Loving Bella (19 page)

“As do I.”

They laughed. He took her hand in his, brought it to his lips. A wave of affection washed over her. She had found the man of her dreams. But the moment his mouth brushed her knuckles, a soft knock came at the door.

“Bella?” Hannah’s lilting voice seeped into the room. “Are you in there?”

Shane released Bella’s hand. “We’ll talk later,” he said.

Bella gripped his arm, a wave of desperation filled her. “Tonight? After we’ve finished seeing patients?”

“Of course.” He smiled at her. “After
we
finish seeing patients.”

“Does that mean you’re hiring me back?”

He ducked his head. “I should have never fired you.”

“I knew you’d see things my way.”

“What can I say?” He winked. “I’m a reasonable man.”

“Oh. I like reasonable men.”

A grin flashed across his lips. “Come in, Hannah,”
Shane called out. “Before Bella has me promising her the moon and the stars and a rainbow or two.”

Hannah popped her head through a small slit. Her gaze slid to Shane in silent apology. “Bella has a visitor.”

At the softly spoken words, a sense of foreboding filled Bella. The same feeling must have passed through Shane, because he stiffened at Hannah’s announcement.

Bella reached to Shane for support. “Who…who is it?”

In answer, Hannah handed her a small piece of paper with engraved lettering on it. “He gave me his card.”

Reading the name, Bella’s knees buckled. Shane reached out to steady her.

Tucked in the safety of his arms, she let the card flutter from her fingers. “It’s William,” she whispered. “He’s come for me.”

P
owerless to stop her life from spiraling out of control, Bella clung to Shane as he helped her catch her balance. When he set her away from him and left nothing but lifeless air between them, she thought,
Surely, this can’t be real.
William couldn’t be here. Not in her brother’s home.

But he was.

And the look of defeat that flashed in Shane’s eyes added to the reality of this horrible moment.

He started for the door.

Her hand shot out and stopped his progress. “Shane, no, don’t go.”
Help me, Lord. Help me to convince him to stay with me.
“I don’t want this. I don’t want him.”

He dropped his head, took a deep breath and then lifted his flat gaze to hers. His eyes were so cold. So emotionless. But she knew he hurt. She could feel his pain in her own heart.

Oh, Shane.

“You should hear what he has to say. He’s traveled a long distance for you.”

“I didn’t ask him to come.”

“You did. By running away and ignoring his letters, you forced his hand.” He cupped her cheek, his touch light and forgiving and completely at odds with the dark look in his eyes. “You have to finish what you started, Bella. You’ll never know how you truly feel if you don’t.”

She ordered her voice to remain even, but her growing panic made her words come out shrill. “I don’t need to talk to him to know how I feel.”

Sympathy flashed in his gaze. “Nevertheless, you should take this opportunity to alleviate any doubt.”

He was so calm, so in control. The flare of resentment surprised her and her reflex was to turn on him, but she shook it off. Shane hadn’t done anything wrong. “Please. Don’t leave me alone with William.”

“Are you afraid of him?” Shane’s eyes hardened with the look of a man protecting a woman he loved. “Will he hurt you?”

His concern cut through her anxiety. She wanted to reach up and cup his face. She wanted to kiss him and beg him to believe it was him that she loved. “No. Of course not. I—” She cut her own words off. How could she explain her real fear? How could she tell him she was terrified he might never come back once he walked out that door? “Shane, I—”

William’s booming voice cut her off. “I will wait no longer. Bella? Bella!” He knocked hard on the door. “Are you in there?”

At the sound of the familiar voice, her stomach dipped and she looked frantically for an exit. There was only one door.

And Shane stepped toward it, away from her. “You must face your past, Bella. And you must do it alone.”

“Shane, please.”

Shaking his head, he took another step away from her. “She’s in here,” he called out.

The next second, William burst into the room.

Bella’s pulse drummed in her ears as Shane melted into the shadows and William took another step forward.

Her first thought was that the viscount looked as handsome as ever, still tall and lean, with sharp, angular features and perfectly tailored clothing. But inside his expensive attire, William looked lost in his own image, like an actor playing an overrehearsed role.

Was this the man she’d nearly sacrificed her soul for?

As his gaze hunted for Bella, Bella’s gaze strayed to Shane. He hadn’t left the room yet. And although his features were curtained by the shadows, she knew he was standing ready to protect her if William crossed a line.

So caught up in staring at Shane, she nearly missed the moment when William’s gaze found her.

With an exaggerated sweep of his hand he removed his hat and bowed to her. The gesture was so formal, so over the top, she wondered if it wasn’t a bit calculated.

