Page 64 of Snowbound with the Scoundrel
When she grew too sensitive, she pulled him up for a kiss.They cuddled there on the sofa for a few minutes, foreheads pressed together, but then Clarissa sighed.“I suppose we should be getting back to the castle.”
Rupert sighed.“You’re right, of course.I just wish we didn’t have to go.I wish we could stay here all day.”
Clarissa did, too.But that was all right.This wasn’t an ending, not really.
This was the first day of her future with Rupert, not her last.
Chapter26
Ahalf-hour later, Clarissa was trudging through the snow with Rupert.He was wearing his jacket, and Clarissa had borrowed a blanket from the hunting cabin to wrap around herself.
“Hopefully our absence hasn’t been remarked upon,” Rupert said.
Clarissa thought this might be too much to hope for.Judging by the sun, it was mid-morning, but she expected most of the house party to sleep until noon after staying up late to attend the ball.
They might be able to slip back into the castle unobserved.But the fact that she and Rupert had disappeared before the supper dance was likely to have been noticed.
They made much faster progress in the daylight than they had last night.It was difficult to say if anyone spied them stealing up to the castle from one of its many windows, but they were able to slip inside the back entrance without encountering anyone.“Go on,” Rupert whispered, taking the blanket from Clarissa.“You head upstairs.I’ll stash this somewhere and give you a bit of a head start.”
Clarissa squeezed his hand as she nodded, then hurried toward the servants’ stairs.She made it up to her room without being spotted, then hurriedly removed her gown, draping it over the back of a chair.
She slipped beneath the fluffy white counterpane and spent a pleasant hour somewhere between sleep and wakefulness, hugging the spare pillow and dreaming she was snuggled up with Rupert.
Someone knocked softly at her door.
“Come in,” Clarissa called.
Lady Helmsley slipped inside the room.“There you are, Miss Weatherby.I had been wondering where you disappeared to.”
Clarissa sat up in bed, pulling the counterpane up to her chest.“I apologize, my lady.I retired early last night.I had a bit of a megrim.”
This was, of course, a lie, and judging by Lady Helmsley’s skeptical expression, not one she found convincing.
The countess cast a pointed look toward the clothes Clarissa had borrowed from Lady Emily last night.The slippers were drenched from trudging through the snow, and the bottom eight inches of the dress was similarly damp.
“Perhaps I am willing to accept that explanation,” the countess said.“But I very much doubt that every guest at this house party will do the same, especially considering that Rupert absented himself from the party at exactly the same time.Servants gossip, too, and you will note that the fire in your room has already been made up this morning.”She gave Clarissa a speaking look.“I had a word with the chambermaid who visited your room, which I hope will prevent any gossip.But you know how these things have a way of getting out.”
Clarissa felt her cheeks warm.“I… er…”
Lady Helmsley sighed, then drew one of the chairs from the table next to the window to the side of Clarissa’s bed.Sitting, she pressed Clarissa’s hand.“There is one surefire way of silencing any potential talk.A wedding.”
Clarissa couldn’t suppress her smile.“I am pleased to reassure you, then, that these rumors will be silenced in the coming days.”
The countess clapped her hands, delighted.“Good!Very good.It cannot have escaped your notice that Rupert is very, very dear to our family.It will be a relief to see him settled with someone who clearly cares for him.”
“I do,” Clarissa confessed.“Very much.”
“I am happy for you both.”Lady Helmsley gave her a firm look.“You’ll need to act with some haste.Without question, you must settle things by the end of the house party to make sure my guests don’t fan out across the country spreading goodness knows what sort of rumors.”
“I agree, and I will speak to Rupert about it after breakfast.”
The countess nodded, satisfied.“Excellent.There was one more thing I wanted to mention, my dear.”
Clarissa stifled a yawn.“Oh?”
Lady Helmsley’s eyes were warm.“It was kind of you to cajole Mr.Higginbotham into dancing last night.I despaired of him even attending the ball, much less dancing, given how hard this time of year is for him.”
Clarissa tilted her head.“Why is this time of year hard for him?”
