The warmth of her body against his was a welcome sensation, but Thomas sensed a sudden change in Emma. He took one of her hands in his still-cool hand. “What is it?” he whispered.
At first, Emma was shocked into silence. It was bad enough to be in a man’s bedchamber. It was worse to be in his bedchamber whilst he sat naked covered only by a quilt. And here she was pressed up against his naked flesh while under the same quilt. Wearing his dressing gown!
Emma finally turned and looked at him, her face mere inches from his. “Other than my father’s, I have never been in a man’s bedchamber…,” she started to say and then turned to face the fire, a bit of panic rising inside. “This is a bit…inappropriate,” she whispered as she shook her head, sure that he could see how flushed her face had become from her sudden embarrassment.
“No one else need know this happened. No one else will know,” Thomas replied quietly as he watched her profile. “And it shouldn’t have,” he added as he leaned forward and used the heel of one hand to scrub his eyes. A sudden weariness settled into his bones, and he found it difficult to hold up his head.
Emma cocked her head and turned to look at him. “Whatever do you mean?”
Thomas shook his head as he dropped his hand and then pulled his hand inside the quilt. “I was such a fool tonight,” he whispered finally. “The weather was horrible all afternoon. I sent my warehouse manager home because he was sick, and then I ended up staying so late that there wasn’t a room at the men’s club. All the inns were full. And then I believed I could make it home on horseback in a blinding rainstorm, and the wind…” He paused for a moment and turned to face her. “If you hadn’t had that lamp in your window, I would have walked right past the road to this house,” he said, suddenly realizing he could have spent an entire night in the cold and wet. “Surely, I would have died,” he whispered as he turned to stare at the fire again. A moment later, he pulled her into a hug and clung to her as if his life depended on it.
About the Author
A self-described nerd and lover of science, Linda Rae spent many years as a published technical writer specializing in 3D graphics workstations, software and 3D animation (her movie credits include SHREK and SHREK 2). An interest in genealogy led to years of research on the Regency era and a desire to write fiction based in that time.
Now running the front office of a busy print shop, she’s developed an appreciation for pretty papers and spends time using them in her scrapbooks. She can frequently be found at the local cinema enjoying the latest movie. During the winter, she enjoys junior hockey and the San Jose Sharks, and an indeterminate number of tropical fish live with her year-round. She makes her home in Cody, Wyoming. Read more about her books on her website: www.lindaraesande.com.
The Story of a Baron (The Sisters of the Aristocracy) Page 31
