He opened his mouth to say something, but the unapologetic firmness of her gaze stopped him. “Please,” she urged again.
He sighed and nodded, remaining seated in his leather chair. Rose hurried out of his study. How silly of me, she thoughtto herself. I should have done this immediately upon arriving today.
She rushed through the corridors with a determined stride, heading towards the servants’ quarters. She couldn’t shake the image of his pale face and sad, exhausted eyes. She scolded herself again for not having done this earlier, but her duties had kept her occupied throughout the entire day.
In the small, bustling kitchen, she quickly set about making a pot of tea. She retrieved the willow bark she had brought with her, a remedy she often relied on for its soothing properties.
The familiar scent of the brewing tea filled the air, and she allowed herself a small sigh of relief. Once the tea was ready, Rose poured it into a delicate china tea cup, carefully balancing it on a tray with a small pot of honey and a spoon. She hurried back to William's study, her heart pounding with a mix of worry and hope.
She knocked gently on the door, then opened it, not waiting to be called inside. She approached him as he looked up, his expression softening at the sight of her and the tray with the steaming cup of tea.
“Here,” she said gently, setting the tray down and picking up the cup. “Drink this.”
“What is it?” he asked, looking at the offered cup.
“Oh, it’s tea made with willow bark,” she explained. “It is an old remedy that should help ease your pain.”
He shook his head. “I have pains which no tea can cure, Rose.”
As he took the cup from her, their fingers brushed for a moment. A sudden, unexpected jolt of attraction startled Rose, and she felt her heart race. She had no idea such a simple touch could affect her so profoundly, awakening a million little goosebumps which rushed down her back, then disappeared, leaving a slightly trembling body and mind in their wake.
She looked up, meeting his eyes, silently searching for a sign that he felt it, too. She had no idea why. A part of her didn’t want to be alone in this unexpected attraction that took her completely off guard. The spark remained as a titillating reminder that just like her, he was human, made of flesh and blood. She wondered if he had sensed the same spark, if the same sensations had been awakened inside of him as well.
“But… thank you,” he said, his voice sincere. “I appreciate this.”
Rose hastily dismissed the thought, forcing herself to look away as she felt a blush creeping up her cheeks. “It’s really nothing,” she replied, her voice steady despite her racing thoughts. “I hope you won’t take this the wrong way, Your Grace, but you need to take better care of yourself. You endure your pain, but there are ways to alleviate it.”
He nodded, taking a sip of the tea. “Perhaps. But if the pain will always be with you, isn’t it better to get used to it?”
His words caught her off guard. There was some truth in them, but at the same time, she couldn’t agree.
“Life shouldn’t be a process of adjusting to pain,” she reminded him.
“Adjusting means you stop paying so much attention to it,” he said with a shrug. “It becomes a part of your life and you accept it as such. Making it go away feels like you are fighting all the time.”
“Life is about fighting,” she could agree with that. She was on the verge of sharing with him the story of how she lost her parents, but she thought it would symbolize the crossing of a certain boundary. After all, she was merely an employee in his manor. Nothing else. “But that doesn’t mean that you have to endure what you can lessen to a certain degree.”
He smiled that time. “All right, Rose. Would you please bring some more of this… tree bark, so I can try it and see how it affects me?”
“Of course,” she smiled back, joyful that she could help. “I will be happy to do so.”
“Thank you,” he nodded. “Are you—”
His words were interrupted abruptly by the sound of breaking glass. A stone, large and menacing, smashed through one of the windows right beside them. Instinctively, William reacted. He reached out and pulled Rose into his arms, shielding her from the flying shards.
“Stay down,” he commanded, his voice low and urgent as he maneuvered them both further away from the windows.
Rose felt the strength and warmth of his embrace, her heart pounding not just from the sudden danger but from the intense proximity to William. She clung to him, her breath quick and shallow, as they crouched together in the safety of the room’s corner. She had never felt this way before. Her entire body was awash in senses as she inhaled his masculine scent, burying her face in his chest.
William’s protective hold tightened, his eyes darting about the room for any further threats. “Are you all right?” he whispered tenderly; his voice filled with concern.
Rose nodded, still trying to process what had just happened. “Yes, I… I think so,” she managed to say, her voice trembling slightly.
He looked down at her, his face close to hers, their breaths mingling. The danger had brought them even closer, the heat of the moment making every sensation more acute. For a moment, everything else faded away—the broken window, the stone, the danger. It was just the two of them, wrapped in a protective, intimate embrace. Rose felt a surge of emotions, a mix of fear, gratitude, and something deeper, something she couldn’t quite name.
Rose cautiously peeked through the broken window, in hopes of seeing who the perpetrators were. Her breath caught in her throat as she recognized one of the boys running away. It was her brother. Horror and shame washed over her, mingling with a deep sense of guilt. How could he have done such a reckless thing… again?
She turned back to William, fear evident in her eyes. Had he seen her brother, too? Her heart pounded as she met his gaze. His eyes were fixed on her, an intensity in them that took her breath away. The tension from before returned with a vengeance, amplified by the gravity of the situation and their intimate proximity.
