Page 68 of Drowned in the Pleasure of a Devilish Baron
“What was that?” she asked aloud, her voice cracking, but craving the sound of her own voice to soothe her startled nerves.
One softerclick. She crept to the window, taking up her robe and wrapping it around her tightly as she approached the glass to see what was making that noise. It was a dark night, but the moon was bright, shining its white light across the grounds, and highlighting— was that someone standing below?
She gasped and lifted the window as quickly as she could. “Felix!” she whisper-yelled, seeing him at the base of the tree that grew beside her window. “What are you doing here?”
“I had to see you,” he said, repeating the same words she had said to him this very day. “Can I come up?”
“Come up?” She glanced uncertainly behind her, thinking of the creaky stairs, the long hallway, and the servants that would definitely be on the way.
“The tree,” he said, putting a hand to its trunk. “I’ll climb up, if you allow me.”
She thought of the horrific consequences such a thing would have, of how incredibly unladylike it would be to allow a man into her bedroom in the dead of night, wearing nothing but her nightgown Then she grinned. “Come, and make it quick.”
He smiled so brightly his teeth shone in the moonlight, and then with quick, easy movements, scaled the length of the tree, swinging his legs around so he was sitting on the branch nearest her window. She backed up to give him room, and he sprung forward, landing neatly on his feet inside.
The sight of him there was difficult to take in. She had never expected any man who was not her brother to enter her bedroom, and certainly had never pictured Felix here. His broad shoulders filled the small room, and he seemed to feel the same sense of awe as he took everything in.
“So this is where my lady sleeps,” he said, his voice quiet as he put a hand on her little desk, on the folded muslin she was embroidering, his touch reverential. He looked back at her, his eyes warm.
“How did you get here without being seen?” Even though they were not wealthy enough to afford guards to patrol at night, they still had their servants take turns walking the grounds.
“I waited by the road, in the dark where I couldn’t be seen until I saw someone go in. I took that was my chance to make a run for it,” he grinned at her. “By my timekeeping, we have one hour before the next servant comes outside.”
She smiled despite herself. “Just a moment,” she took an extra counterpane from the chest at the foot of her bed and snugged it in the space between the door and the floor, hoping it would work to muffle the sound of their voices, should anyone wake. Then, as an added precaution, she turned the lock in the door and put the key in her pocket.
“Clever,” he said.
“And is there a reason you’ve snuck here in the middle of the night to gain access to a lady’s room?” she asked tartly, putting one hand on her hip. “Or have you come only to look around?”
He cleared his throat and if she wasn’t mistaken, his cheeks turned slightly red. “Actually, yes, there is a reason that I have come. I apologize for asking you to let me in like this. I know how terribly improper it is, but I had to speak with you. I could not let the night pass without doing so.”
“Speak then,” she said, her arms across her chest, for she could still feel the hurt and anger from his words earlier in the evening.
“I cannot believe how stupid I was. You were exactly right, everything you said. I was forcing my idea of what was best for you, instead of listening to you and what you wanted. Though I still worry that tying your life to mine will cause you undue hardship, I know now that it has to be your choice whether you accept that or not. I am a foolish man, Sarah, one who almost pushed you away for the sake of nobility. But I am willing to spend the rest of my life learning to be better, to listen better, and to love better, at your side.” He swallowed. “If you will still have me.”
Something tight in her chest eased at his words, but she did not speak yet.
He took a step closer, his eyes burning with intensity even in the darkness of her room. “I love you, Sarah. I suffered a blow today, to be sure, but I know that I am not down and out for good. I will not give up, not if it means giving up on a life with you. I am going to figure out what happened today and find a way to fix it, and if that doesn’t work I’ll come up with something else. I will never stop trying to deserve you, even if it takes a lifetime. Will you agree to that lifestyle? Do you want the same?”
She took his hand in hers and pressed it tightly to her chest, tears filling her eyes. “Yes, Felix, I will. I believe in you completely. There is no doubt in my mind that you will find a way. I want nothing more than to be at your side as you show thetonwhat you are made of.”
He pulled her into his arms and she pressed her face against his chest, tears slipping down her face. But there was still something between them. She leaned back and looked up at him.
“My family, though,” she said. “They insist that there is no chance between us. And worse…” she bit her lip, worried at his reaction to the news that had been broken to her at dinner this evening. “Worse, they have set a date for my marriage with Lord Ashton.”
She felt him go very still beneath her hands. “A date for your wedding? When?”
“Two weeks from now.”
Resolve hardened in his gaze as he looked down at her, brushing back her loose hair from her tear-stained face. “I swear to you, I will not let it happen. I do not know how, but I will figure something out. You will not be forced into a marriage with anyone.”
She could hear the promise ringing in his voice, and trusted him. They would find a way out of this, together.
He leaned down and touched his lips, softly, sweetly, to hers.
Suddenly, she was very aware of their proximity, and how close they were to her bed. She felt her cheeks heat as the thought of the two of them alone in her bedroom struck her. It was clear he felt the same, because abruptly he pulled away.
“I should go,” he said. “We are lucky we have not been found yet, and I do not want to cause more trouble for you.” He smiled. “No matter how much I might wish to.”
