The sound of the wind woke Hedley from a contented sleep. Lying in Rafe’s arms was far better than any feather pillow or mattress. She could stay here, like this, forever. Closing her eyes to do just that, she sighed in utter bliss. His deep, rhythmic breaths stirred the hair on top of her head. And the hair on his chest tickled her nose.
It wasn’t until she heard the growl of thunder that a sense of alarm grew within her. During the last storm, she hadn’t heard it while inside Fallow Hall. This manor was quite sound and sturdy. Only within her beloved but ramshackle Greyson Park had she heard every breeze blowing through the windows and walls.
The windows. Instantly, she thought of Rafe’s legacy.
No. Hedley had removed the boards from the windows. For all she knew, it was their only protection. Now, they were at risk of being destroyed by the wind—or worse.
“I will rebuild it brick by brick . . . ”
But he wouldn’t be able to replace his legacy. She had to do something.
She nudged Rafe. He didn’t stir. Her second, third, and fourth attempts didn’t wake him either. In fact, he was sleeping quite soundly.
Slipping out of bed, she found her night rail on the floor. However, seeing the parcel on a chair nearby, she decided it would be better to wear actual clothes, in case she encountered one of the servants.
Untying the strings, she dressed and then crossed the room once more to press a kiss to his mouth. Rafe slept on without a care. A flash of lightning revealed a devilish grin on his lips. She hoped he was dreaming of her.
Rafe was in the middle of a rather erotic dream of Hedley’s berry-stained lips when a loud crash of thunder woke him. However, when he reached out to pull her to him, he found the bed empty.
Sitting up, the blankets fell to his lap, revealing the state the dream had put him in. Even so, the dream was nothing compared to the full sensual reality of Hedley. She loved him with a fierceness that rivaled his own. She held nothing back.
Looking around the room, he found it empty as well. There was no reason for alarm, he told himself. Likely she’d returned to her chamber in order to keep their secret from being discovered. But it wouldn’t be a secret for long. He grinned. Peeling away the bedclothes, he decided that now was the perfect time to ask her—
Lightning flashed, illuminating a puddle of white on the floor. Her night rail . . . His pulse quickened. His gaze drifted to the chair to see the open parcel of clothes.
A rumble of thunder rattled the windows. Suddenly, he knew she wasn’t in her chamber either.
Rafe tore out of bed, yanking on a shirt and breeches as he headed out. Down the hall and around the corner, he charged into her room.
She wasn’t here. To be certain, he searched behind the dressing screen and the window alcove and—
Lightning flashed again, drawing his gaze out the window. Through the slashes of horizontal rain on the glass, he saw a shape moving across the lawn toward Greyson Park.
Hedley broke through the path between the trees. Wind and rain plastered her hair to her face. She was soaked, drenched to the soles of the red shoes. She’d donned them before leaving Fallow Hall. And now, they were in tatters, hanging off her feet, tripping her. She would have to leave them behind.
Lifting one foot and then the other was all it took to slip out of them. Her red shoes had been through so much with her. However, now they were beyond mending. Not only that, but she no longer needed them to feel visible. She knew who she was.
Looking straight ahead, she saw Greyson Park. The wind howled around her. Lightning illuminated the façade, revealing a broken parlor window with the brick casing crumbling around it. The house had shifted in the storm. A terrible groaning of timber roared from within it.
If she didn’t hurry, she would be too late. Yet even now, she didn’t know if she could save the windows in the attic. If Rafe hadn’t been able to remove them without damaging them, then how could she?
Yet her inner drive and determination would not allow her to give up. If she had to, she would return to Fallow Hall for help.
“Hedley!”
She whipped around to see Rafe rushing up behind her. His shirt was transparent and molded to his body. He raked a hand through his hair, revealing the furrows on his brow. “What are you doing? You can’t possibly go inside. Look at it.”
“I have to, Rafe.” She had to shout over the wind. When he started to shake his head, she lifted her hand to his face, brushing her fingertips over his cheek. “You don’t understand. I removed the boards from the windows. Your treasure—your legacy—it isn’t safe.”
There wasn’t time to argue. She turned to go, only to have him block her path again.
Taking her by the shoulders, Rafe hauled her to him. He pressed his lips against her temple. “Don’t you know by now that you are my treasure, Hedley? Our children will be my legacy.” Then he took her face in his hands, the rain peppering down on her cheeks. “I love you.”
He didn’t smile at all when he said it. Instead, his expression was fierce and raw. Hedley forgot about the rain, the wind, the treasure, and Greyson Park.
“You love me.” Had she heard him correctly? But she knew she had. Still, she had to make sure. “What about the wager?”
“Devil take the wager.”
She smiled. “But I’m supposed to marry Montwood.”
“No.” That fierceness of his grew even more intense. “You’re supposed to marry me.”
“Am I?”
Instead of answering, Rafe claimed her mouth in a kiss.