Page 25 of A Duke's Sinful Bargain
Somehow, he felt that was how she wanted it. He watched her walk over to the carriage, her hood over her head. The coachman, hopefully as discreet as he ought to be, stood ready to guide the horses into the quietude of the night, through small, uninhabited streets on the way to Anna’s home.
He hoped she would linger for a moment longer, wave, something. But she stepped into the carriage without faltering, the doors closing behind her with a muted thud. He couldn’t shake the sense of inevitability that clung to that evening and all the events that preceded it. It was as if their encounter was destined. He felt powerless to change anything.
The night swallowed Anna’s departure, leaving behind Alexander and a lingering sense of brooding that echoed not only through the corridors of his home, but also his heart.
***
Anna’s carriage rumbled through the cobbled streets of the city, each turn of the wheels bringing her closer to the sanctuary of her own residence. As the carriage finally came to a halt, the door swung open, while Anna’s heart was about to jump out of her chest.
“Eliza?” Anna gasped as the figure of her loyal servant was revealed, standing next to the carriage.
Eliza’s face was etched with both concern and curiosity as she offered Anna her hand to descend from the carriage. “My lady,” she began, her voice a heavy whisper in the night, “how was your evening? Shall I prepare a warm bath for you?”
Anna allowed Eliza to walk her into the house, her expression a delicate veil concealing the secret of what had just transpired. To be quite honest, she herself did not quite discern the sensations still blossoming inside of her. Desire, passion, shared glances, his caresses and kisses were a secret she did not wish to share with anyone. But Eliza was not just anyone.
“I appreciate your concern, Eliza,” Anna replied, exhausted. “A bath would be lovely. I find myself in need of a moment of quiet reflection.”
“Immediately.” Eliza nodded and the two women ascended the staircase.
Anna noticed the glance Eliza stole at her. Was something written on her face, her cheeks, her lips, her eyes? Would the spark in them betray her? Would Eliza see the yearning that still lingered there?
The door to Anna’s chamber closed behind them, ensuring no one else in the house would be awakened by the noise. Eliza stopped.
“My lady, did the evening go as you expected it to? If you will permit me to say, but you seem somehow… different.”
Anna was momentarily caught off guard by that comment. The embrace of her own thoughts relinquished her from its grasp as she met Eliza’s gaze. “Some experiences change us, dear Eliza. I am certain that tonight was such an occasion. But the question remains whether these experiences change us for the better or worse.”
Eliza could tell no further questions were needed. At least, not at this moment. She nodded with a smile. “I shall prepare you a bath immediately, my lady.”
“Thank you, Eliza,” Anna replied softly a moment later, left to the solitude of her own thoughts.
Behind closed doors, she allowed herself to bask in the glow of her clandestine rendezvous. She still wasn’t certain whether she had taken the right path. This was something that only time would tell.
About fifteen minutes later, Anna was reclining in the tub as the warm water enveloped her in a cocoon of comfort and serenity. Her mind, however, was far from the peaceful ambiance of the bath. Her thoughts kept returning to Blackthorn Manor, right into the arms of the duke she had now earned the right to call by his first name.
“Alexander…” she whispered it softly, and his name almost sounded like a prayer. Her own voice sent shivers through her, while the memory of his touch lingered like an echo, returning when she least expected it. She realized, much to her dismay, that she yearned for the next stolen moment with him.
Thoughts of the three months ahead loomed on the horizon of her contemplation. She could not think about anything else. When would he send for her again? Would it be soon? She hoped it would.
Her body slid downward, deeper into the water, relishing the warmth. The thought of all this being illicit only seemed to heighten the thrill of what she was doing. She felt liberated for the first time in a long while, doing what she wanted to do instead of what was being imposed upon her by others.
She pondered on the challenges, on the repercussions and the artful dance of discretion that they would both need to master for this to function. There were so many reasons to stop now that she was still on the brink instead of falling into the abyss of desire. She could still refuse this forbidden waltz, but she did not want to.
As the water cooled around her, she emerged from her bath with more determination than ever. This was not about her wishes. This was about her necessities. And the debt needed to be written off… at any price.
Chapter 13
Alexander could barely sleep the previous night. One of his acquaintances had once quoted a saying, “there’s no sleep for the wicked.”Alexander did not consider himself wicked. It wasn’t like he was taking advantage of a lady in dire times. She had come to him with that proposition. He merely agreed. After all, she was not the sort of woman to take alms, which was exactly how she would see him offering to write off her debt for nothing.
“No, no, no.” Alexander shook his head as he paced about his study like a caged tiger. He pressed the bridge of his nose with the tips of his fingers, but that did little to relieve his stress.
The morning sunlight filtered through the heavy curtains of his study, but it did not have the power to illuminate the confusion of his thoughts. All it could was beam onto the polished mahogany furniture and the tomes of leather-bound books that lined his shelves. He had come there despite the residue of the previous night’s clandestine affair, hoping that by being surrounded by the trappings of his responsibilities, his mind would find a new focus.
He was wrong.
A knock on the door promised yet another, hopefully more successful, distraction.
“Yes?” Alexander called out with a burdensome sigh.
