Page 29 of A Christmas Temptation for the Duke
And then, seeing that she would heed his command, he strode down the hallway, leaving her where she stood.
Alison stumbled back into the drawing room. Her mind raced. Her body rebelled. Thoughts she could not make sense of jumbled through her brain. She grappled with feelings she did not understand. Deep down, a voice screamed at her to run back home now while she had the chance. But she ignored it.
There was another voice inside of her, one which screamed just as loudly to stay and do as she was told. And for once, she listened to it. For once, she decided that maybe doing as she was told wasn’t such a bad thing. At least not when it was the Earl giving the command.
Chapter Nine
Alison woke up slowly the following morning. She was curled up in bed. She was smiling, although she could not say why. She felt Pickle snuggled in beside her, and she pulled the little terrier in close, content with staying there forever because on days like this one why was there a need to rush?
That was when it all came back to her.
Her eyes shot open, and she sat up quickly, looking about the strange room which was most certainly not her own. Those feelings of comfort fled her body, replaced far too readily by feelings of dread.
Perhaps I should just stay in bed? Sleep forever so that when I do wake Christmas will be over, my family will have returned, and all last night will be a dull memory easily forgotten.
Alison wanted to forget what happened between herself and the Earl. His kiss had caught her by surprise – that was the reasonfor the way she succumbed to it. And as for her giving in and agreeing to stay here for the single night?What other choice did I have?Despite how arrogant the man was, he spoke sense, and it was not safe for her to return home.
So, yes, all that happened was explainable and not worth pondering on or thinking about too deeply because it meant nothing.
And yet… even now, hours removed from the fact, Alison’s lips tingled from the kiss and her stomach flipped as she remembered how her body reacted to his touch and the way he had looked at her…
It was this confusion that delayed Alison getting ready that morning.
She did so slowly, in part hoping that perhaps by the time she wandered downstairs, the Earl wouldn’t be home.
As this was not her home, she had no clothes to change into, just what she had been given last night, which she did not feel comfortable wearing again. Nor did she feel confident enough to ask for a bath to be drawn. Thus, she wore nothing more than a shift and her brother’s coat as she carefully edged from her room and started through the manor. Alone, save for Pickle who she held in her arms.
The manor was larger than Lord Pemberton’s home. Wider hallways, higher ceilings, richer in decoration and extravagance. But it was also emptier feeling, so that as she walked, all Alisoncould hear was the odd patter of footsteps in distant rooms, and the winds whistling outside.
Her first thought was to go directly home, but whenever she considered that, she remembered the Earl’s words last night, and the kiss that followed. While she hated that he was so controlling of her, she had to admit that what he did was for the best. That he was only trying to help her.
For that reason, she could not comprehend simply leaving the manor without first saying goodbye.I will thank him quickly and leave. And this time, he better not try and stop me…
Soon, she found herself entering the breakfast room. And that was where she found the Earl.
He was standing by the open window, a blanket around his shoulders, a mug of what she guessed to be coffee in his hands. His back was stiff, his stance rigid, his attention focused firmly on whatever was happening outside. The storm had passed overnight, leaving behind a clear morning, white light shining through the window so it magnified the Earl and made him glow.
And Alison started at the doorway.
Watching the Earl by the window, all her efforts to push away what happened the last evening between them, to nullify the meaning of such things, vanished rather quickly. Despite her reservations, even she had to admit that he was rather dreamy.
“You’re awake,” he said without turning around.
Alison started again, caught by surprise when he noticed her. “I am.”
“And how did you sleep?”
“Soundly.”
He said nothing for a moment, still gazing out the window. She watched him, feeling the tension sitting between them as if it was blocking her from entering the room fully.
Has he been thinking about what happened between us last evening?
“As I was saying last evening, I will have a letter sent after your family at once. Best that you write it too, I think, as I wouldn’t presume to make requests at your behest.”
“Oh...” She blinked. “Thank you.”
“After which, I presume that you will be staying here until your family returns to collect you. Hopefully, it will be sometime later today, assuming we send the letter shortly and they have not traveled too far.”
