Page 64 of An Unlikely Debutante

Chapter Twenty

The barn loomed over the muddy field, large and dark and silent. Lina felt her leg muscles burning as she struggled the last few steps and watched as Alex gripped one of the doors and swung it outwards. Almost crying with relief, Lina allowed Alex to pull her into the barn, collapsing to the ground as he slammed the door closed behind them.

The silence that followed was eerie and unexpected after what felt like hours of howling winds and groaning trees. Even better than the silence was the lack of driving rain beating down on their bodies, adding weight to their already soaked clothes.

‘We need to get warm and dry,’ Alex said.

Lina knew what he said made sense. If they stayed in their wet clothes, they would at the very least catch a chill, maybe something even worse, but right now she wasn’t sure if she could summon the energy to stand, let alone undress.

‘We have nothing to change into, nothing to dry ourselves with.’

‘Stay here,’ Alex instructed, disappearing into the darkness before Lina could protest.

Rustling and creaking sounds followed as Alex moved around the barn, and Lina wondered what he was looking for. The wooden building was sizeable, with a hayloft above them, and as Lina’s eyes adjusted to the gloom she could just make out the silhouettes of pieces of farm equipment down here on the ground floor.

Triumphantly Alex returned, brandishing two pieces of material.

‘What have you found?’

‘Two blankets. They smell of a farm—I think they’re horse blankets for the winter, but it’s better than nothing. We can bathe tomorrow when we get home.’

Right then a dry, soft horse blanket sounded like heaven.

‘Can you make it up into the hayloft?’ Alex asked.

Lina knew she was the one who should be looking after him, he’d been shot after all, but she was so cold and exhausted she felt as though her body had shut down. Nodding, she gathered her soaking-wet skirts and let Alex direct her to the ladder. She stumbled as she reached for the first rung and immediately Alex’s hands were around her waist, steadying her.

‘Just climb slowly,’ he instructed. ‘I’ll be right behind you.’

The air felt a little warmer as they entered the hayloft, and Lina was surprised to see there was a substantial amount of hay on the small, elevated platform despite there not being any animals kept below. The farmer must have moved his livestock elsewhere for shelter during this storm, or at least Lina hoped so—she didn’t wish anyone, man or beast, to be out unprotected in this weather.

A small amount of light filtered in through a tiny window in the roof of the barn and through it Lina could see the thick clouds still covering the sky. For a moment she wondered about McManus and Kitsworth, the coachman and groom. They had a long ride ahead of them in this foul weather, with no guarantee of shelter at the end. She just hoped some villager or farmer took pity on them and provided them with a fire to warm themselves by.

‘Take your clothes off,’ Alex instructed.

He’d climbed up silently behind her and was now busy moving around some of the hay to make room for them.

‘I’ve got nothing to change into,’ Lina protested weakly. She knew Alex was right—even standing naked was more sensible than remaining in the sodden dress and petticoats she had been wearing. The cold, wet clothes would prevent her skin from warming naturally from within as her core temperature rose now they were under shelter.

‘I promise not to look.’

‘All night?’

Even in the darkness she saw him grin.

‘Well, maybe one peek.’

‘Hand me one of those blankets,’ Lina said, and slowly Alex did.

She wasn’t naturally shy, had never had a problem about stripping down to her underclothes in front of friends and family, but as she tugged at the first of the ties on her dress, a warm and prickly sensation spread right from her toes to the top of her head.

‘You should be undressing, too,’ Lina said.

‘I’ll need help with my shirt, it’s a little difficult to move my arm.’

Lina paused, her dress half-undone, but in no danger of going anywhere; the water had done a good job of ensuring it was firmly stuck to her body. In two steps she was by Alex’s side, lifting up the bottom of his shirt, peeling it off the taut muscles of his abdomen and chest. Slowly she manoeuvred his arm through the ripped sleeve and then allowed her fingers to dart across his skin as she lifted the sodden, bloodstained shirt over his head.

‘Thank you,’ he said and Lina had to force herself to step away.