Page 53 of A Trap by the Rakish Duke
“If this is playing with fire, I want to light the next match,” she breathed into Philip’s ear as he smiled and nodded in agreement.
Chapter Nineteen
“The table is set for dinner, Your Grace,” Mrs. Jarrow announced, standing in the doorway of Aurelia’s chamber.
Aurelia, seated on a small couch near the window, glanced up in mild surprise. The guide she had been leafing through lay face down and forgotten on the round table in front of her. At the housekeeper’s words she sprang to her feet, a small smile gracing her lips.
She looked forward to seeing her husband and the time they’d spend together while eating.
She had fully expected that after the night they had shared, Philip would revert to his cold, distant ways, avoiding her as he had done after the ball.
But to her astonishment he had been different. His was more open, more attentive. He had not shut her out.
The memory of waking up in the morning to an empty bed flashed through her mind. The space where Philip had lain was cold, his absence a quiet reminder that he was an early riser.
But there, on the pillow, she had found a note. Not much, just two words scribbled in his familiar hand:
Good morning.
Aurelia could not help but smile at the thought. It wasn’t the note itself, but the fact that he had left it there. He had thought of her, even if only for a moment. She could picture him hesitating about what to write, his quill suspended above the paper. Such small gestures mattered more to her than she cared to admit.
But that note had not been the only change in his demeanor. Earlier in the afternoon when he returned, he’d come to find her almost immediately.
“How is your ankle? Are you in any pain?” he’d asked, despite knowing that her ankle was fully healed.
That simple inquiry, so unlike him, had left her pleasantly surprised.
Aurelia thought back to the way his hands had roamed over her, firm yet gentle, as though she was something precious to treasure and cherish. He had been rough, yes, but there had been a tenderness in his touch that surprised her. And when it was over; when she had been left sore, satiated and trembling,he had wrapped her in his strong arms and cradled her like a child.
Philip had carried her, washed her and wrapped her in one of his shirts before carrying her back to bed. She hadn’t expected that of him, not in the least.
“He is far more compassionate than you think…”
Oliver’s words echoed in her mind., Aurelia had taken his words with a grain of salt, but she was beginning to realize that truly, there was more to her husband than he let on.
“Your Grace?” Mrs. Jarrow’s voice snapped her back to the present. The housekeeper was looking at her with mild curiosity.
Aurelia had been so lost in thought that she’d forgotten Mrs. Jarrow was standing there, waiting for a response.
“Would you prefer to dine alone this evening?” the older woman asked, a touch of hostility in her tone.
Aurelia blinked, shaking her head. “No, Mrs. Jarrow. I would much rather dine with my husband.”
Mrs. Jarrow’s eyebrows rose ever so slightly, but she nodded politely. “Very well, Your Grace. I shall inform His Grace.”
As Mrs. Jarrow exited the room, Aurelia turned to call for Eilidh, who promptly stepped into the room.
“Eilidh,” she began, a slight blush blooming on her cheeks. “Please dress me for dinner. I want to look…pretty tonight.”
The younger girl smiled, understanding the unspoken hope in her mistress’s words. “Of course, Your Grace. Would you like me to bring out the blue silk gown? It complements your complexion wonderfully.”
Aurelia considered it for a moment, then nodded. “Yes, the blue one. And the pearl earrings. I think they will suit.”
She entered the dining room, her steps faltering for a moment as her eyes landed on Philip, who was already seated at the head of the table.
He looked as though he had just emerged from a bath. His hair was still slightly damp, and his clean, fresh scent filled her senses.
His presence teased her with memories she had tried to ignore all day; the memory of his hands on her, the night they had shared.
