Mr. Trent tilted his head a little. She didn’t like that one bit. She felt almost naked when he looked at her like that.
“So, you are afraid of Mr. Hancock?”
“No,” she shook her head. “Why would you think that?”
“Because you were startled,” he reminded her.
“Yes, well… never mind,” she replied, deciding not to delve into a deeper conversation with this man who, despite having saved William and for that had her eternal gratitude, made her senses all tingle.
“You know, I was hoping to catch you before you left home,” he said, speaking in a low murmur, as if he were afraid of being overheard.
“Why?” she wondered.
“Because I was wondering if you would be interested in… keeping me company this evening,” he asked, and the very question almost made Rose’s jaw drop down to the floor. Shecouldn’t believe what she had just heard. T had to be a mistake. It just had to.
Then, she heard him clarify. “I was uhm… talking to William, and he gave me the impression that you were fond of such… activities.”
Rose felt utterly flabbergasted. This comment only solidified the fact that she had not been mistaken. She heard everything all right. There was no mistake about that. And this man was assuming that she was… interested in spending the night with him, because William told him so?
Just at that moment, he reached out and placed his hand gently on the small of her back, stepping dangerously close to her. His intentions were more than clear at that moment. Rose immediately took a step back, as if the man’s touch scorched her. What did the duke tell him? Her thought and feelings seemed to be all over the place, and she couldn’t come up with a single coherent thought.
“Mr. Trent, I do not know what the duke has discussed with you, but my family is expecting me and that is where I shall be spending the night,” she clarified through clenched teeth, as she didn’t want to make a scene. Although, she never knew how difficult it was to have the utmost desire to scream, but being forced to whisper.
“Miss Rose, I assure you that—”
“Miss Rose, is everything all right?” Mr. Hancock’s reassuring voice thundered through the corridors, like a beacon of light. Never in her entire life did Rose think that she would be that glad to see the man who never smiled at her once. But now, he was exactly where she needed him to be, saving the day.
“Yes, Mr. Hancock,” she was unable to resist the urge to smile in the face of that man who dared to approach her with such an unmentionable proposition. “Everything is quite all right. I was just on my way to gather my coat.”
“Good,” Mr. Hancock acknowledged. “Your carriage is ready to take you home whenever you wish.”
“Thank you, Mr. Hancock, I am ready,” Rose exhaled with relief, as she turned to Mr. Trent. “Good night, Mr. Trent.”
“Good night, Miss Rose,” the man replied, obviously the sort of man who needed to make every conversation end with his own last words. Rose didn’t care. As long as she was as far away from him as possible, that was all that mattered.
About half an hour later, she found herself in the carriage, close to home. Still under the impression of what happened, she couldn’t even breathe properly. What had the duke told him? She couldn’t believe that, after everything, the duke would say something like that about her. Then again, she barely knew theman. Just because they kissed, that didn’t necessarily mean that he respected her or cared about her.
No, no… That little voice tried to reassure her but it was difficult. Why else would Mr. Trent approach her with such a shocking offer unless the duke told him it was all right to do so? It didn’t make any sense.
She arrived home, tiptoeing through the house, not wanting to wake up anyone. The last thing she wanted to do at that moment was to have her aunt ask her what happened. If Aunt Cora found out, Rose was certain that she would not be allowed to return to the manor. And rightfully so.
As she tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep, Rose couldn’t escape the sensation that something was wrong. Terribly wrong.
Chapter 19
“Oh, my head…” Those were William’s first words upon waking up on the couch of his drawing room, as he wrestled with the aftermath of the previous day’s events. The lingering effects of the smoke from the barn fire couples with the vengeful remnants of the brandy he had shared with Stephen had left him feeling decidedly worse for wear.
He rubbed wearily at his temples, the dull ache in his head serving as a constant reminder of his own vulnerability. Despite his best efforts to push through the discomfort, each movement seemed to exacerbate the throbbing sensation that pulsed behind his eyes.
With a resigned sigh, William resigned himself to the fact that he would need to take it easy for the day. There were pressing matters to attend to, of course—the aftermath of the fire, repairs to be made, and inquiries to be made into the cause of the blaze—but for now, he knew that his first priority was to regain his strength and composure.
Just as he was wondering whether to stay in bed or go downstairs to eat something, so his stomach would stop protesting, a knock on the door interrupted his weighing.
“Yes?” he called out, but even the sound of his own voice created turmoil and anguish.
The door opened gently and Mr. Hancock entered, carrying a tray with a modest but thoughtful breakfast.
“Good morning, Your Grace,” Mr. Hancock greeted, setting the tray on a nearby table. “I thought you might appreciate something light to eat. How are you feeling this morning?”
