Page 83 of The Earl She Once Saved

“That appears to exhaust your interest in the matter.”

His eyes lifted to hers. “Was more required?”

“No.”

She turned toward the window.

“Verity.”

She stopped, but she could not face him.

“I am grateful to you.”

The words brought the previous night back with humiliating clarity. His cheek against her hand.

Stay.

“I did nothing extraordinary,” she replied.

“You remained with me.”

“You had a fever.”

“You remained.”

Verity folded her hands.

“It is I who should thank you,” she spoke, turning to face him now. “Sergeant would not have returned without you.”

“I told you I would bring him back.”

“You could have been badly hurt.”

“So could he.”

Rafe studied her.

“I did it for you.”

The room became very still. Verity’s breath stopped somewhere inside her chest. Rafe seemed to hear what he had said only after it stood between them.

“I mean …” He looked down. “I owed it to you.”

The warmth inside her cooled slightly.

“For Edgeworth,” he continued. “For all you have done here. And for the hospital.”

Verity said nothing.

“You saved my life.”

She shook her head, refusing to allow herself to feel anything. “I merely assisted a surgeon.”

“You kept me alive until he came.”

“You do not remember enough to know that.”

“I remember you.”