RS

“I'm not letting you go after this." He raised his head. "Marry me, Phoebe, please. Damn the courtship. Damn your brother. Damn the waiting. I can't...I can't breathe when you're not with me. I love you with all my cynical heart. Be my wife and teach me to laugh and let me buy you beer and ride with me on the beaches of Cornwall. Be my love and my wife forevermore." (Captain James Trevellion)”
― Elizabeth Hoyt, Dearest Rogue

“He immediately turned to her as the carriage rocked into motion, wrapping her in his cloak and examined her. She had bruises on her shoulders and on her arms. Her wrists were bloodied- he growled under his breath as he examined them, picking away the remains of the ropes. Her plump little toes were muddied and cut and cold. He warmed them with his hands, crooning to them. She had quite a nasty bruise on her left side and he tenderly pressed his fingers around that, soft sounds leaving his lips helplessly. Oh, that he had been there when this had been done! He would have put their eyes out. He would have cut off their noses and made them eat them. He would have-
"Valentine."
He blinked and realized that she had the palms of her hands on his face and was looking at him. "Valentine. I'm all right."
His eyes narrowed as he looked at her face, for he was no fool. They must've had her for several days to bring her here. "Are you, though?"
She looked at him very firmly. "Yes."
"They didn't rape you?"
"No."
"Or touch you in any way?"
She sighed. "They grabbed me when they took me. They tied me up."
He thought about that. He didn't like it. "Did they make you do anything you didn't want to?"
She hesitated.
He went icy cold. "Tell me."
"They..." She went a deep red and looked away. "They... when I needed to... to urinate they didn't turn away."
"Ah." Well. That settled that.
He wrapped his arms around her. "I am truly sorry you had to endure such horrific events, my Séraphine.”
― Elizabeth Hoyt, Duke of Sin