Master, I would.”
“Then come with me now,” he said, shifting away from the banister and from me. I straightened, intending to follow him, but my head was still spinning, and instead I swayed back towards the long staircase of marble steps. Terrified of falling, I gasped and flailed my arms, searching for the banister to support myself.
At once he caught me, drawing me back from the edge of the steps and the banister.
“There now, Eve, you’re safe; you’re safe,” he said, his voice soothing as he folded his arms around me. “I’d never let any harm come to you.”
I felt foolish now, certain I’d overreacted. Yet I made no effort to move away from him, resting my face against his chest.
“I’m fine,” I lied, still shaking. “Truly. It has been a long day, and I—I suppose I am a bit weary, and felt dizzy, and—”
“You needn’t explain,” he said, carefully leading me up the last few steps to the landing. “Not to me. I’m sure you’ll feel much better once you’ve dined and changed from your corset into something less confining.”
I blushed at the mention of my corset. It made no sense, I know, to blush over him mentioning my unmentionables after all the other intimacies we’d shared, especially when he was likely right.
“I’m sorry,” I said again, and he placed his fingers gently over my lips to silence me.
“We’ll speak no more of it,” he said firmly. “Here is a room where you may undress, and rest, if you wish.”
“Where are your rooms?” I asked. That was much more important to me. If I’d wanted my own company, I would have remained at the Savoy.
“Across the hall,” he said. “Would you like me to send for one of the maids to—”
“I’ll manage for myself,” I said quickly. I could undress easily enough; it was dressing once again that was more of a challenge, but I would worry about that later. “Truly. I’m quite well now.”
I eased myself away from him to prove it, though I rested my hand along the back of a nearby armchair just to be sure. This was clearly a bedroom for a special guest, with exquisite white furnishings trimmed with gold. A plush Aubusson carpet covered the floor, and the curtains at the window and on the bed were a deep-blue velvet, edged with more gold braid.
But there was no doubt that the room was meant for me. A short, filmy shift of white silk, much like the one I’d worn as an Innocent at Wrenton, had been laid across the bed, waiting. Beside it was a simple long robe of red silk satin, which I guessed was also intended for me.
“A glass of wine, then, to restore yourself.” He went striding across the room to the sideboard, filled a glass halfway from the decanter, and brought it back to me. I was touched by the genuine concern in his eyes, his brows drawn together with uncharacteristic worry. “Drink it, and no excuses.”
“Yes, my lord,” I said, dutifully drinking what he’d offered me and setting the glass down on a nearby table. I felt the wine’s effects almost instantly, warming and relaxing me from within, and I smiled at him. “You see I’m quite myself again.”
He wasn’t convinced. “You’re pale.”
“I’m supposed to be.” I pulled the pins from my hat, lifted it from my head, and tossed it onto the chair. “I’m a lady.”
He didn’t answer at first, and when he did speak he surprised me.
“You’re a lady who has become important to me,” he said gruffly. “I told you that before. I do not wish any harm to come to you.”
I realized how difficult it must have been for him to say that. It was just as difficult for me to answer.
“I feel the same regard for you,” I said softly.
“‘Regard,’” he repeated, and smiled wryly—from amusement, chagrin, or because he’d expected another, more passionate word from me?
I blushed and looked down, confused. I was still new at these games that were so familiar to him, and there were times I said or did the wrong thing.
“Then come with me now,” he said, shifting away from the banister and from me. I straightened, intending to follow him, but my head was still spinning, and instead I swayed back towards the long staircase of marble steps. Terrified of falling, I gasped and flailed my arms, searching for the banister to support myself.
At once he caught me, drawing me back from the edge of the steps and the banister.
“There now, Eve, you’re safe; you’re safe,” he said, his voice soothing as he folded his arms around me. “I’d never let any harm come to you.”
I felt foolish now, certain I’d overreacted. Yet I made no effort to move away from him, resting my face against his chest.
“I’m fine,” I lied, still shaking. “Truly. It has been a long day, and I—I suppose I am a bit weary, and felt dizzy, and—”
“You needn’t explain,” he said, carefully leading me up the last few steps to the landing. “Not to me. I’m sure you’ll feel much better once you’ve dined and changed from your corset into something less confining.”
I blushed at the mention of my corset. It made no sense, I know, to blush over him mentioning my unmentionables after all the other intimacies we’d shared, especially when he was likely right.
“I’m sorry,” I said again, and he placed his fingers gently over my lips to silence me.
“We’ll speak no more of it,” he said firmly. “Here is a room where you may undress, and rest, if you wish.”
“Where are your rooms?” I asked. That was much more important to me. If I’d wanted my own company, I would have remained at the Savoy.
“Across the hall,” he said. “Would you like me to send for one of the maids to—”
“I’ll manage for myself,” I said quickly. I could undress easily enough; it was dressing once again that was more of a challenge, but I would worry about that later. “Truly. I’m quite well now.”
I eased myself away from him to prove it, though I rested my hand along the back of a nearby armchair just to be sure. This was clearly a bedroom for a special guest, with exquisite white furnishings trimmed with gold. A plush Aubusson carpet covered the floor, and the curtains at the window and on the bed were a deep-blue velvet, edged with more gold braid.
But there was no doubt that the room was meant for me. A short, filmy shift of white silk, much like the one I’d worn as an Innocent at Wrenton, had been laid across the bed, waiting. Beside it was a simple long robe of red silk satin, which I guessed was also intended for me.
“A glass of wine, then, to restore yourself.” He went striding across the room to the sideboard, filled a glass halfway from the decanter, and brought it back to me. I was touched by the genuine concern in his eyes, his brows drawn together with uncharacteristic worry. “Drink it, and no excuses.”
“Yes, my lord,” I said, dutifully drinking what he’d offered me and setting the glass down on a nearby table. I felt the wine’s effects almost instantly, warming and relaxing me from within, and I smiled at him. “You see I’m quite myself again.”
He wasn’t convinced. “You’re pale.”
“I’m supposed to be.” I pulled the pins from my hat, lifted it from my head, and tossed it onto the chair. “I’m a lady.”
He didn’t answer at first, and when he did speak he surprised me.
“You’re a lady who has become important to me,” he said gruffly. “I told you that before. I do not wish any harm to come to you.”
I realized how difficult it must have been for him to say that. It was just as difficult for me to answer.
“I feel the same regard for you,” I said softly.
“‘Regard,’” he repeated, and smiled wryly—from amusement, chagrin, or because he’d expected another, more passionate word from me?
I blushed and looked down, confused. I was still new at these games that were so familiar to him, and there were times I said or did the wrong thing.
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