“Bella, my darling. I have found you at last.”

An idle smile drifted along his lips and he reached out his hand in silent summons.

Tossing her head back, Bella refused his call. And
again, she wondered what had attracted her to the viscount. Only months before she’d been desperate for William’s love. Now, she felt nothing.

“I’ll leave you two alone,” Shane said into the silence.

Bella reached to him. “No, stay. Please.”

He must have sensed her panic because his gaze softened and he gave her the look he used when his patients thought he might abandon them during a procedure. “I’ll be right outside if you need me.”

William straightened, his eyes fixed on a spot over Shane’s shoulder as though Shane didn’t warrant his full attention. “No need to fuss over her, my good man. Bella will be leaving with me shortly.”

A ruthless look crossed Shane’s face. “Bella will make that decision.”

Before William could respond, Shane exited the room and shut the door behind him with a hard snap.

After months of separation, she was alone with William again. Her stomach rolled over itself in trepidation, but she kept her gaze steady. William held no more power over her. The relief that came with the thought nearly buckled her knees. She wanted to shout at him to leave at once. It was over between them, finished. But she restrained herself. A moment like this required a certain amount of dignity.

Unaware of her thoughts, William bowed over her hand and touched his lips to her knuckles. “You win, my dear.” Tenderness and appreciation mingled in his gaze, but she knew better than to believe in him. He was only doing what he felt he needed to do in order to accomplish his goal.

She slipped her hand free. “What have I won, William?”

“Why, my dear, isn’t it obvious?” He gave her the smile she once thought so charming but now appeared a little wicked. “You have won me.”

“You?” Bella couldn’t quite believe the arrogance of the man and a wave of impatience whipped through her. “What exactly do you mean by that?”

“I am a free man.” Seconds ticked by before he added, “My wife is dead.”

At the cold tone of his voice, a shiver iced over her skin. His wife was dead? Did he not miss the woman at all? “I am sorry for your loss.”

He waved a dismissive hand. “She was always sickly. Her passing was a blessing in the end.”

She thought she saw a flicker of something dark in his eyes, but then he smiled, putting the suave viscount back in place. Who was this man, really? Had she ever known him?

“I want you to come home with me, Bella. Back to London where you belong.”

Where she belonged?
Bella caught her rising gasp between her teeth and stared at him with a steady look. She had once craved to hear him say those exact words. But home was Denver now, not London. Home was with Shane, wherever that took them. “I can’t go to London with you. I want more than the stage has to offer.”

The satisfaction in his eyes put her on guard. “Then we are in agreement. Whatever you want, Bella, I will provide it for you.” He ran his blue eyes over her in lazy
thoroughness. “I want you with me and I am willing to pay for the privilege.”

Unlike the last time he’d made his proposition, his words left her cold with rage.
This time around,
she heard what he wasn’t saying as much as what he said.

“Go on, William.” She clasped her hands calmly together. “Tell me what you’re offering. You’ve come this far, you might as well expand on the details.”

“I will give you the security you crave.”

Holding firm, Bella waited for the rest.

Nothing more came.

“Is that all you’re offering?” she asked.

His facade slipped, just a bit, making him look young and spoiled.
“Is that all?”
he repeated in an offended tone. “You will have carte blanche for the rest of your life.”

She tilted her head, planted her hands on her hips. He looked like a child who was being denied a pretty toy that had caught his fancy. “You mean carte blanche as your mistress.”

“As the love of my life.”

His haughty attitude made her take a step back, but still, she persisted. She would force him to say what was on his mind, no matter how ugly the truth. “And if you tire of me?”

“You will be taken care of no matter what happens between us in the future.”

Her knees wobbled again, but she locked them into place as understanding emerged. “You mean financially, of course.”

“Of course. My solicitor has drawn up the contract.”
He grabbed her wrist and placed her hand to his heart. “Bella, Bella, can you not feel my heart pounding with love for you? Can you not believe I mean to take care of you for the rest of your life?”

She calmly pulled her hand free. “Am I to understand you are offering me security, but not in the form of marriage?”

Lifting his chin, he clasped his hands behind his back and drew in a long breath. “I can not marry an opera singer. It is simply not done. I have two sons, both with titles in their own right. I must take a wife of good family. But my heart will always belong to you, my love. I will simply find a woman to marry who understands this.”

Bella’s hand clutched at her throat. Her
bare
throat where she no longer wore William’s condemning locket. She was free of him now, free of his filthy intentions. She would
not
feel shame over his sinful propositions any longer.

