Page 10 of Her Runaway Duke
Her voice came out as more of a squeak.
“I do,” he said, swinging down from his horse with ease before taking the reins of hers, lifting a hand to help her down.
Her legs were numb from being so long on the horse and when she swayed right into him, he caught her, an arm coming hard and strong around her.
“Steady,” he murmured in her ear as though he were speaking to a horse.
Siena barely noted the groom appear and take their horses, likely round to a stable, as her exhaustion threatened to overwhelm all.
The man led Siena up the front stairs beneath the massive portico, not offering his arm but staying a step behind her as she held onto the railing. The moment they stepped through the front doors, he called out, “Mrs. Porter?” as Siena surveyed the entrance, the dome on top of them covered in stained glass that she could imagine cast beautiful colours around the entryway in the daylight.
Soon enough, a plump woman clad in black with a surprised expression on her face that quickly fell into a welcoming smile appeared in the front entrance.
“Who do we have here?” she said, looking from Siena to the mysterious man, who appeared to be the master of the house, and back again.
“I found this young woman being accosted by highwaymen,” he said, his voice back to its curt gruffness. “She has had a trying day and needs a place to stay. Just for the night. Help her, Mrs. Porter?”
“Of course,” the woman, Mrs. Porter said, coming to Siena and taking her hands in hers. Siena felt reassured and safe with the woman, and suddenly she wanted nothing more than to curl up and sleep, protected by this strange house and people she had never met before yet seemed more trustworthy than those in her own family.
She turned around to thank the man, but her attempt was in vain.
He was gone.
CHAPTER 4
“Your Grace?”
“Yes, Thornbury?” Levi said, looking up from the book he was attempting to read in the armchair of his bedroom, set next to the bed instead of by the hearth. A fire was simmering across the room, covered by an extra grate overtop, necessary for warmth at this time of night in his first-floor bedroom.
“I hear we have a visitor.”
The butler had such effusive cheer in his voice that Levi had to sigh.
“She is only here overnight, Thornbury, until she can be on her way in the morning. I encountered her while on my ride. She was in trouble with nowhere else to go.”
“I see,” Thornbury said, although clearly, he did not see at all, for he was practically beaming. “She appears to be a beautiful young woman.”
“I hadn’t noticed. Nor does it matter.”
“Mrs. Porter has her settled in the pink bedroom.”
Each bedroom of the house was accented in a different colour, although most had faded at this point with the light that shone in the long windows and the balconies along with lack ofupkeep. This estate had not been frequently used until last year, and Levi didn’t plan on having any visitors to keep it up for.
“Very good,” Levi murmured, keeping his head down in his book before he realized that the butler’s arrival, while irritating at first, might serve a purpose. “Thornbury, in the morning, can you and Mrs. Porter please see that the woman has a proper meal and then have one of the footmen escort her to Crawley.”
“We are happy to do so,” Thornbury said, but then paused, not leaving the room as Levi wished him to. Finally, Levi had no choice but to raise his head to look at him.
“Is there more?”
“It is only a suggestion, but knowing how you love to ride and that the woman appears to be comfortable with you, perhaps you might like to?—”
“No.”
“My apologies, Your Grace, I was only?—”
“I said no, Thornbury. Are you the duke, or am I?”
“You are, Your Grace, of course.”
