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She continued to toy with the bread, and then set it on her plate with a sigh. “I keep wondering if I made a mistake by leaving my sisters so… abruptly, and on Christmas Eve. A part of me feels as though I acted rashly, that I should have stayed and tried to talk to them again, but then I know it would have been as it always has. They would have consoled me and told me it would be better if I only gave London a chance.” She put her head in her hands. “I was so determined to take this course of action so that they would finally understand that I was earnest, that I neverwantedto go to the city, but what if—”
“What if?” he prompted.
She lifted her gaze to his, tears swirling in their green depths. “What if they are so furious that they will never forgive me?”
Miles snorted. “I don’t think you will have to worry about that. I may not know your sisters that well, but I can see that they care about you deeply. If anything, they will come looking for you and beg you to return.”
Her lids fluttered as she looked back at her plate. “I know I must seem terribly ungrateful and utterly selfish. I certainly never desired to be at odds with my sisters, but I just knew I wouldn’t be happy in London.”
Although Miles told himself not to be affected, she looked so forlorn that he couldn’t help his heart from being pricked. “You haven’t done anything wrong, Lady Olivia,” he rasped, hating the sound of his distorted voice now more than ever. It made him sound like some sort of monster, when that was the last thing he wanted to appear in her eyes. “You are never at fault for chasing your own joy. Your sisters have done what they wanted by going to London. You have just chosen not to join them.” He shrugged. “If independence was their plan, then you, my lady, have succeeded.”
* * *
Olivia stilled.She had thought of her plan in the exact same way when she’d left that letter on the foyer table and rushed out the door as if she would be discovered at any moment. When she’d shut the front door on her departure, her heart had been pounding, believing that she was a terrible person for leaving, but at the same time, knowing nothing would have stopped her. Her mind was set.
Mr. Stone had just put into words what she’d tried to convince herself all this time and it made her feel decidedly better. Her shoulders sagged with relief, and she offered him a tentative smile.
She didn’t know if it was the wine beginning to affect her head, but she was starting to become quite content just looking upon his handsome face. That was, until those dark eyes met hers and then an odd, swirling sensation began in the pit of her stomach and her breathing turned uneven, until she was forced to glance away.
He rose to his feet and her gaze snapped back to his. “I’ll go downstairs to the tap room for a drink so you can bathe. The heat will go a long way in restoring your lagging spirits.” He offered a polite bow. “I will return shortly.”
Olivia expelled a slow breath when he was gone. It wasn’t that she was uncomfortable with him in the same room, it was that she was… uncomfortable withhim. Of course, it made no sense whatsoever, but instead of trying to understand her own reasoning, she started to disrobe. Thankfully, she’d had the foresight to pack front lacing stays and gowns that were relatively easy to maneuver on her own. She hadn’t known how long she might be without a ladies’ maid when she’d left London, so she wanted to ensure she could do things on her own. Considering her present situation, she was even more thankful that she’d had the foresight to do so.
She dug in her trunk which Mr. Stone had graciously brought up and placed at the end of the bed and withdrew her nightdress. She stared at it for a moment, knowing that it covered her from head to toe, and then she decided that she would wear her chemise underneath it as well to ensure that she was properly covered. One couldn’t be too careful when it came to sleeping next to a strange man.
Ahandsomestranger who claimed to be an estate manager, but unknown to her, nevertheless.
She sighed in bliss as she sank down into the warm water. It immediately turned her skin pink, but she reveled in the sting. It went far to chase away the chill that tried to consume her.
She reached for the soap that had been placed nearby next to the linens and began to scrub until her skin glowed with even more of a reddish hue. She kept her hair pinned to keep it dry. While the fire would eventually dry it, she didn’t want to linger overlong when Mr. Stone could return at any time. She would like to be in bed under the pretense of sleep when that occurred.
After remaining in the bath as long as she dared, Olivia quickly dried off with one of the linens and then placed it over the back of the tub to dry. She then donned her chemise and nightdress and walked back over to her trunk on bare feet, to retrieve her hairbrush. Once she had removed the pins and set them on her trunk, she ran the bristles through her waist-length hair until it crackled and then proceeded to split the strands and turn them into one neat plait.
Grateful that her ‘husband’ had yet to return, she got into bed and rolled on her side, then scooted as far from the opposite side as she could possibly manage without falling off the mattress entirely.
She closed her eyes and attempted to regulate her breathing with slow, deep inhales, but it became apparent that sleep would not be claiming her anytime soon. She had slept a bit on the journey, which she realized now had been a mistake. She had never required much sleep. That was a habit reserved for Calliope.
Her red-haired sibling had always said that to look your best you had to have plenty of beauty rest. She supposed it was true, since Calliope had always garnered a lot of attention from the village boys and was already creating quite a stir in London.
But since she didn’t want to be awake when Mr. Stone returned, she kept her eyes firmly shut and prayed that she would soon drift into slumber.
* * *
Miles had been downstairsfor three hours and eleven minutes.
Not that he had been counting.
After imbibing a pint of ale and exchanging some easy conversation with a few of the locals, he had finally climbed the stairs, confident that Lady Olivia would be fast asleep by now.
He held his breath as he slowly opened the door and walked into the room, shutting it behind him with a gentle click. He noted that the fire had died down to a light simmering glow and that there was a slight chill to the air because of it. He shivered slightly but removed his greatcoat and hung it on a peg near the door. Then, he went over and stoked the fire. He tried to think of something else he could do, but he knew he was just prolonging the inevitable.
The bed.
Closing his eyes, he reminded himself that he was a gentleman, and one who didn’t prey on the innocent. Lady Olivia was a young woman who didn’t need the disappointments that life could offer her, at least, not yet. It was best if she still imagined that the sky could carry rainbows after a storm. It was going to be difficult enough when she learned who he really was.
Miles removed his jacket, cravat, waistcoat, and boots, but he kept his shirt and trousers on. He wasn’t about to tempt fate and sleep in his small clothes as he normally did. And most especially not naked.
He moved to the side of the bed and told himself not to look on her side, but it was a useless argument. His eyes shifted that direction and then came to a skidding halt.
