| |
ALISTAIR HELD HER WHILE she slept. He was tired, but he didn’t want to chance falling asleep. Best to stay alert while they were doing the forbidden. When she had first fallen asleep he had sent a text message to some of the staff, assuring them that he had gone to collect Miss Smythe after an evening of strawberry-picking. Not the most elegant lie in the world, but he knew the household well enough to know that it would suffice.
Meanwhile, she was asleep in his arms. Her cheeks flushed pink and her blond hair fanning around her. She was so beautiful and looked so peaceful that he didn’t know how he was going to wake her.
Suddenly she stirred and opened her eyes. “How long have I been asleep?” she asked with a faint smile.
“About half an hour,” he answered.
Her blue eyes widened. “That’s too long. Everyone at the manor will be looking for me.”
He took her hand and squeezed it. “I texted them a lie. They won’t come looking for another hour or so, I’m sure of it.”
“So we have a little time to ourselves then.”
That made his heart squeeze most painfully. A little time wasn’t enough. Not when he wished to hold her for eternity. He’d give anything to stay in this cottage with her and never leave.
“A little time,” he echoed.
She chewed her lip and looked up at him. “You don’t regret what we did, do you?”
“I have regrets in life, but not this. Never this.” He planted a kiss on her forehead. Alistair hadn’t realized that Evie had been a virgin until tonight. All this time he had just assumed. But perhaps it had been wrong to make assumptions. Just as it wasn’t fair for the upper class to make snap judgments about him, it wasn’t right to do the same to them. Some nobles were like her father. Greedy, selfish, and cruel. Yet some were like Evelyn. Selfless, brave, and brimming with compassion. Oh, she had her spoiled ways, but she always made the most selfless choices. Made decisions based on how they would affect others. She never did anything that made her happy, and while that level of selflessness might be a virtue at times it angered Alistair. Nobody deserved to be forced into a loveless marriage in order to fill their father’s bank account.
“I’m glad.” She paused. “I hope my inexperience didn’t make this boring for you.”
“Evie, I promise you an enthusiastic partner is the most important part of the experience.” He sought her lips and kissed her again. “You were most enjoyable.”
She laughed and started to climb out of bed. “I should change.”
He watched her as she picked up her clothes and disappeared into the adjoining bathroom.
When she returned she got back into bed with him.
Alistair took her hand and they held each other for several minutes. Lying together in an easy, comfortable silence that seemed to only come about when two people cared for each other enough to accept the quiet.
“There’s more to life than this, isn’t there?” she asked.
“Life is what you try to make of it, Evie.”
“I’m wasting away in that house.” Her breathing hitched.
He turned on his side to look at her. The pain on her face was a knife to his heart.
“All I ever do is what I’m told,” she went on, her voice trembling as she spoke. “Do this. Say that. Befriend her. Marry him. It’s all so stifling that sometimes I can’t breathe. Being a good daughter feels like I’m slowly killing a part of myself.”
“Have you ever been happy, Evie? Ever?”
She turned on her side to face him. “Yes.”
“When?” he asked, suddenly curious.
Evie smiled. “Whenever I’m with you.”
“There are consequences for a woman who ends up with a man like me. This world that you know might be stifling, but it will be cut off completely if you make the wrong decision.”
“I don’t want to marry Nicholas. I thought I could, but I can’t.” She took a deep breath. “I suppose I’m a coward for wanting to run away from my duty.”
“From what I’ve seen, he’s unkind to you,” he said.
“He’s cruel. He insults me.” She exhaled loudly. “And he hurts me.”
Alistair bolted upright. “He’s done what?”
“Not that badly.” She sat up and took his hand. “He’ll crush my hand a little too tightly. Threaten to shake me. He won’t escalate it.”
“Because he doesn’t want a bruise that he can’t explain.” Alistair shook with rage. He should have known the bastard was the sort of coward who harmed women. “I’ll kill him myself.”
“No. Please, Alistair, don’t,” she begged. “Even if you hurt him, his family is too powerful. His mother is one of the most powerful women in England. They have the power to ruin anyone who gets in their way. Even other nobles.”
“I don’t care. Nobody hurts you and gets away with it.”
“No. Stop. This is exactly why I didn’t want to tell you.” She sighed. “You have to decide, Alistair.”
“Decide what?”
“Do you hate the duke more than you care for me?”
“You. I care for you,” he replied. “But if he’s as powerful as you say, then I have to protect you from him. If your father won’t do that, then I will.”
“Maybe I could put off the wedding proposal for a while. Stall long enough to think of a way out of this,” she said, her expression turning thoughtful. “I’ll have to do it gently so that Nicholas doesn’t turn jealous and vindictive.”
“All while you continue to see me in secret?” he asked, unable to hide the wounded note in his voice. “So that no one finds out and tries to use it against you.” Because a noblewoman having a secret affair with the help would be as damaging to her family as angering a powerful duke. If anyone found out what they had just done, Evie’s life was over. She would never recover from it, and her family would have to exile her if they had any hope of weathering the storm.
As she opened her mouth to respond, the sound of loud banging on the front door silenced her.
Evie’s eyes widened and she clutched at his arm.
“Godstone, I know you’re in there!” her father’s voice boomed from outside. “Get the hell out now! I know what you’re doing!”
THE END
