Page 75 of A Literary Liaison
“Though I loathe the thought of you spending time in his company,” he said finally, each word precise and careful, “it might be prudent for you to return to your house and politely send him on his way.”
Elisha nodded, already rising to gather her things. The rustle of her skirts seemed unnaturally loud in the charged atmosphere. “I shall do so.”
Edgar’s frown deepened as he watched her movements. After a moment of tense silence, he said, “Exercise caution, Elisha. We know not what more Thornton is capable of.” The warning in his voice made her pause in the act of collecting her papers.
She straightened, smoothing her skirts with palms that had grown damp with apprehension. “I assure you, I shall be the very picture of prudence.”
Edgar crossed to her in two swift strides, close enough that she had to tilt her head back to meet his gaze. “Is it wrong of me,” he asked, his voice dropping to an intimate murmur, “to feel possessive of you when I haven’t made you any promises?”
Elisha’s breath caught at his words, at the naked possession in his gaze. The storm pressed closer, making the air heavy and electric between them. “Of course not,” she whispered, her hand rising to rest against his chest, feeling his heart thundering beneath her palm. “I felt similarly when I read about you and other women.”
Edgar’s expression shifted, confusion replacing the heat in his eyes. “What other women?”
“All those private meetings you had with ladies in Bath only recently.” The words emerged more bitter than she’d intended. Lightning illuminated the room again, casting stark shadows across his suddenly rigid features.
“Elisha.” Edgar caught her hand where it rested against his chest, pressing it harder against his heartbeat. His other hand rose to cup her cheek, thumb stroking along her jawline with careful tenderness that belied the intensity in his voice. “You must believe me. I have not engaged in any dalliances in Bath or elsewhere in recent months. Indeed, I have not been to Bath this year at all. According to my men’s investigation, Thornton has been spreading rumors about me, likely to besmirch my name because he desires you for himself.”
The implications of his words hung heavy in the air between them. Elisha’s mind raced, pieces falling into place with horrible clarity. “I wondered…” she began, then fell silent.
“So you had suspected it yourself.”
“I am uncertain of his motivation,” she said carefully, studying Edgar’s face in the flickering candlelight. “But it would not surprise me.”
Elisha opened her mouth to speak, but Thompson’s discreet cough from the doorway reminded them of the urgency of the situation.
Edgar’s hands tightened briefly on hers before releasing her. “Go,” he said softly. “But Elisha…” He caught her wrist as she turned to leave, his grip gentle but insistent. “Take Thompson with you. And the carriage. Trust your instincts.”
The cryptic warning sent a shiver down her spine. “I shall be careful,” she promised, resisting the urge to rise on her tiptoes and kiss him. Instead, she squeezed his hand once before stepping away.
The storm followed her progress down the corridor, thunder rumbling overhead like a warning. As she prepared to face Thornton,Elisha couldn’t shake the feeling that she was walking into something dangerous.
The rain had begun in earnest by the time Elisha reached Thornton’s cottage, fat drops hammering against the windows like nature’s own warning. The familiar rooms felt different now—more confining than cozy, the shadows in the corners deeper and more threatening than she remembered.
As she stepped through the door, droplets still clinging to her cloak, she found Thornton rising from his seat. The polite smile on his face didn’t quite reach his eyes, which studied her with an intensity that made her skin prickle.
“Elisha, how good of you to return so promptly,” he said, executing a slight bow.
She forced herself to return his smile with practiced ease, though her heart beat a rapid tattoo against her ribs. “Steven, what a pleasant surprise. I do apologize for not being here to receive you properly.” Her voice emerged steady, betraying none of the tension coiling in her stomach.
Movement caught her eye—Edgar’s man, Thompson, positioned near the window with a ladder balanced carefully against his shoulder. The sight of him, this tangible connection to Edgar, steadied her nerves somewhat.
“Ah, Mr. Brown,” she said brightly, “the lanterns in the front hall and the study need refilling. Do be careful on that ladder.”
The man nodded silently before he made his way out, leaving the door ajar. The sound of the ladder being propped up in the corridor seemed unnaturally loud in the tense atmosphere.
“I could have had my servant complete the task,” Thornton said. “You do not need to bother with hiring workers.”
Lightning flashed, throwing his features into sharp relief for a moment. In that instant, Elisha caught a glimpse of something calculating in his expression that made her glad for the solid presenceof Edgar’s man outside.
“Thank you, that is very kind,” she responded, carefully maintaining her facade of grateful guest. “But the man has had a string of bad luck recently and needs the work. It was no trouble at all.”
A log shifted in the fireplace, sending sparks dancing upward. Thornton’s smile widened slightly, though it still didn’t warm his eyes. “That is very thoughtful of you, although I shouldn’t be surprised by now.”
He turned toward the door. “Sarah,” he called to his maid, who had been hovering nervously in the shadows, “would you be so kind as to bring us some tea?”
The floorboards creaked beneath Sarah’s retreating footsteps, each sound echoing in the charged silence. Elisha settled herself in the chair opposite Thornton, arranging her still-damp skirts with deliberate care. The fire’s warmth failed to reach the chill that had settled in her bones.
Lightning flickered again, closer now, casting strange shadows across Thornton’s face as he watched her with that unnervingly steady gaze. The storm pressed against the windows like a living thing, as if nature itself sought to warn her of danger.
