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Back on his feet, Anthony went to the window. With no trellis and no tree close by, the only way Minerva could reenter was through the door. At least she wouldn’t be able to sneak up on him this time.
He paced the width of her room.
Why had he chased after her?
To confess his feelings for her. No, he couldn’t do that.
To kiss her senseless. No, he most certainly could not do that either.
Damnation. Mid-stride, he stopped. What if Minerva had been kidnapped?
He swiveled and headed for the door. How careless of him not to have seen her home safely. He didn’t deserve her regard the way he had mistreated her.
His heart raced. If she was lost to him, she’d never know how he really felt. How he’d been madly in love with her since their very first chess match. Damn, he was a dunderhead. What he needed to do was go find her and never let her out of his sight again.
He took two paces toward the door and froze. The soft patter of footsteps in the hall was barely detectable. Minerva had returned.
Anthony shifted to wait against the wall. His heart clamored in his chest. He needed to make certain she was unharmed, but he also did not wish to startle her. After slow, deep breaths, his pulse resumed its normal steady pace. In the dark he tapped his fingers against his thigh, counting out the seconds before the door latch rattled.
Remain calm. Don’t rush.
He pressed his back against the wall, and the door slowly opened. Instead of rushing in, Minerva peered into the room. Thankfully, the door partially hid him from her. Had she sensed his presence? If she had, she gave him no indication she knew he was waiting for her.
Minerva slipped in and leaned up against the door. Eyes closed, she rested her head back and sighed. It was a sigh of exhaustion. What the devil had she been up to?
He wouldn’t find out by remaining hidden in the shadows. A long stride, and a quick turn, and he stepped in front of her and covered her mouth with his hand.
Her eyes popped open wide and then narrowed.
He quickly whispered, “Shh. You wouldn’t want to wake up Gregory or Isadora, now, would you?”
She hadn’t bitten him or tried to shove him off; she simply stared back at him. Concerned at her passive behavior, he removed his hand from her mouth and flipped it over to press it against her forehead. Warm but not fevered.
Satisfied, he took a step back and noticed a whitish mark on the back of his hand. Face paint? Earlier, at his lodgings, Minerva’s beautiful face had been devoid of the pasty powder. His mind whirled with more who, what, and why questions.
Minerva walked around him and began to shed her cloak and gloves. A silent Minerva was an angry—averyangry Minerva. He knew better than to approach.
She threw her outer garments on her bed and rounded again to face him with her hands on her hips. “What are you doing in my chambers?”
She was clearly unharmed and ready to do battle with him. Before her debut, they’d rarely argued. He missed those days. The days where they talked about everything and anything. The days when he wasn’t subjected, on a daily basis, to gentlemen gazing upon her with interest and his having to hide his own feelings for her.
He was done hiding in the shadows. He stepped to get closer and circled her. Answers. That was what he needed. His gaze narrowed on an unusually pale spot at her temple along her hairline. Her cheeks were a shade of pink, as far as he could tell in the dim moonlight. He leaned in closer to peer into her eyes, to make sure she was well, but really the movement was a ploy to get closer. Closer to her lips.
He wished he’d kissed her earlier.
He straightened and clasped his hands behind him, a precaution to prevent his reaching for her and acting upon his desires before he received the answers he came for. “Where in the hell did you venture to after you left my temporary lodgings?”
Chin in the air, she replied, “I shan’t be answering any of your questions until you answer mine.”
“Very well. I wished to ensure you returned home safely.” He averted his gaze from her generous bosom, which was front and center now that her arms were firmly crossed beneath her bustline.
“Since you have verified my return, you may leave.”
She tried to sidestep around him again, but he blocked her path to the door. “First, tell me where you went.” He left out the expletive he was sure Minerva had taken exception to earlier.
“I had an errand to see to.”
“An errand? In the middle of the night?” He didn’t believe her, but he also didn’t know what to think. “Did this errand involve visiting another gentleman?” For once, he hoped his intuition was wrong and Minerva’s detour before arriving home did not involve another man.
