AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter 17
“Your Grace? Are you in there?” a womanly voice called out. Antonia.
Eloise’s eyes widened, and she lifted herself from the bed, the sheet slipping off and exposing her nude body. Simon’s sturdy arm was tightly wrapped around her waist, shackling her to the bed and himself, unable to escape.
The knock on the door intensified, the shadow of Miss Antonia’s figure present beneath the doorframe. Simon slept soundly, his snores filling the room and temporarily blocking out the persistent voice of Antonia—and Eloise’s drumming heartbeat.
“Your Grace? I heard your voice,” she said. “Is everything all right?”
Eloise spun into panic, gently trying to pin herself away from Simon whose grip had only grown tighter. He pulled her closer to him, wrapping both hands around her body, burying his head in her hair.
“Mmm,” he murmured.
She bit her lip at his nakedness against her body, his hardness surprising her and spawning a new feeling of desire and awkwardness all the same.
What are you thinking, you crazy woman! Control yourself.
Holding his arm firmly, she tore it away from her body with all her might and heaved it aside. Then, as quietly as possible, she dropped to her feet, throwing on all of her garments one by one, as neatly as one could when trouble was knocking on the door.
Her head ran wild with thoughts as she looked at Simon once more. He was naked; his breeches and shirt tossed on the ground, exposing his sculpted body—
Stop thinking about him like that.
“Miss Antonia,” it was Fenella’s voice from behind the door. Eloise brushed her messy hair with her fingers, trying to look presentable if they were to barge in. Though, she didn’t know how to explain Simon. “You should be resting, your cold will grow worse. I’ll take care of everything, I promise.”
“I don’t believe that’s wise, I should attend to my duties,” Antonia replied, in between coughs.
“I’ll give you a report every hour! Does that sound better? And if something goes wrong…you’ll be the first one to know.”
After what felt like an age of praying and hoping by Eloise, Antonia finally responded. “Okay, Fenella,” she sighed, “I suppose that can work.”
After a few seconds, a pair of strict steps echoed further into the distance, leaving only one person behind the door, no doubt Fenella. The door slowly creaked open, caving in, and Eloise sprinted to the door before Fenella had the chance to peek inside and expose the scandalous sight.
“Milady?” Fenella asked. “What are you doing here?”
Eloise exited the room, shut the door in a rush, and grinned nervously. “That is a good question, you know,” she started, trying to stall long enough to think up a plausible response, “what am I doing here? Oh, I must have dozed off—my memory is playing tricks on me, you see.”
Fenella raised an eyebrow in suspicion but decided not to pursue. That was one of the reasons why Eloise adored her; she made her life unquestionably easier. “Should I prepare your bath? And a new gown?”
“Oh, yes, that would be lovely. I’ll follow you to my room.” Eloise smiled, trying to ease her nerves as much as possible.
“I apologize I didn’t do it earlier. I awoke and noticed you weren’t in your room, so I thought someone else had been called to assist you,” Fenella said.
“You’re helping me now, and it’s what matters.”
They continued walking ahead toward the guest room, but in a weird turn of events, it seemed as though Fenella was the one growing nervous and panicky, fidgeting with her nails and turning her face toward Eloise, but then quickly looking away at the last moment.
“Milady, do you remember yesterday—at the staff quarters, when um, you heard about the staff meeting.” Fenella shifted her bonnet, then hugged her arms around her body with a nervous smile, not daring to make eye contact.
“Do you mean when that handsome gentleman said he was to meet you tonight? Oh, indeed, I do.”
“Well, um, it was a lie…kind of.”
“I knew it!” Eloise exclaimed loudly. She clasped a hand over her mouth, bringing her voice down. “I knew it, I knew it. It’s a date, isn’t it? Did he invite you to dinner?”
Fenella blushed, her pale skin reddening as if she had run for miles with no rest. It was enough to reveal the truth and to make Eloise even the more excited.
“Yes, Milady, he did,” Fenella said, half-embarrassed. “It’s going to be between the two of us and a secret. But…I trust you and I needed to share it with someone. I’m…nervous, you see.”
