Page 90 of Evidence of Evil
She trusted him.
It was that, and the tenderness in his heart, that saved them both. Very gently, he disengaged his hand and his arm and rolled away from her to the cold side of the bed. Ice would have been better. But in truth, he was so tired that with that small physical distance from her allurement, he could simply close his eyes and let his imagination drift. Much, much safer. And he fell once more into slumber.
*
Constance was notasleep. She had wakened to the wonder of his intimate touch, to the hardness of his fully aroused body at her back, his heart pounding against her. She felt heavy and weak and wonderful.
Hedidwant her. At least in his sleep. All she could do was enjoy the moment and wait for him to wake. What then?
Excitement mounted. She lay perfectly still, her whole being alive and yearning… It had come to her some time ago, during the Greenforth mystery, that even if he didn’t know it, Solomon needed her. It seemed she needed him too, in ways that went far beyond mere loneliness, or even this wild, fierce desire.
Before she could dwell on what that really meant, he moved. Not just a little, but right away from her, leaving her cold and hurt and frustrated.
I cannot bear this. Animal instincts are not enough. To him, I will always be Constance Silver and therefore out of bounds. He would be appalled by the intimacy, if he were awake…
All the same, something had changed in his awareness of her. It had been there last night, even before they left the house, though he hid too well for her to know what was going on in his mind or his heart. His manner had varied wildly between cool aloofness and…something else, drat the man. If she had to guess, their growing closeness troubled him. And he would not allow it.
She knew suddenly that he would leave in the morning without her, just as he had done in Norfolk this summer.
Drearily, she supposed it was for the best.
No, it damned well isn’t! Where is your pride, Constance Silver?
She summoned it and planned, and when she was sure he really was asleep, she slipped out of bed. This time,shewould be the one to leave.
*
Solomon woke witha beam of autumnal sunlight on his face and a tenderness around his throat where Laing had tried to strangle him. His fists stung a bit too.
He had slept for longer than he meant to, and he knew instinctively that Constance was not in bed beside him. A cup of coffee stood on the table near the door, so the maid had already been in.
He threw off the bedclothes and rose, ignoring the stiffness in his bruised body. While he washed, shaved, and dressed, he tried to find the balance to face her. They would be clearing up the final points of the mystery, of course, probably making statements to the police, so that would help. But he should not insult her by shutting her out. And he should apologize for being so overfamiliar last night. At least then, he would know whether or not she had even noticed. And if she had, he could gauge how she felt about it.
Something was changing in a relationship he had always valued. It was fragile and precious, and he would not push it. But nor would he push it away.
With growing excitement, he straightened his necktie, finished his coffee, and went down to the breakfast parlor.
Sir Humphrey and Lady Maule were there, lingering over tea. Constance must have already eaten, he thought with peculiarly sharp disappointment.
“Good morning,” Elizabeth said brightly. “I trust you are none the worse for your adventures?”
“No, I’m perfectly well. Forgive my lateness.”
“Let me ring for fresh eggs.”
“No, don’t trouble. This is excellent.” He took some toast and a few slices of ham and sat down at the table before asking casually, “Where is Constance?”
There was a pause. He looked up quickly to find the Maules exchanging glances.
“Gone,” Maule said in surprise. “Didn’t you know? She said not to wake you. John Coachman took her to the railway station in time to catch the early train.”
Time stood still.
She was awake. I offended her. All hands and lust like all the other men she’s ever met…He took a breath, remembering to veil his expression.
“If she told me, I was too sound asleep to hear,” he said.
The door opened and the butler entered. “Colonel Niall has called, my lady. Shall I show him to the drawing room?”
