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“Are you changing your mind about tonight?” he asked mildly, not wanting to pressure her into visiting him but desperately hoping she still wanted to come to his bed.

“Not at all. I’ll slip out as soon as Gran is asleep. I am only making it clear to you that I haven’t committed to any specific act. You may have to content yourself with a repeat of this afternoon.”

“I can live with that.” Happiness bloomed in his chest. He would be content with whatever she was willing to share with him. For the first time in his life, he had found a woman who liked being with him. That was more precious than any amount of gold. Every romantic encounter had been transactional in nature. Until now.

How freeing. How thrilling. He could content himself with any amount of physical affection she was willing to share with him. Especially while this thing between them was still so new and fresh.

“I should go and find Gran. Help with dinner. I don’t want her to tire herself out again.”

She was offering him a graceful way to end this episode. If it were up to him, he would extend it until night became day again. He never wanted this time with her to end.

Yet end, it must.

He therefore took his cane and offered her his free arm. “Shall we?”

Evaine smiled, tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow, and together they exited his father’s onetime apartments. When he paused to close the door, Gareth couldn’t help but feel as if the previous duke’s presence had been exorcised from these rooms.

As if to confirm his thoughts, the rain clouds parted briefly and a shaft of sunlight cut across the old carpet, throwing the campaign desk into sharp relief.

Superstitious nonsense. Still, he believed it to be true.

Evaine

Before going downstairs, Evaine stopped into her room to change her skirt and rinse the spot Gareth had left. She smiled as she scrubbed it. That had been surprisingly fun. Far more enjoyable than her last experience with a man. Not that she wanted to compare.

She believed him when he said he would respect her wishes if she went to his room tonight. For all that they were alone in this dreary mansion, there always seemed to be someone keeping a close eye on them.

On her way out, she caught sight of the two statues she had placed on her dresser in intimate contact.

Now, they sat at opposite corners. As if the lovers had been torn apart. She slid them back to the center.

“You belong in one another’s arms,” she said sternly. Perhaps Gran had moved them.

Evaine didn’t like to entertain a different possibility.

That evening, the three of them shared a meal of roasted venison and cabbage. Gran coughed hard enough to bend her in two.

“You go and lie down,” she told her. “You’re pushing yourself again. There is no need to cook for us.”

“I can’t sit idle,” Hazel wheezed.

“You can, and you must.” Gareth pointed at the door.

“You are both bullies,” the old woman sulked, but she went.

“You do the same to me,” he shot back. “Now go.”

Evaine did the washing up, while Gareth did what cleaning he could without taxing his injured foot.

“We’ll have to get an early start to go into Alpeth tomorrow. You know how the saying goes. Early to bed, early to rise.” He bumped her hip, grinning. Heat rose to Evaine’s cheeks. He put one arm around her waist and kissed her.

“Go on,” she said, jerking her chin at the door. “I’ll finish putting these away and be right along.”

“Do you think your grandmother is asleep already?”

“I hope so. I’ll check on her first. Don’t you fall asleep on me, now.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it, Miss Ballard.”