Meredith wrapped her arms around his neck. Heath held his breath. “It’s so warm,” she mumbled.
Heath said nothing. He watched her lips move, but no sound came out. Then she settled back down. Once he was sure he could move, he turned away from the window and left the drawing room. His steps slow and sure, he made his way to her bedchamber, opening the door skillfully despite his occupied arms. He laid her on the bed, her honey-colored hair fanning out beneath her. Meredith mumbled something incoherent and rolled onto her side. Heath pulled the covers over her.
For a few moments, he stood there staring down at her. A few times, she would frown lightly, but then she would relax again. He wondered what she was dreaming about, if it was about him again.
He found it difficult to leave. Tearing himself away from her side after rushing to it not too long ago made him want to remain in this room. But Heath wrote it off as his lust, his expected reaction to being near such a beautiful woman. Any man would have wanted to stay. A bigger man would have the power to leave.
But a yearning man would not be able to get her out of his head. And so, Meredith followed Heath into his dreams that night, and he saw far more than a nightdress could ever reveal.
Chapter 13
Meredith did not know what to say. Her heart had slowed to a near stop, her lips parted in her shock. For the life of her, she couldn’t bring herself to close it as she stared at the sight before her.
Heath was standing at the door of her bedchamber. And he was wearing a wicked grin that made Meredith’s heart do somersaults.
“Have I come at a bad time?” Heath had the audacity to ask. A part of her wanted to snap at him, to tell him that coming at all was an incredibly improper thing to do. Even though she knew a man like him would not care about propriety. The other part of her wanted to smile at him, to invite him in, to have him in her space so that she could have her fill.
Last night, she’d waited up for him. When she’d heard that he would not be having dinner with her, she had thought it would at least be nice to share a drink before retiring to bed. But he’d been nowhere to be found. Yet, she had awoken in her bed the next day, rather than in the drawing room where she knew she had fallen asleep.
“Your Grace,” came Annalise’s gasp behind her. Meredith didn’t turn around. Heath took a moment before he acknowledged Annalise, giving her a smile.
“You have done well taking care of Lady Meredith, Annalise,” he told her. “You have my thanks. I will be taking over from here.”
“O-oh.” It seemed that even the talkative Annalise could not formulate a proper sentence in this situation. “C-certainly, Your Grace.”
In the corner of Meredith’s eye, she saw Annalise do a hasty curtsy, as if she only remembered to do it at the very last minute. Meredith didn’t take her eyes off Heath once, not even as he swept his arm to the side and said, “Now, My Lady, shall we?”
Meredith swallowed. She didn’t know how, but she managed to step past the threshold, tensing as she passed by him. He had arrived at her bedchamber right as she had been about to leave and she wondered if that had been by his own design.
He said nothing as they started down the hallway. But the silence did not last for long. “I must have given you quite a shock, Meredith,” he said.
She peered up at him. It was getting easier and easier to do so, though the sight of him from the side still made her heart race. “Why do I get the distinct feeling that that was your aim?” she asked
“Because it was.” He sounded very proud of that.
Meredith couldn’t feel upset by it, even though she did not like being caught off guard. “You gave Annalise quite a shock.”
“Yes, that was also the aim. I am happy to see that my mischievous schemes have borne good fruit.”
“I did not think you would know her name,” she said.
Heath looked down at her and Amelia quickly looked away. “Why would I not? She is the maid that has been put in charge of you. It would be foolish of me not to at least know what to call her by.”
“Ah, I see. So, she was also sent to watch me.”
“Rather, she was sent to make you feel comfortable. It would not do to give you more reason to run away from this place.”
Meredith frowned. As they continued down the hallways, the sunlight bathed the left side of his face and casted the other side in its shadow. She saw a hint of his neck, and the lump bobbing in his throat. “You seem to be in a very pleasant mood today.”
“That I am. Would you like to know why, Doe Eyes?”
The name made her flush. “I am almost afraid to ask,” she confessed.
“But I will tell you, nonetheless. I wish to go for a walk through the gardens. Once we have had our fill of breakfast, we shall do so.”
Meredith came to a stop, her jaw hanging open. Heath turned to look at her. “We shall?” she echoed.
“Is that not what you wanted to do?” he asked her with a slightly confused frown.
“I did, but you were very adamant that you would not. What brought on this change? Did something happen?”
Heath only shook his head, waving her off. “Do not worry. Nothing happened. I have only decided to grant your simple request since you are a guest in my home.”
“Am I so much a guest as a prisoner?” she asked.
Heath looked down at her, but his steps didn’t slow, even as they began to descend the staircase. “Do not forget you were as willing to come here as I was to bring you, Doe Eyes.”
