“His name probably isn’t Smith.”
“Clearly.”
“The quack also said my fever had broken,” Hew continued. His head was pounding a little, but it was nothing he couldn’t manage. “That means I can get out of bed.”
The bed chamber door opened, and a maid entered with a tray. “Oh, dear,” she said, eyes widening at the sight of Hew’s bare legs. “Sir, you are not to get out of bed.”
“Help me get him settled again, Mary,” Miss Howard said. Together the two women managed to cajole his legs back under the covers and to prop him up on the pillows so Miss Howard could feed him broth. Hew immediately took the spoon and fed himself. The broth tasted amazing, which told him he must be starving. Whatever was in that tincture had begun to work its magic as well. He was indeed feeling better.
“Would you bring tea, Mary?” Miss Howard asked. “I think a chamomile would be soothing for Mr. Arundel.”
“Yes, missus, I’ll be right back. Would you like the tea you had last night?”
“The Mutan White? I can make it.”
“No, no. It’s no trouble for me. You stay here with Mr. Arundel.” And she was gone. Hew wondered if she was the one who had bathed him or whether one of the male servants had done it. Humiliating to be so weak as to need a sponge bath, but he was grateful to be clean.
Hew sipped his broth and studied Miss Howard. “You’re not used to servants.”
“I don’t like being waited on when I’m perfectly capable of doing things myself.”
He ate more broth. “This isn’t your house, and it would be more trouble to show you where everything is than just to do it for you. Besides, I imagine the servants want you out of the way.”
Her eyes widened with affront. “Why? I’m no nob.”
“You’re not one of them either.” His spoon scraped the bottom of the bowl, and she took the tray from him. “I’m surprised you stayed. I would have thought you’d have gone directly back to your shop.”
She glanced sideways, and he recognized that he’d hit close to the mark. “That was your plan then?”
“Lady Keating said it wasn’t safe to return, and I’d only put myself and my father in danger.”
Hew knew it was her father that had mattered to her. Miss Howard didn’t seem to worry overly much about herself. “She sent a footman and told my father to stay out of sight. We’re hoping in all the confusion that your attackers didn’t see him leave with Mrs. Price.”
“Did Lady Keating think they tracked us here?”
“Possibly, but she said they can’t get to us here.”
“No, she’d have excellent security.” Hew tried to push away the feeling of disappointment that washed over him. Miss Howard obviously hadn’t stayed because she cared about him. He didn’t even know why he should want her to stay for that reason or why he should want her to care. “This is all the more reason for me to get back on my feet.”
She frowned at him. “I think I’ve just explained that we are very safe here.”
“Yes, but you won’t want to be trapped here. I need to find the men who attacked me, determine who hired them, and send him before a magistrate.” And he’d have to do it quietly too. No need for the whole country to ask questions about who Hew Arundel was and what sort of business he had that made him a target. Baron would not welcome journalists sniffing about for information on the Royal Saboteurs.
“It’s already past nine,” she said, looking at a clock. “Perhaps you should start fresh in the morning.”
He gave her a narrow look. He had the feeling she was humoring him because she thought him too weak to stand up much less track down attackers. He could prove her wrong, but he’d be cutting off his nose to spite his face. No doubt she was right that starting off in the dark of night with nothing but broth in his belly wouldn’t be the best strategy.
“Fine. I’ll go in the morning.”
Her brows lifted in surprise. “Fine. I’ll leave you to rest.”
Hew was suddenly aware that he didn’t want her to leave. “Stay,” he said. She turned back. “We—er, haven’t had our tea yet.”
“I can take mine in my chamber.”
“Where’s the fun in that?”
She gave him a look that said where-is-the-fun-in-anything-to-do-with-you? He could hardly blame her. He’d come into her life and completely upended it. No doubt she’d be glad to see him go. He was not of the same mind. It was more than the fact that she was a beautiful woman, though that didn’t hurt. Hew had been born curious. There was much more to Isabelle Howard than he knew, and he wanted to unwrap some of those layers. He’d have to engage her, find a way to open her up.
