Page 62 of Daring in a Blue Dress
He felt Mercy start behind him, but she said nothing.
“I’m fine,” he said, addressing Lady Sybilla. “As you see, I have just a few minor injuries. However, the accident has made it clear that until I can complete the renovations, the house is not safe for habitation. I must insist that you and everyone else move to the gatekeeper’s lodge.”
“That sounds like a very smart idea,” Lisa said, nodding vigorously. “Very smart.”
“Nonsense,” Lady Sybilla said with a ladylike snort. “There is nothing at Bestwood Hall to fear, certainly not the floors. Adams and I will remain.”
“No,” Alden said, stiffly getting to his feet. He didn’t want to upset Lady Sybilla, but he’d be damned if anyone else was harmed in the house. “I’m sorry, but I’m adamant about this. Take what you need for the evening, and tomorrow, we’ll get the rest of your things.”
“Young man—”
“You are going to the gatekeeper’s lodge,” Alden said firmly, pinning the old woman back with a look to let her know that this time he wasn’t going to accede to her wishes. “You can either do it voluntarily or I can carry you, but you are going there. Go pack up a few things that you will need for the night, and I will drive you to the lodge.”
Lady Sybilla sniffed loudly, and tried to go all lady-of-the-manor on him, but he was having none of it. “Do it on your own, or I’ll carry you,” he repeated, then turned to Lisa. “The same goes for you. Pack up and meet me by the car in twenty minutes.”
“Oooh,” she said with a little fake shiver. “You’re so forceful. I like that in a man.”
He heard a snort of disgust from behind him, but didn’t bother to give Mercy a stern look.
“I will not be spoken to in this manner,” Lady Sybilla said, making a show of sweeping by him to the door. “I shall retire to my chambers, where I will stay perfectly safe.”
Alden held out his wrist, displaying his watch to her. “You’re down to eighteen minutes.”
Her lip curled. “Good night, Mercy. Lisa, please be so kind as to stop by later to take dictation of a few thoughts I’ve had regarding the war years.”
With another sniff at Alden, she creaked her way out of the room.
Lisa hesitated a few seconds, giving him a sympathetic look.
“Pack,” he told her. “Help Lady Sybilla if you have the time, but we leave in eighteen minutes.”
Lisa left without saying anything more.
“The urge to say ‘good riddance to bad rubbish’ is almost overwhelming,” Mercy said, strolling over to his side. “But I wouldn’t want you to think I was that catty, so I’ll keep it to myself.”
His lips quivered as he looked at her. She was as beautiful as ever, but it was the memory of her eyes shining with emotion when she reached for him in the hellhole that stayed with him. No one had ever looked at him the way she’d done.
“You love me,” he found himself saying without realizing it, and when he did, he didn’t know whether he should stammer out an apology, blush hot enough tofry an egg, or wish the earth would open up at his feet and let him fall in.
On second thought, he’d already experienced the last one, and it left a lot to be desired. In the end, he simply stood and watched her, waiting for her outraged response.
She blinked a couple of times. “You must have hit your head when you fell.”
“I did, but that’s not why I said that. You love me. It’s a fact. I saw it in your eyes when you climbed into that passageway to rescue me.”
“You didn’t need rescuing,” she said, her gaze dropping from his. “You’d have found a way out once you had caught your breath again.”
“You don’t love me?” he asked, his stomach feeling as if it had fallen without him.
She chewed on her delicious lower lip, instantly causing him to want to be doing that. “Do you want me to be in love with you? I thought we didn’t have a thing. We were just... you know... enjoying each other’s company.”
“Ah.” He cleared his throat, feeling bereft for some absurd reason.Stupid, stupid, stupid,he chastised himself.Now you’ve gone and made her think you’re in love with her, and want her to feel likewise, when clearly she just wanted a summer fling.“Just so. You’d better get your things for the evening.”
“Things?” she asked, tipping her head so her hair swung down. He loved her hair. He loved letting it run through his fingers, like cool, silky water. “What sort of things? Are you going to let me tie you down with scarves tonight?”
Instantly, his penis was on board with that idea. He toldhis nether parts to calm down, and shook his head. “I meant things you’ll need to sleep over at the gatehouse.”
“Why would I do that?”
