Page 22 of An Earl's Scandalous Return
Alvin, I do not know why you thought this was a good idea.
But it was true that his old friend did not know about his affection for Arabella. Sighing, he lay his head back against the wood and stared up at the thatch roof of the barn. They had to wake up and get back to the carriage and the driver.
Yet, for a few seconds, he wanted to savour the moment. While Arabella was asleep, Edward could pretend that she hadn’t wronged him or stabbed him through the heart. He could pretend they were together. That they had just been through a torrid bout of lovemaking and were spent.
Although I can’t pretend that happened.
His body certainly told him that, and with a grimace of frustration, he slowly began to pull his arm out from under her. There was no way in hell he was going to be caught there when she awoke, turning into his arm, looking so beautifully and achingly dishevelled, her lovely mouth so close.
They’d already kissed once, and he wasn’t sure he had the strength to push her away again. When his arm was finally free, he stood up and softly called out to her.
“Arabella, it is time to go. We should return to the driver.”
With an adorable stretch and flutter of her eyelashes, her eyes opened, and they snapped to his.
“Edward,” she said, sitting up and looking around. “Oh, right, the barn. The storm is over.”
“It is.” He leaned down to help her to her feet, and she brushed bits of hay from her gown. “I’m ready.”
They left the barn, and in the light of day, with a night’s sleep behind them, they were able to make their way back to find a frantic driver pacing out in front of the carriage.
“Dear God!” he cried. “I went to the village but couldn’t return with the storm, My Lord. When I did return, you were both gone, and I’ve been looking everywhere. The wheel is now fixed.”
“All is well; we simply went to find shelter from the storm. I’m sorry to have caused you such trouble. Have you eaten?”
The driver’s brows went up. “Yes, My Lord. Thank you. There is also some food from the inn inside the carriage for you.”
Edward nodded at him, and then he helped Arabella into the carriage before it rolled off, the new wheel intact.
“Edward, I—” she began, but Edward shook his head.
“I think it best we keep to ourselves, Arabella. Don’t you? We have been through an ordeal, and we need our rest.”
He turned away from her to look out the window. He could feel her eyes on him for a painful few seconds, but then she, too, looked away, and he could breathe again. She gave him silence, and he was grateful to her. It was another day or so to Kent, and then there would be the inns again, and he didn’t need more intimate times together than they were already required to do.
And so, he wanted to be alone in his thoughts, not to think of the past or the night under the stars where she’d kissed the breath from him. He only wanted to think of finding this blasted Gregory and getting revenge.
Chapter 24
If silence was what he wanted, then silence was what he would get, Arabella thought as soon as he’d asked it of her. He had been kind and protected her, got them out of the rain, and he had even been kind enough to ask about the driver’s welfare. Now, he was back to the old, cold Edward she now knew, and she wanted to scream in frustration.
So, for the rest of that day’s journey, they were silent. She ate and then read or stared out the window. When they stopped at an inn that night, she was relieved they could have separate rooms and finally be on her own without his stares, presence, or anger at her.
It was not just the anger but the utter heat between them that would not quell no matter what rules he placed upon their interactions.
The silence also did little to help her get her own revenge against him, to get him to discuss the past with her, explain why she hadn’t been there, and remind him that he could feel what he was so afraid to feel. With her father gone, there were no longer any barriers between them except for his anger and bitterness.
Despite her frustration, her love was still as strong as it once was, and she knew she had to be clever if she was going to get those words out of him, if she was going to get him to forgive her.
The next morning, they were silent again after breakfast, speaking only when necessary, and then the carriage ride began. The village of Maidstone, shown by a sign, was coming into view. It was early evening, so there would be plenty of time to eat, bathe, and have a good night’s sleep before they began searching for Gregory.
“We can begin at the inn,” Edward said as if guessing her thoughts, just as the carriage rolled up to the closest one.
The village was bigger than expected with many buildings dotted along the main thoroughfare, and she feared they would have a lot of work to do to find this suspicious Gregory.
“A good plan.” She did not look at him when she spoke, but as she took his hand to be helped down from the carriage, he spoke again.
“We will have to talk a little, Arabella, to discuss the situation. We can eat in the main room of the inn and begin there.”
