Syd stirred and opened her eyes.
He returned to her side and sat on the bed. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”
She cast him a smile as sweet as heaven. “I heard thethunkas your head struck the wooden beam. Does it hurt? Shall I have a look at it?”
“No, it’s fine. Go back to sleep, if you like. It’s early yet. Mr. Henshaw won’t bring the carriage around for another two hours.”
Syd shook her head and sat up beside him, trying to stifle her yawn. “Should we not get an early start?”
“After last night’s ordeal? No, I did not want to rush you.” He let out a groaning breath suddenly. “Syd, I did not even think to ask Mr. Douglas to give us a different room. How thoughtless of me. Why did you not say something?”
“It wasn’t necessary. Nothing happened in here other than my hitting Sir Henry over the head with a fire iron. A change of rooms would not have mattered since I was most upset about my father, not myself.”
He gave her rosy cheek a light caress. “You need to think more about yourself and less about others…except me, of course,” he added with a grin. “Feel free to worship and adore me to your heart’s content.”
She laughed. “Do I have a choice? You are not an easy man to ignore.”
He wanted to give her a light kiss on the brow, but decided to let her make the first moves. If she wanted affection, she had only to say so and he was willing to reciprocate. But he did not dwell on it long because he heard voices in the courtyard and was curious to know who was up and about.
He rose and walked over to the window once again to peer out of it. “Young Matthew Douglas and his brothers. Now Matthew is walking to the stable. Syd, should he be walking around this soon?”
She scrambled out of bed and joined him by the window. “Yes, he can so long as he does not undertake any physically strenuous duties. I don’t think his mother would have allowed him to step out of his room if she did not think he was fit enough. It is a good sign that he is too restless to remain in bed.
“Something I would like to do,” Octavian muttered, and then sighed. “I’ll give you a moment alone to tend to your necessaries. Shall I send a maid up to assist you to dress?”
“All right, although you do a commendable job of putting me together. I would rather have your touch, but will understand if you have had enough of me.”
What he would rather do was a commendable job of getting heroutof her clothes and showing her the sins of pleasure.
Perhaps tonight, assuming Syd was willing.
He ached to put his hands and lips on her sweet body.
But she was now bustling around the room and organizing their belongings. She appeared eager to get on the road, so there was not going to be anything amorous happening now. Not that he wanted to take her in this room, not after Sir Henry had come after her in here.
New place, new memory.
Or he could wait until they arrived in Greenock and settled in.
Since Octavian already had his trousers on, he tossed on the rest of his uniform and donned his boots. “Shall I order breakfast delivered up here for us, Syd? Ouch!” He winced as he bumped his head against another of those infernal, low ceiling beams.
“I don’t think it is safe for you in here.” She stifled a laugh but could not hold back another of her beautiful smiles. “Let’s eat downstairs.”
They had a filling meal, although Octavian noted that Syd merely picked at her food. He left it alone because urging hernotto worry about her father would only serve to make her worry all the more.
After finishing his meal, he left Syd in the company of Mrs. Douglas, the two ladies sharing a pot of tea, while he went with their eldest son to seek out the constable and make certain his search party was assembled and ready to ride south. The constable had only three men and two dogs with him. “Can’t bring more men,” the constable explained. “Our clan feuds are long over, but the Armstrongs will be alarmed if I ride into their territory with a small army.”
Octavian nodded. “I understand.”
“Will yer wife?” he asked, arching a bushy eyebrow.
Octavian groaned lightly. “Probably not, but she’s mine to worry about. I appreciate all you are doing for us. She does, too.”
Syd had their bags packed and in their carriage by the time Octavian returned. He saw her walking out of the stable just as he reached the inn’s courtyard. “I wanted to see Matthew one last time and remind him not to overdo it,” she explained.
“How is he?”
She smiled. “Good as new, but I dare not tell him so because he will overdo it and strain himself by returning to his full duties far too soon.”