She nodded. Excitement was already thrumming through her and it was a struggle to keep it contained. She didn’t want to risk him taking back his words.
Just as they were about to turn in the direction of the drawing room, Meredith stopped him with a hand on his arm. He looked down at her hand and she jerked away, as if his skin had burned her. Suddenly, she was stumbling over her next words. “I would like to have my breakfast outside, please.”
Heath cocked his head to the side. She loved when he did that, she was beginning to realize. “My, you are a filled with requests lately, aren’t you?”
“Will you still have it with me?”
“I am a man of my word. And it will certainly make things easier.” It took short work for Heath to call for Francis, who set about ordering the maids to have the food be carried to the gardens.
Meredith chewed on her bottom lip as she made her way to the gardens, Heath by her side. She remembered playing with him in this garden as much as she remembered doing so in her own. She glanced up at him, wondering if he was remembering the same thing.
They made their way to the gazebo where their breakfast had been laid out. Meredith instantly felt a bit calmer. Now, there was a bit more distance between them and she could breathe in the brisk breeze.
Then, bracing herself, she asked, “Where did you go last night?”
Heath looked at her, pausing in the process of lifting his teacup to his lips. “How is that any of your business?” he asked.
She tampered down the urge to back off, forcing herself to say, “It is not. I am merely curious and I hope you comfortable enough with me to tell me.”
Heath narrowed his eyes slightly, then sighed. “You believe I was out stealing, don’t you? You need not worry. I merely had a meeting with a long-time business partner which ran later than I thought it would.”
Relief flooded her at his words. “Oh.”
“Were you waiting up for me?” he asked.
Meredith’s heart thudded at the question. She stared at him, watched as he casually plucked up a slice of toast and proceeded to spread jam on top. How did he know?
She contemplated lying, to save herself the embarrassment. But for some reason, that didn’t sit very well with her. So, she nodded, avoiding his eyes. “I was worried. It took you so long to return that I wondered if something might have happened. Or if you might have gotten up to something that you shouldn’t have.”
“Is that so?” She couldn’t ascertain what
he was thinking. “So, that is the reason why you were sleeping in the drawing room.”
Meredith snapped her head up. “You spotted me?”
“I brought you to your bedchamber,” he announced with no remorse. He didn’t smile, but his eyes shone. “Do you not remember the things you said, Meredith?”
Meredith suddenly wished she could simply melt into the earth. “The things I said,” she whispered, even though there was no one close by. “What could I have possibly said?”
“My, you truly do not remember?” He shook his head sadly. “How indecent of you, Doe Eyes.”
“Oh, heavens, Heath, please do not beat around the bush and tell me what it is I said to you!”
Heath lifted his brows at her outburst. Meredith raised her hand to her lips. That was the second time now. The second time in years since she’d shown such strong emotions.
Then Heath grinned and she no longer felt so odd. “I am only jesting, Meredith. You said nothing of concern. You were simply mumbling that you were cold.”
Meredith sighed. That was fine. That, to him, meant nothing.
She finally found the strength to eat, and so she mimicked him, spreading preservatives on the tip of her toast. “I suppose it is a waste of my time to say this to you, Heath, but you cannot pick up a sleeping lady and carry her to her bedchamber in such an uncouth manner.”
“Yes, I should have left you be to fall ill,” he said idly.
Meredith flushed. “Thank you,” she murmured.
“You need not thank me. You were kind enough to stay there waiting for my return, so it is only right that I return your kindness.”
She felt a smile tug at her lips. “Then, there is something I would like to ask of you.”
“The answer is no,” he said so easily that she gasped.
“You have not even heard it.”
“I am certain I will say no to it, whatever it is.”
She folded her lips back, trying to think of the best way she could ask this. It was an unusual request coming from anyone, and would sound even odder from her. After a while, she decided it was best to simply say it. “I would like to accompany you when next you leave the manor.”
Heath looked genuinely taken aback by her words. “I am certain my answer to that will remain but I cannot help but wonder what would possess you to ask such a thing.”
“I do not plan to return to my father,” Meredith assured him. “There are still a few things I would like to do before then. I also do not intend to run away and reveal what I overheard at that abandoned building.”
“Then?”
“I simply wish to be amongst others.”
His frown deepened. “You have quite a knack for confusing me, it seems.”
“I… cannot explain it.” Or, at least, she couldn’t explain it well. “But now that I have met you again, I feel…different. I would like to see if that difference will appear amongst other people.”
