perhaps he had underestimated her charms. She might be a more dangerous adversary than he’d suspected.
    “Leave us,” he commanded curtly.
    A frantic bustle of activity that involved much rustling of sheets and clanking of buckets informed him that the servants weren’t even going to pretend to misunderstand him.
    “My lord, I really don’t think…” Beckwith attempted. “I mean, it’s hardly proper to leave you alone in your bedchamber with—”
    “Are you afraid to be alone with me?”
    Miss Wickersham didn’t pretend to misunderstand him, either. He was probably the only one who noted her slight hesitation. “Of course not.”
    “You heard her,” he said. “Go. All of you.” The air stirred as the servants rushed past him. As he heard the last of their footsteps fade away down the corridor, he asked, “Are they gone?”
    “They are.”
    Gabriel fumbled behind him until he found the doorknob. He dragged the door shut with a thunderous bang, then leaned against it, cutting off her only hope of escape. “Did it never occur to you, Miss Wickersham,” he said tautly, “that I might have left my door closed for a reason? That I might have wished for my bedchamber to be left undisturbed? That I might cherish my privacy?” His voice rose. “That I might prefer to keep some small corner of my life free from your meddling influence?”
    “I should think you’d be grateful.” She sniffed pointedly. “At least it no longer smells as if you’ve been keeping goats in here.”
    He glowered in her general direction. “At the moment I would much prefer the company of goats.”
    He actually heard her open her mouth, then snap it shut. She paused precisely long enough to count to ten before attempting to speak again. “Perhaps the two of us simply got off on the wrong foot, my lord. You seem to have received the mistaken impression that I came to Fairchild Park to make your life more difficult.”
    “The words ’a living hell’ have come to mind more than once since your arrival.”
    She blew out a gusty sigh. “Contrary to what you may believe, I took this position so I could bring more ease to your life.”
    “Just when were you planning to start?”
    “As soon as you’ll allow me,” she retorted. “Rearranging the house for your convenience can be just the beginning. Why, I could help alleviate your boredom by taking you for walks in the garden, assisting you with your correspondence, reading aloud to you.”
    Books were yet another cruel reminder of a pleasure he could no longer enjoy. “No, thank you. I won’t be read to as if I were some dull-witted child.” As he folded his arms over his chest, even Gabriel knew he was behaving like one.
    “Very well. But even so, there are a hundred other things I can do to help you adjust to your blindness.”
    “That won’t be necessary.”
    “Why not?”
    “Because I have no intention of living the rest of my life this way!” Gabriel roared, his control finally snapping.
    As the echo of his shout died, the silence swelled between them.
    He sank against the door, raking a hand through his hair. “At this very moment, even as we speak, a team of physicians hired by my father is traveling through Europe, gathering all the information they can find on my condition. They’re scheduled to return here within the fortnight. At that time they will confirm what I’ve always suspected—that my affliction isn’t permanent, but is only a temporary aberration.”
    In that moment, Gabriel was almost thankful he couldn’t see her eyes. He was afraid he’d find in their depths the one torment she’d spared him thus