Page 97 of One Night with an Earl

She stiffened. She made to pull back, but his arms tightened around her. “Oliver, we cannot be seen together.”

“There is an inn. I know the innkeeper, and there is a private room.”

“That would not be wise.” Her voice was a low whisper, but firm just the same.

Frustration welled in his chest. He understood her concerns, but he wanted to escort her on his arm. If not at a ball, then somewhere. He longed to be with her, not just for their stolen moments, but more, for a simpler life that he knew was out of his reach as a new earl. To share their happiness and their sorrows. Together. It wasn’t the first time he’d felt this way, but the emotion continued to grow.

“No one would see us,” he said.

“Why the urge to meet at an inn?”

“Because I want to take you elsewhere, other than my bedchamber. Please think on it.”

His voice was rough. Their prior conversation when they’d talked about the futures they longed for was never far from his mind. He couldn’t stop thinking of it. A home with a fence and a dog. Two children, a boy and a girl. God, it felt as if an invisible fist tightened in the center of his chest. If only things were different.

She arched an eyebrow and held his gaze. “Hmm. You are persistent.”

“When it comes to you. I won’t insist now but hope you will accept my invitation.”

“How?”

“Leave everything to me.” He took her hand. “Meanwhile, tell me all about Queenie.”

Chapter Thirty-Six

Ana moaned when a shaft of morning sunlight hit her pillow. A week had passed, and she’d been careful not to spend every night with Oliver. But the nights she did made it difficult to rise the next day. Still, she would never give up their time together. He’d been honest with her, but she had kept secrets from him.

Do not think about unpleasant thoughts.

The dull ache of Queenie’s death was still there, but the comfort of Oliver’s arms had eased the loss. He also kept insisting that he wanted to accompany her to an inn for an evening, but she had concerns. Still, the invitation was tempting. To simply share a meal with him in a private room would be lovely. They could enjoy a bottle of wine and a good meal and simply talk. Her heart was a delicate organ, easily bruised.

She stepped outside for a brief morning walk in the park across the street when a young boy dashed over and handed her a package. “Are you Miss Gardner?”

“Yes.”

He handed her a letter. “You are to open it and give me a response.”

“A response?”

The boy bobbed his head. “That’s what his lordship said.”

Oliver. She tore open the foolscap.

I have arranged for a pleasant meal. Will you kindly accompany me tonight?

-D

The bold, masculine script and the message made her heart pound in anticipation. She’d have to concoct an excuse to escape the Malvern household. She feared Lady Malvern the most if she was caught. But her pulse leaped at the thought of sharing a meal with Oliver. She knew all along that she would agree, didn’t she?

“Tell the gentleman yes.”

The boy tipped his frayed hat and sped off. Ana glanced around, but no one paid her much heed on the street. After a brief walk, she was back inside the house before anyone questioned her whereabouts.

She was getting good at acting as if nothing had changed in her life when everything had. Then she spotted Penelope at the landing at the top of the winding staircase. The girl’s blue eyes were steady as she watched her, then she turned and fled down the hall.

…

“I’m glad you changed your mind,” Oliver said as he led Ana into the Bull and Bear Inn. “The fare is delicious and the wine exceptional.”