Page 55 of Secrets of Capell Manor
Agnes curtsied and exited. Rosalind took a deep breath and surveyed the room. The space was not overly large, but the furnishings were opulent compared to what she was used to. The large stone hearth boasted a carved mantle depicting a fox hunt, complete with a troop of horses and riders, several hounds, and the wily fox. A plush chair and a small side table beckoned guests to come, sit and warm themselves before the fire.
To the right of the door, a four-poster bed with thick velvet curtains that could be drawn around the entire bed to hold in the heat looked heavenly. Her satchel was on the bed. She crossed the room and retrieved her sleeping gown. She undressed and washed her body quickly. Covered now in goosebumps, she toweled off quickly, took her gown over to the fire, and dressed. Still chilled, she grabbed a blanket from the bed, wrapped herself, and sat in the cushioned chair.
Her gaze was fixed on the flames, and she pondered her fate. Tomorrow, she would go before the king and profess her innocence. He would believe her, or he would not. Once again, she felt angry that one man held her future and her safety in his hands. Tears welled in her eyes as she thought of the unfairness of it all.
Rosalind heard a soft knock at the door. “Come in,” she said. She quickly wiped the tears that had escaped from her eyes and sat up straight in her chair.
It was Devlin. He entered, his hair damp, and the black wavy tendrils hung loose about his face. He’d changed clothes as well and wore black trousers and a loose linen tunic open at his collar gave her a generous glimpse of his broad, strong chest.
“I wanted to check on…” Devlin began, but before he could finish his sentence, she stood, dropped the blanket, and a gut-wrenching sob escaped her.
Devlin opened his arms wide, and she didn’t hesitate. She ran to him, wrapped her arms around his body, and held him as tight as she could.
He said nothing as he returned her hug with one as tight as her own. She was crying in earnest now, and nothing could stop the anguish tearing through her body. Devlin picked her up, carried her to the chair, and sat with her on his lap.
He was patient. He rubbed her back and kissed her head as her body finally released the hurt, the rage, and even the fearshe’d been feeling for so long. When the crying finally stopped, Rosalind sat up, now embarrassed she was sitting on his lap, and in her sleeping gown, no less!
“I’m, I’m sorry.” She hiccupped.
She placed her hands on his chest and moved to stand up. He held her fast.
She looked into his eyes, and before he could say anything, she blurted out, “Devlin. I realized I may never see the children, or Marta, or Benton again.” Her last words ended with a squeak, and the tears threatened to flow again.
Rosalind pushed harder against him, and he released his grip. She paced the floor, her tears now replaced with rage.
“And here I am again, my fate lying in the hands of one man. A man, a king I have never met. I know nothing of his character. I could be locked in the Tower within hours…or worse. Practically all my life, I have been under the rule of a man who despised me, loathed my presence, and even used funds from my father’s estate to conspire against the very man who ultimately decides my fate. The irony of it! And I can do nothing, Devlin. Nothing! Do you know what it feels like to be powerless?”
Devlin’s mouth opened to reply but she didn’t let him.
“Of course you don’t! You are a man! You are strong, you are favored by the king. And. You. Have. Nothing. To. Fear.” Rosalind punctuated each word with a poke to his chest. She moved away from him, “You stand there, and you are confident, unafraid because you know that no matter what happens tomorrow, you will leave this place.” She stood in the middle of the floor, shaking.
Devlin was quiet.
“I envy you,” she said.
Devlin approached her carefully, as if she was a small animal ready to flee and he gently lifted her in his arms. He took her tothe large bed, climbed into it, and sat her on his lap. Rosalind placed her head upon his shoulder.
He offered no assurances or empty words that promised her everything would be all right. He just held her there in the quiet of the night, the glow of the fire providing warmth and light.
Finally, her trembling subsided, and her breathing calmed. Rosalind’s eyes grew heavy, and though she knew it wasn’t proper, she lifted her head and looked in his eyes. “Will you stay until I fall asleep?”
Devlin kissed her lightly on her lips, nodded, and drew a blanket over both of them
****
It was nearly dawn, and Devlin hadn’t slept the entire night. The thoughts of Rosalind being jailed, or worse, hanged for Edmund’s treachery infuriated him. Yet beneath the anger, a cold, icy fear gripped his heart: the fear that he was on the verge of losing the woman he had come to love.
Love.
Without a question, he now knew he loved Rosalind. The emotion was still foreign to him, and he wasn’t sure he could even articulate this feeling. He stared down at her face, and longed to tell her that everything would be all right and that they might even leave for home this very evening. But he knew he couldn’t. To do so would be a lie, and he couldn’t and wouldn’t do that to her. But he knew he would move heaven and earth to save her.
In his arms, she slept deeply. He liked to think it was merely his presence that kept her panic at bay and allowed her to sleep, but it was more likely just sheer exhaustion. The panic that ruled her just hours before hadn’t left. She was able to push it deep down within her core and block it from her consciousness.
He carefully placed her in the space beside him and slid gingerly off the bed. She stirred and opened her eyes. Therewas only a moment of peace. Then she caught the coming dawn through the cracks in the shuttered window. Panic crept back into the depths of her eyes, and tears threatened to flow again.
“I have to go, Rosalind,” he said in a calm but firm voice. “The guards know that I spent the night here with you, but they will remain quiet. However, it won’t be to our advantage if your maid shows up and I am in your bed. I have to appear impartial.”
Rosalind nodded. He took her hand.