Before she could tell William exactly what she thought of him and his offer, Shane jerked open the door.

Beau shot in ahead of him, but Shane caught him by the sleeve and yanked him back. “This is my fight.”

Her brother looked angry. Truly angry. But not as angry as Shane. Clearly, the men in her life were not going to allow anyone to hurt her.

“Fine, I will leave the matter in your hands,” Beau growled. “But you better end this now. Today.”

Shane’s lips twisted in a sneer. “Count on it.”

Bella had one second to take in her brother’s answering glower before he slammed out of the room.

“Shane?”

“I’m sorry, Bella, but I won’t allow history to repeat itself.” His voice came out low and steadfast.

She almost missed his meaning, but then she understood. He loved her enough to ensure she didn’t live his mother’s life, even if that meant forcing William’s hand. Who would have thought the caring doctor could be such a warrior at heart? “Oh, Shane, no, I don’t need you to fight this battle for me. I have made up my—”

He cut off the rest of her words with a hard shake of his head. Like a knight guarding his lady-in-waiting, he set her gently behind him and then turned to glare at William. “Bella deserves nothing less than marriage. Offer it, or get out.”

A range of emotions crossed the viscount’s face, but the eyes that finally locked on Shane were sharp and measuring. “Who are you to demand this of me?”

Shane ignored the question. “You will find no woman better than Isabella O’Toole. She is kind, compassionate. Smart.”

Bella cleared her throat. “Shane, you don’t have to do this.”

Shane patted her hand, and then shrugged away from her. “Yes, I do.”

“I asked for your name,” William demanded again. “Who dares to speak to me in this impudent manner?”

Their eyes locked and held.

“I am Shane Bartlett. Bella has been serving as my nurse these last few months.”

“A nurse?”

Shane held up a hand at William’s shocked declaration and took the opportunity to continue his litany of Bella’s merits. “I have had the pleasure of working with Miss O’Toole in the sickroom. She’s courageous, full of gentleness and joy and…” On and on and on he went.

Even Bella was losing track of all her fine qualities. And she wasn’t one to sniff at a compliment. But with each new trait Shane presented on her behalf, William’s face grew redder with outrage. If there had been a shred of doubt before, Bella no longer had to guess which man truly loved her.

And which man she loved in return.

Shane might be embellishing a bit—
a lot
—but she also realized he spoke from his heart. While William could only stare at him in growing disgust, a subtle air of disapproval floating out of his stance.

At last…finally…Shane wound down, ending with, “And, of course, she’s beautiful.”

“Is that all?” William asked, his tone droll.

“For a start.”

“And if I don’t propose marriage to this virtuous creature of perfection?” he challenged.

“I’ll happily make Bella an offer myself.”

“No. No. Can’t have that.” But William’s face paled as he gazed at Bella. No longer the confident nobleman full of demands and bluster, he looked uneasy, a little ill and his breath came out in quick, hard bursts. “You have convinced me of what I must do.”

Bella had never been more insulted in her life.

Shane, on the other hand, looked oddly triumphant.
What? He was going to hand her over to William, just like that? Without a fight?

“Carry on.” Shane wound his wrist in the air. “But make it quick, I have patients waiting.”

William swallowed, his face looking green along the edges. “I’m getting to it.”

Now Bella was
truly
insulted.

Seeming in no hurry to get to his “patients,” Shane crossed his arms over his chest and hitched his hip against Beau’s desk. He looked a little too pleased with himself, as though he was enjoying William’s discomfort. “Get on with it,
my good man.
”

“One can’t rush an important matter such as this.”

“It’s four little words,” Shane scoffed. “Can’t be that hard to say.
Will you marry me?
See, I just said them myself.”

William glared.

Shane grinned.

Bella sighed.

“Uh, gentlemen, I’m in the room,” she reminded them. “Is anybody going to consult
me
on the matter?”

William continued scowling at Shane. Shane continued grinning in return.

And neither acknowledged Bella’s question.

“Go on,” Shane goaded. “Four little words and you win the girl for a lifetime.”

William swallowed. Hard.

Shane’s smile widened.

“Honestly.” Bella interrupted the two. “I can make this simple for us all. I don’t want to marry William.”

They both ignored her and continued their ridiculous battle of wills.

As William’s discomfort grew, Shane’s confidence did the same. Bella suspected Shane was having a bit too much fun at the other man’s expense. Clearly, William didn’t want to marry Bella any more than she wanted to marry him. But the lofty viscount was too proud to admit that rather large detail in front of Shane.