protective barrier between the two of them. "I have not eaten since morning, these will serve me well."
She smiled, watching him demolish the sweets to the last drop and crumb. Valentine was here with her, as she had always wished. just the two of them, as intimate as lovers. But they weren't lovers, and they never would be now.
She closed her eyes, sadness seeping into the corners of her soul. If only he weren't married .... If only he were free . . . and her mother would walk in now, wouldn't she be thoroughly compromised?
The countess would have had to let her marry Valentine then. She'd have no choice in the matter. But his marriage made that an impossible dream.
"What can we do if the duke does not arrive in time?" She was much too nervous to bring up the first subject on her mind. She could not ask him about his marriage, not until she could bear hearing the answer without tears. After all, she had no idea if he loved the wife waiting patiently for him at Anderlin. Perhaps, she shivered, even a child. A year was long enough, and he was keeping great care to maintain a respectful distance from her.
Or was it a loss of affection and respect? A disdain for a young woman who had once, foolishly, agreed to elopement as a solution to their troubles? She searched his face, looking for a sign that he thought her a silly girl in need of rescue from herself. But his face was grave and still, his thoughts tucked deep inside, no matter how they might churn within him. At long last he left the solitude of his thoughts and looked toward the window. "We must get the sheets back in and tidied up. The servants should notice nothing amiss in the morning."
"Leave it. I can manage on my own."
She was surprised to see doubt cloud his eyes. "You cannot run away, Emily. You must trust to me to fix things for you."
She tried to mask her own nervousness in a strong and steady reply, "I do."
He caught her gaze with his own. "Promise me."
She made herself look back steadily. "I promise. I will wait for the duke to arrive — " At least, I will wait for a while, she added silently.
As if he had heard her amended promise, he leaned forward, his words slow and careful. "If necessary, I will think of something to delay matters until the duke can arrive, and send word to you, Lady Emily. But I cannot risk your reputation. I still shudder at the disgrace I nearly caused for you three years ago."
Torn by the fact that he would soon be gone, she did not keep the pain from her voice. "That was not our fault, it was the duke's. If he hadn't caught us, we'd have been safely wed long ago."
His eyes widened in surprise at her honesty, but he recovered well enough to say slowly, "We'd have regretted it. You'd not be wearing such fine silks now." He eyed her gown and she wanted to shred it in front of his eyes. As if he thought she cared for the quality of the silk she wore more than the quality of the man she married.
"That was not important then. It is not important now."
"I cannot argue with you — " He rose to leave, but stopped, staring at her in puzzlement, almost as if he didn't know who she was. His voice slurred as he said, "What have you done to me?" His movements were slow and his eyes confused as he sank back on the bed.
Emily looked on in horror for a moment, but then suddenly realized what she had unwittingly done to him. Laudanum. She glanced at the empty posset cup. "My mother had Letty dose the posset. I am so sorry."
But she wasn't really. He wouldn't be leaving yet, after all. She would have him to herself for a few hours longer . . . asleep, she realized, as she watched him fighting, and losing, the battle with Morpheus.
"Mother does not do anything half measure, I'm afraid," she whispered, drawing the covers around him and pressing a kiss to each eyelid.
CHAPTER THREE
He was suffocating. Worse still, his arms and legs would not obey his commands to move so that he could remedy the situation. Muffled voices made him fear
She smiled, watching him demolish the sweets to the last drop and crumb. Valentine was here with her, as she had always wished. just the two of them, as intimate as lovers. But they weren't lovers, and they never would be now.
She closed her eyes, sadness seeping into the corners of her soul. If only he weren't married .... If only he were free . . . and her mother would walk in now, wouldn't she be thoroughly compromised?
The countess would have had to let her marry Valentine then. She'd have no choice in the matter. But his marriage made that an impossible dream.
"What can we do if the duke does not arrive in time?" She was much too nervous to bring up the first subject on her mind. She could not ask him about his marriage, not until she could bear hearing the answer without tears. After all, she had no idea if he loved the wife waiting patiently for him at Anderlin. Perhaps, she shivered, even a child. A year was long enough, and he was keeping great care to maintain a respectful distance from her.
Or was it a loss of affection and respect? A disdain for a young woman who had once, foolishly, agreed to elopement as a solution to their troubles? She searched his face, looking for a sign that he thought her a silly girl in need of rescue from herself. But his face was grave and still, his thoughts tucked deep inside, no matter how they might churn within him. At long last he left the solitude of his thoughts and looked toward the window. "We must get the sheets back in and tidied up. The servants should notice nothing amiss in the morning."
"Leave it. I can manage on my own."
She was surprised to see doubt cloud his eyes. "You cannot run away, Emily. You must trust to me to fix things for you."
She tried to mask her own nervousness in a strong and steady reply, "I do."
He caught her gaze with his own. "Promise me."
She made herself look back steadily. "I promise. I will wait for the duke to arrive — " At least, I will wait for a while, she added silently.
As if he had heard her amended promise, he leaned forward, his words slow and careful. "If necessary, I will think of something to delay matters until the duke can arrive, and send word to you, Lady Emily. But I cannot risk your reputation. I still shudder at the disgrace I nearly caused for you three years ago."
Torn by the fact that he would soon be gone, she did not keep the pain from her voice. "That was not our fault, it was the duke's. If he hadn't caught us, we'd have been safely wed long ago."
His eyes widened in surprise at her honesty, but he recovered well enough to say slowly, "We'd have regretted it. You'd not be wearing such fine silks now." He eyed her gown and she wanted to shred it in front of his eyes. As if he thought she cared for the quality of the silk she wore more than the quality of the man she married.
"That was not important then. It is not important now."
"I cannot argue with you — " He rose to leave, but stopped, staring at her in puzzlement, almost as if he didn't know who she was. His voice slurred as he said, "What have you done to me?" His movements were slow and his eyes confused as he sank back on the bed.
Emily looked on in horror for a moment, but then suddenly realized what she had unwittingly done to him. Laudanum. She glanced at the empty posset cup. "My mother had Letty dose the posset. I am so sorry."
But she wasn't really. He wouldn't be leaving yet, after all. She would have him to herself for a few hours longer . . . asleep, she realized, as she watched him fighting, and losing, the battle with Morpheus.
"Mother does not do anything half measure, I'm afraid," she whispered, drawing the covers around him and pressing a kiss to each eyelid.
CHAPTER THREE
He was suffocating. Worse still, his arms and legs would not obey his commands to move so that he could remedy the situation. Muffled voices made him fear
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