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Arabella asked, noting that Darth had relaxed slightly.
    "It does not work," he replied through gritted teeth.
    "Then we will try cold. I will be right back, do not move." Arabella looked around the large room and spotted the water basin. She went to it and found there was cloth, which she got damp. On her return, she stopped long enough to pull a flat linen from the bed to wrap around her naked body before, she returned to Lord Peregrine's side. He lay on his back with his hands in fists at his sides and his eyes still clenched tight against the pain. Quickly, Arabella placed the cold cloth over Darth's face and stepped behind him to place her hands on his neck, which was coiled stiffly with tensed muscles. She began to massage his neck and shoulders as she talked, trying to relax him.
    "A healer must use whatever they have available, Darth." It would make him feel better to hear his given name, she decided. "So I tell you this will work, but I have something in my herb satchel that will help you much more, and I will give it to you and show you how to take it for the next time this happens." She understood that she was rambling in her concern, nevertheless, Darth's muscles were loosening beneath her fingertips. "You must always strive to obtain your rest, which will help also." Arabella moved her hands up the sturdy column of Darth's neck, and then under his chin massaging deeply. "Oh, I have just thought of a cream that I will give you. It will help to keep your skin pliable." Her fingers deftly found the pressure points behind Darth's ears, then she moved her fingertips back up to his temple. She heard him sigh in relief, applying the pressure points seemed to have work. "My cream smells of jasmine, however, I will mix yours with a more masculine scent, sandalwood perhaps."
    "No, jasmine," Darth murmured, catching her wrist and bringing it up to his nose to inhale. "Like you."
    Startled by the gesture, Arabella was brought fully around to her circumstances. She twisted her wrist from Darth's strong grasp and stepped backward. The seizure was gone now, she could see that.
    "Do not stop," Darth said, however he sat up, swinging his long legs to the floor as turned his head to look at her. A short distance because he was so tall.
    "But I think you are better," Arabella replied taking another step backward with her hand jerking upward to clutch the edge of the linen wrapped above her breasts.
    "I am, and I thank you. I would never have believed it, Arabella. It seems it is another reason that I find that I am certain now that I have made a wise investment." Darth actually smiled and it made his brutal face turn appealing with a heady sensual quality to it.
    "Investment," Arabella gulped. Truly frightened now. Taking another step backward, she wondered now how wise it had been not to take her chance to run. Only she could not ignore her nature, and her nature did not allow her to leave a person, any person, in pain if she could help it.
    "Do not take another step away," Darth suddenly ordered and clearly Arabella understood that he meant her faltering retreat. "My investment of now owning you," he finished.
    Arabella's heart froze as Darth's words hung heavily in the room, although, his Lordship did not seem to feel that way. He looked satisfied. "There has been a mistake, your Lordship," she whispered.
    "Darth."
    "Darth, then. There has been a terrible mistake."
    "I see none, but the paper right here, which states quite clearly that one Arabella Ormonde belongs to me. Tis even dated."
    Arabella wanted to scream at him, to tell him that she was from a good and decent family. She was no slave that he seemed more than willing to accept her as. But suddenly, she remembered Victor's last words to her as she fought with him in the hallway of the inn. "Keep your mouth shut or Nicholas dies!" Arabella felt tears forming as she fought them back. Sweet Mary , what was she to do, standing with only a linen to cover her beneath Lord