He rose and offered his hand to assist her in rising. Once she stood, she removed her hand and clasped them in front of her.
They started making their way up the servants’ stairs and through the manor. Alden was about to break the silence when he saw a house spider scuttle across the hall.
Alden froze and put his hand out to stop Elinor.
“What is wrong?” she asked, her voice laced with concern.
He pointed towards the direction of where he last saw the house spider. “I just saw a spider,” he revealed, his voice a bit shaky.
“Where is it?” Elinor asked, her eyes roaming over the hall.
“I don’t know where it went,” Alden replied, his eyes darting around nervously. “But it is here somewhere.”
Elinor turned to face him, her expression softening. “What shall we do?”
“I propose we don’t move until we are sure it is gone and won’t attack us,” Alden said.
“House spiders do not attack people. That is the only thing I am sure of,” she assured him. “We could trap it and release it outside.”
Alden’s mouth dropped in astonishment. “You want to seek out the house spider. Are you mad?”
“At least I am the only one coming up with ideas,” she replied, a hint of amusement in her voice. “Besides, it is not as if we can stand here all night.”
“You are right,” Alden said, offering his arm. “I shall protect you.”
Elinor looked amused. “You?”
“That is the job of any good husband,” Alden responded, puffing out his chest. He hoped that he sounded more confident than he felt.
She patted his arm. “I think it is safe to proceed. I don’t see the house spider.”
As they continued to head down the corridor, Alden kept his alert gaze out for the house spider. He relaxed slightly when they reached the grand stairs.
Finally, they arrived at her bedchamber door. Alden turned to her, his heart heavy with unspoken words. “Goodnight, Elinor,” he said.
“Goodnight, Alden,” she replied, her voice holding an emotion he couldn’t quite place.
Unexpectedly, Elinor went to her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his. He was so surprised that he didn’t even have time to react. The next moment, she disappeared into her room.
Alden stood there, stunned. Elinor had kissed him, and everything changed. He found he wasn’t satisfied with that one kiss. He wanted more. But did Elinor feel the same?
One thing was for certain, that kiss sparked something deep within him, making him realize that he loved his wife.
Elinor lay in bed, staring up at the canopy, her thoughts in turmoil. She had kissed her husband last night. What had she been thinking? He had told her that he couldn’t love her, and she responded by kissing him? The kiss had only confirmed what she already knew deep down. That she loved him. What was she going to do? How could she get Alden to love her?
A knock came at the door, interrupting her thoughts. It opened and Sophia stepped into the room, placing a stack of coins onto the dressing table.
Elinor looked at her lady’s maid in confusion. “What is that?”
Sophia rubbed her hands together nervously. “It is the money that Lord Inglewood gave to me,” she revealed.
Sitting up in bed, Elinor asked, “I beg your pardon?”
“It is my fault that Lord Inglewood knew where you were,” Sophia replied, lowering her gaze.
“What?!” Elinor asked. “That is how he found me? It was you?”
Sophia nodded, her voice trembling. “My younger sister is a maid in Lord Inglewood’s household in London, and I wrote to her,” she said. “I wanted to make sure that she was well, but I didn’t think she would turn the letter over to Lord Inglewood.”
