Page 49 of A Raven Reborn

“While the two of you decide what’s best for me, I’ll just leave, shall I?” She threw the towel onto the floor and rushed out the door into the storm.

“Now look what you’ve done,” Patrick moved to follow her, but Ash pushed him back and jabbed him once again.

“Stay.” he said, his finger less than an inch from Patrick’s nose.

“I’m not your dog!” Patrick pushed Ash’s arm away.

“Stop.” Ash pressed his hand firmly against Patrick’s chest with the command. Patrick reined in his anger. He was, once again, having a temper tantrum like a bloody toddler, and someone needed to go after Rosie. The instant he gave a nod, Ash sprinted out the door.

Ash would keep her safe. He knew that to his core, so why was he still so angry? Why wasn’t that enough for him? And that’s when he finally realized the undeniable truth. He was still angry because he didn’t just want her to be safe. He wanted her to be his. His partner, his lover… his wife.

What in the hell had just happened? How had he, a determined, life-long bachelor, suddenly decided he should marry? And more importantly, how was he, a stubborn, crass, brute, who drank too much, ever going to be worthy of her?

“Fuck.”

ChapterSeventeen

Rain pelted Rosalyn's face. Where was she even going? At the moment, the last thing she wanted to do was return to Raven House. But where else was she supposed to go?

“Rosie, wait.” Ash’s pounding splashes were quickly gaining on her.

She turned to face him. “What do you want, Ash?”

“Let’s just get you home and dry and then we can talk.” He held out his coat to put over her, but she backed away. She didn’t want his help. She didn’t want anyone’s help. She was tired of these men trying to keep her safe.

She turned and slipped on the wet cobblestones. Her hands slammed onto the ground in front of her. Fire burned her palms as the rough surface bit into her skin, and cold soaked through the front of her bodice. Before she could even attempt to get up, she was yanked upright, barely a second before a team of horses surged in front of her. Their hooves pounded the ground exactly where she’d fallen. The driver hurled curses at her as they passed. She turned to face Ash, her entire body trembling from a combination of cold and terror.

“Rosie, are you hurt?” He looked panic stricken.

But instead of answering, she burst out laughing. Apparently, she did need someone to keep her safe. Tears mixed with the water streaming down her face as she continued to laugh.

Ash placed a hand on her shoulder. “I’d really like to get out of this…” He held up his hands to indicate the weather. “But I’m not going to leave you.” He folded his arms across his chest. “So what’s it going to be?”

Her laughter faded, and she slowly nodded.

“Thank you,” he said, and they hurried the rest of the way back to Raven House.

Once inside, he stopped her. “Go ahead and get dry and warm, and have a bite to eat. But then will you please join me in my office for a cup of tea?”

She gave a meek nod. That was where she would get her telling off. Perhaps she was acting the petulant child, pouting as she made her way down the hall. She just didn’t feel as if she deserved to be reprimanded. She was a grown woman, after all.

As she entered her room, Daisy was drying her hair with a towel in front of the fire. The disappointment in her eyes cut deep. Her hair was still wet from the time she’d spent looking for Rosalyn. What was she just saying to herself about being a grown woman who hadn’t done anything wrong?

“I’m sorry, Daisy.” Daisy simply shrugged, put down the towel, and left the room. Coldness from Daisy had to be worse than anything she had coming from Ash.

She rubbed her hands over her wet hair. Who knew where her hat had ended up. Each piece of clothing was a struggle to get off because of the water. By the time she finally got down to her chemise, which clung to every inch of her, she was exhausted and had lost all patience. Somehow, the wet fabric tangled itself around her body and she couldn’t get it off.

“Whyyyy?” she screamed at the ceiling before collapsing into a sobbing mess on the floor.

After a few minutes, she slowly pulled herself together. Crying was accomplishing nothing. Of course her chemise came right off once she was calm.

Not wanting to fight with getting actual clothes on her still damp body, she simply slipped on a nightgown and a wrapper. That’s what all the other ladies wore around here anyway. She towel dried her hair and ran a comb through it then made her way down to Ash’s office.

Rosalyn was surprised to see Ash already seated behind his desk. His hair was still damp, but otherwise he was his usual, perfectly dressed and groomed self. The man was still a bit of an enigma to her. Somehow, he managed to have a relationship with all the ladies here that was akin to a brother or friend. He never did anything untoward, and although he was their employer, he was rarely demanding or heavy handed. Although, he probably administered any discipline in private, as he was about to do with her.

“Close the door please,” he said as she entered the room.

She hadn’t been nervous about this meeting until the heavy door clicked shut.

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