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She was inclined to agree. “She has been rather generous.”
While he removed his greatcoat and laid it over the back of a chair, Olivia was rooted to the spot where she stood. She yearned to remove her cloak and bonnet and sink into the warm water that was offered, but instead, she said, “You’re welcome to bathe first this evening, since I likely took too long last night and it became too cold. And I’m more than happy to wait until tomorrow evening when we reach Marlington Hall to engage in such a luxury.”
He turned to her with a mocking grin. “That is, if the new heir allows you to step foot through the front door.”
She frowned. “Surely, he wouldn’t be so unkind. Heismy father’s heir, after all, so there is some sort of relation—”
“It’s not enough to even consider, in my opinion.”
Olivia stilled. “I didn’t realize you knew so much about the new Duke of Marlington?”
He reached up and shoved a hand through his overly long hair, and she wondered if he might be thinking it was time to trim it. She hoped that wasn’t the case. “Of course, I’ve only heard rumors,” he muttered. “But when I was considering the…ah, position of estate manager, I made a few inquiries.”
She crossed her arms. “Why didn’t you tell me? What else do you know about him?”
“Very little, I’m afraid.” He turned from her and began to busy himself with removing his jacket. “I agree that a warm bath sounds like just the thing, so if you don’t mind?” He glanced at her as he began to tug on his cravat.
Instantly her eyes widened, and she spun back toward the door. “I shall be downstairs when you’re, er…” She waved a hand behind her and allowed him to finish the sentence for her as she fled the room.
Chapter Six
Miles tossed down the strip of material next to the growing pile with a sigh. He’d nearly given everything away with that slip of the tongue, so he knew the only way to divert her attention, and that inquisitive mind, was to start disrobing.
Thankfully, it had the desired effect.
He dumped the pails of heated water into the tub and set them aside, and then finished removing the rest of his clothes. He sank down into the water and rested his arms on the sides, while he leaned his head against the edge. He hadn’t realized how much he missed the small luxuries in life, like a warm bath, and clean clothes. He had been wearing the same clothes since the day before because he hadn’t intended on making a detour to this inn, but rather pushing through the weather until he’d reached Marlington Hall. However, as life continued to teach him, it was that things didn’t always go according to plan.
Such as Lady Olivia.
He tapped his finger against the rim of the tub. He still wasn’t sure how he might dissuade her from lingering at Marlington Hall when they arrived, but at least he had the perfect excuse for being in the duke’s office when they did. If he had claimed to be a footman, it would be strange for him to be looking over the ledgers.
In truth, she might be able to help him get things in order. She had grown up at the estate, while he was practically arriving as a guest, trying to get things together before the ‘new heir’ arrived.
He dreaded the day when she found out he was the one who had dashed all of her dreams, but he couldn’t help English law that prevented a woman from inheriting. He would have signed it all over to her without hesitation if he had been able to do so, especially now that he knew it meant so much to her – so much, in fact – that she had been willing to leave her sisters behind and spend the holiday season with a virtual stranger just so she could returnhome.
Miles stared at the ceiling. He wasn’t sure if Gravesend Manor had ever truly felt like home to him. It had merely been the place he’d been raised, and schooled to take over his father’s legacy, just as all of the dukes that had come before him. The gallery was filled with stern-faced Englishmen who were expecting him to do his duty to the familial line.
He had hated that room and avoided it whenever possible, for it was as if they were judging him for his actions. He remembered the first time he strode through that hall after he had returned from the battlefield. He could feel their accusing gazes on him for deserting his duties to the estate and defying convention to fight in the war, since he was the heir and not the spare.
He prayed that there wasn’t a similar room at Marlington Hall. If so, he might just pack up all the previous dukes with their haughty glares and send them to the attic.
Pushing any further musings to the side, he decided it was time to wash and get out before Olivia returned, although something told him she would rather sleep downstairs in the taproom, as opposed to risk walking in on him when she couldn’t be certain that he was fully dressed.
Once he was finished, he got out and dried off, and then donned his small clothes, trousers, shirt, and shoes once more, eschewing his cravat and waistcoat. Since all he was doing was going downstairs to retrieve Lady Olivia in a nearly empty inn, he didn’t find it necessary to don the rest.
His steps were light as he headed down the stairs, but his vision quickly turned red.
* * *
Olivia was sittingand patiently waiting for Mr. Stone to come and tell her he was through with his bath, when the door to the taproom opened and two men walked inside. They were laughing and by the slur of their words, it appeared that they were inebriated.
She didn’t think they were locals, which meant they were merely passing through the village. Her senses went on alert, and she tried her best to become invisible as they started to walk past, but as much as she tried, she didn’t have the ability to disappear from sight.
“Eh, wha’ do we go’ ’ere?” One of the men dared to sit down across from her while the other merely rolled his eyes, as if he was used to his friend’s antics. “Surely ye ain’t spendin’ Christmas all by yer lonesome?” he added with a grin that made Olivia shudder with revulsion. “I’ll be yer company.”
She shook her head and said firmly, “No, thank you.”
Instead of getting up and walking away, he attempted to cajole her further, even daring to reach out and run his fingers down her arm. She scooted farther away from his touch. “My husband will not take kindly to your bold advances, sir,” she stated, hoping that would be enough of a warning to dissuade him from any further attentions.
