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Chapter Twelve
Ravencroft relaxedonce Noel’s movement on the bed settled. Against his better judgment, he glanced over his shoulder. She had spread out across the bed with the pillow wrapped in her arms. He released a sigh. He’d been too harsh with her earlier when he discussed how she treated him throughout their courtship. But he didn’t confess how honored it made him feel because he kept up a wall between them. She deserved someone better than him.
When he first pursued Noel, it had been because of her brother’s influence. However, she had hooked him in her grasp with her sharp wit and the kindness she bestowed on others after a few visits. Her enthusiasm for the simplest of pleasures gave him hope of a peaceful life they would share. Noel would never expect much from him or cause him any drama.
But with each event he escorted her to, she kept nestling her way into his heart. He had become enamored with her beauty, and every evening when he escorted her home, he resisted her. He wished for them to speak their vows before he staked his needs. However, his resistance had fallen after she appeared at his home, making demands in her irresistible attire.
Ravencroft watched the guards follow the same routine from when he worked for Lady Langdale. He needed his rest to stay alert tomorrow. However, Noel drew him toward her. He wandered to the bed, promising himself he only wanted to check if she slept well and nothing more. Except when he gazed down upon her, he realized he stood above her for his own selfish reasons. He wanted to slide under the covers, pull her into his arms, and ravish every delectable inch of her body.
He balled his hands into fists, fighting the temptation. With reluctance, he turned toward the sofa but stopped when Noel whimpered. He paused, turning back when her whimpers grew louder and she thrashed around on the bed.
“Gregory,” Noel whimpered. “Help me.”
His heart raced at the helplessness in her voice. It was his fault she suffered through a nightmare. He knelt on the bed. “Shh, Noel.”
Instead of his words calming her, her arms swung out and she released a bloodcurdling scream. It sent shivers down his spine and reminded him of the terrors Dracott endured. He gathered her in his arms, shushing her and rubbing her back in a calming motion. Her breath hitched at his touch, and soon her breathing calmed. However, her hands still clutched at his shirt with distress. He settled his hand over one of them, peeled it away, and lifted it to his mouth. He placed soft kisses across her knuckles until her hand relaxed.
“Gregory,” Noel whispered.
“Shh, love.”
“What happened?”
“You had a nightmare. Try to go back to sleep. I’ll keep you safe,” Ravencroft murmured.
“Will you talk to me until I fall asleep?”
“About what?”
“Tell me about your estate.” Noel snuggled into his arms.
Ravencroft clenched his eyes shut as her soft curves nestled into him. The vulnerability of the situation played havoc on his senses. While he wanted to comfort her and provide a sense of security, he really wanted to strip the shirt from her body and kiss all her worries away. He kept trying to remind himself that he was a gentleman, regardless of his scandalous thoughts.
“There isn’t much to tell, other than my neglect.”
Noel toyed with his buttons, wanting to undo them. “Do you hold any special memories of the place?”
Ravencroft smiled into the darkness as he thought of his childhood home. “Yes. I only hold cherished memories of my home. My father allowed me free rein over the estate in my youth and taught me how to love the land. I hope to give my children the same gift.”
“Did your feelings ever change about your home after your mother left?” Noel questioned. Her curiosity prompted her to ask because after her father passed away, her home life had changed for the better.
Ravencroft slid his hand through her hair, enjoying how the softness caressed him. “Yes. For a while, I only felt relief because her selfishness made my father miserable. He catered to her every whim. However, nothing was ever to her satisfaction. For a short time, I despised the place because his wife’s betrayal had broken my father’s heart and he stopped caring. No matter what I tried, he never returned to the man I admired. When he grew ill, he begged for my forgiveness for failing to provide a stable home. Then, before he died, he pleaded with me to make him a promise I wanted to refuse. However, I could never refuse my father anything.”
Noel had unbuttoned his shirt, and her hand slid against his warm chest. “What was the promise?”
His breath hitched at her touch. “To find my mother and forgive her. He told me I must because I had a brother who needed my help. My father learned the child’s father had died and about the trouble my mother had entangled her and the child in. He wanted me to save my brother and bring him to our home.”
Noel pressed her lips against his heart before laying her cheek on it. “And you fulfilled your father’s promise.”
“No. I only promised him so he could pass away in peace. Until my dying day, I will never forgive that woman for abandoning us and raising Dracott in hell. The promise will forever go unfulfilled,” Ravencroft swore.
