Dorian dismissed it every time, knowing that it was for the best that things remained the way they were. Yet none of it seemed to put her out of his mind, and he, for all his confidence, did not seem inclined to do it either. He simply continued appearing where she was until he did so out of habit rather than as a conscious choice.
Neither of them spoke about it, and he took that to mean that she did not mind it.
The rain had begun falling by the end of the week. That day, it had been coming down since late morning, soft at first and then steadily heavier until the grounds blurred into a wash of muted greens and grays.
By the time Anne stepped out of the house, the paths had turned slick beneath her boots.
Dorian was already in the stables when she arrived, as he knew it would be dangerous. He was standing just inside the open doors, sleeves rolled up as it was easier to work that way. A groom spoke to him nearby, but his attention shifted immediately when he saw her approach.
“You will ruin your boots,” he warned as she stepped under the overhang.
“I am inspecting the stables,” she replied, brushing a damp strand of hair from her face.
“We are in the middle of a storm.”
“They still require inspection.”
A faint smile touched his mouth, and he did not argue further. Instead, he fell into step beside her as she moved deeper into the stables, as though it were the most natural thing in the world for him to accompany her without her invitation.
The horses were restless in this weather. Hooves shifted against straw and stone, with occasional snorts breaking through the steady rhythm of rain outside. Anne moved between stalls, checking tack and speaking quietly to the grooms, her attention focused on the work rather than the man standing beside her.
“You realize,” Dorian said after a while, watching her adjust a strap on a saddle, “you have been here long enough now that the servants are beginning to listen to you more than they listen to me.”
Anne did not look up. “Perhaps you should consider giving clearer instructions, then.”
“I do give clear instructions.”
“They are often unnecessary, such as the one you made just now about me not ruining my boots.”
She stepped out of the stall and moved toward the far fence line, where a section of the paddock needed inspection after therecent weather. The ground was softer there, the mud deeper, and the wooden fence was uneven in places where the soil had shifted.
She lifted her skirt slightly and stepped carefully. Behind her, Dorian followed at a slower pace, watching rather than interfering.
“You do not have to accompany me,” she said without turning.
“I would rather know what is happening in these circumstances.”
Anne sighed faintly, choosing not to respond as she reached the narrow crossing point where the ground dipped slightly before the fence line resumed. She placed one foot forward, testing the stability of the mud beneath her boot. It held just long enough.
The second step did not.
Her foot slid unexpectedly, the slick ground giving way beneath her with a suddenness that knocked her off balance. The world tilted sharply, her breath catching as she instinctively reached out, but there was nothing stable enough to catch.
And yet she did not fall. Instead, she was pulled abruptly against something solid.
Dorian’s arm closed around her waist in an instant, drawing her against him with a strength that stopped her movementcompletely. Her breath came unevenly as the shock registered, her hands instinctively bracing against his chest.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
Dorian was acutely aware of his hand on her waist and the other on her back, holding her securely. The heat of her skin cut through the damp cold of the afternoon in a way that made him all too conscious of just how close she was.
But he did not immediately release her. His eyes had locked onto her face, as though the realization of what he had just done was not reason enough to let go.
At last, Anne’s breath steadied.
“I can stand now,” she said, though she made no move to step away.
Dorian became aware that her hands were still pressed against his chest. She did not remove them immediately, nor did he loosen his hold. His eyes flicked briefly to her hands, then back to her face.