Meredith pleaded with her eyes, praying he would take pity on her. To be able to talk to him like this, without being riddled with crippling anxiety, was enough to give her hope. She clung to that hope, wanted it to lift her above the dark cloud constantly hanging over her head. Heath was the only person who would be able to let that happen.
He studied her face, as if trying to find the answer the questions that she left unspoken. She didn’t look away, didn’t try tohide her feelings. She hoped he would see her sincerity, her honesty. And she hoped that he was beginning to warm to her as she was to him.
“No,” he said curtly, returning to his meal.
Meredith felt the wind rush out of her. “Why not?”
“I do not want you to. And I have every right to keep from explaining my reasoning to you.”
His words were cold, designed to drive knives through her body. And while they succeeded, Meredith found enough strength to push a little further. “Will you not at least consider it?”
“I have. And the answer remains the same.” He lifted his eyes to hers. “I will not argue with you.”
Meredith bit her lip. She knew he meant that. With that look in his eyes, she knew that anything she said right now would fall on deaf ears. If she pressed, he might even pull away from her, and this oddly warm man she was eating with would disappear.
And so, she nodded. But she would not be giving up.
Chapter 14
A few days went by since their walk in the gardens and Meredith had not seen much of Heath since then. But, she did not feel as if he was avoiding her. Rather, it appeared as if he was simply too busy to spend time with her, save for during dinnertime.
Many times, Meredith found herself wanting to go to his office, but she did not want to be a bother. If she let herself do such a thing, she just might end up following him all over the manor. The longing to see him was growing overwhelming, which made her all the more excited whenever dinner rolled around.
So, when she was informed by Francis that Heath would not be staying at the manor for dinner, she didn’t know what to say. After a while, she found it. “Will he be attending dinner at another house?” she asked.
Francis did nothing but blink. “I am unsure of His Grace’s plans, My Lady. However, I was told to inform you that you should have dinner alone in your bedchamber tonight and retire to bed at an early hour.”
She nearly sighed, letting her gaze wander out the window in the hallway where they stood. “That only means he will be returning home late.”
“Perhaps so, My Lady. Or perhaps he will return in the morning.”
Meredith looked at him with wide eyes. “Do business meetings tend to last that long?” she gasped.
Francis’s brows dipped into a crease for a fraction of a second. But it was enough of a reaction for Meredith to realize that her question might not have made any sense. But the butler was not giving much away as he nodded. “At times, yes,” he responded.
Suspicion nipped at her. “Do you know when he will be leaving?”
“I am unsure, My Lady. Now, if you would excuse me.”
Meredith watched as he bowed and turned stiffly on his heel. Then she returned her gaze out the window. Night was beginning to fall and she had been returning to her bedchamber to prepare for dinner, excitement thrumming through her. Now, there was an odd sense of unease.
Sighing, she continued on to her bedchamber. Annalise was already inside, hurriedly straightening Meredith’s bed. Meredith caught in her in the act and the woman went bright red.
“What are you doing?” Meredith asked, venturing closer.
“I could have sworn I had tidied up your room this morning, My Lady, but when I entered, the bed was messy and I have made a botch of things again.”
Meredith shook her head, going to sit on the settee at the bottom of the bed. “You did not make a botch of things, Annalise. I came in here not long ago to rest.”
Annalise’s entire body sagged in her relief. “Oh, thank heavens! I was afraid I might have forgotten and if I forgot this, what other things could I have lapsed on?”
Meredith waved her hand dismissively. In truth, she was too caught up with thinking about Heath’s departure tonight to focus on anything else. “You need not worry, Annalise. Rather, I have a task for you that I think you will do perfectly on.”
Annalise’s brows shot upward as she took two large steps closer to Meredith in curiosity. “What would you have me do, My Lady?”
Meredith looked over at her, taking in her earnest brown eyes. “I will not be having dinner tonight. Instead, I will be leaving the manor.”
“You will?” Annalise gasped. “Are you certain?”
“I cannot do it without your help. I do not have anything appropriate, but if you could find a dark cloak I could wear in order to slip out, then that would be perfect.”
Annalise came closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. “What of His Grace, My Lady. Will he approve you leaving like this?”
Meredith shook her head. “Not at first, but I am cer
tain that once he understands the true nature of why I am leaving, he will not be so moved to anger. Will you help me?”
She stared into Annalise’s eyes, hoping it would be enough to convince her. Annalise had little loyalty to her, Meredith knew. Even though Meredith had grown fond of her and had been drawn out of her shell by Annalise’s amicable personality, she would not blame the girl if she did not wish to comply. Had it been Jenny, she would have jumped at the chance without giving it a single thought. But Meredith was not Annalise’s employer. She could only hope that her pleading had worked.
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