Page 29

Sophia frowned at the care with which the maid held the housecoat, holding it to her in the same way she had held her master’s tailcoat the previous day, as if it were precious.

Was there a reason beyond maidly efficiency? Did the maid know Thomas more intimately than even his wife? Did she savor the scent of him? Did she know what it was like to wake up with him?

So what if she does?

Sophia scolded herself inwardly. It would be one less thing for her to worry about if thatwerethe case. But the odd twinge of something like jealousy was not remotely helpful to her cause.

“As well as one can in a chair,” she replied blithely. “I don’t really mind. I can sleep anywhere.”

Except for my husband’s bed apparently…

She scolded herself a second time, appalled by her silliness. One night in another house had clearly addled her mind.

“Will you do me a favor, Miss Wright?”

The maid hesitated, as if anxious of what might be asked. “Of course, Your Grace.”

“Will you make sure to… pass my gratitude to His Grace?”

Miss Wright seemed confused by the request. “Your Grace, with all due respect, wouldn’t that be a matter between you both? I’ll still do it, of course, but it’s just… I don’t usually speak to him much. I fear my voice would shake if you were to make a messenger of me.”

So, not so intimately knowledgeable…

Sophia loathed the little tremor of satisfaction that shuddered in her chest.

She braced to admit defeat and let the maid off the hook when Thomas himself stepped into the room, already immaculately dressed and accompanied by his usual dark cloud of grumpiness. Not the half-dressed, barefooted, soft-spoken man from last night.

“Quite correct. This is not a matter to be resolved through the servants.” He turned to the maid. “You are excused, Miss Wright.”

The maid bowed and exited the room, leaving them alone. Again.

Sophia gave him a furtive sideways glance, finding it hard to meet his gaze. Not without thinking of his housecoat on her and not on him anymore, or the taut muscles that she knew lay hidden beneath his fine attire.

“Would you prefer me to stand at the bottom of the stairs and yell my gratitude? Thatishow you prefer your ladies, isn’t it? So very grateful for the smallest thing,” she muttered.

“Let me stop you right there,” he said in a commanding tone, again. She hated that, but he continued. “I don’t expect gratitude. I expect nothing from you, except for one thing.”

Her stomach flipped. “And what might that be?”

His eyes darkened for a moment. “I do expect you to act as a lady. You need to start thinking about how your actions reflect on me. I had to find Miss Wright and tell her to make sure that no one but her entered the library and saw you like this. What if the staff saw you and thought Imadeyou spend the night there and treated you horribly?”

“If propriety is so important to you, then… why didn’t you wake me up and tell me to go back to bed?” she challenged, failing to muster the nerve to mention the housecoat and his very improper attire the previous night.

“Because I didn’t want to disturb you.”

“Well… well, thank you for that!” she blurted out, blushing furiously.

A few seconds passed as they stared directly at each other, his face unreadable, hers undoubtedly a mortifying shade of red. They both clearly knew how silly their quarrel was, yet neither of them was laughing.

At length, his posture relaxed and her face cooled.

Thomas spoke again, this time his voice a husky murmur. “Say it again, as if you mean it. Say it the way you would if you didn’t hate me.”

A few more seconds passed, his expectation thickening the air between them. It would have been simple enough to meet his request, but latent pride stayed Sophia’s tongue. She had thanked him once; she would not repeat it.

“If you can’t obey…” he said, moving towards her, his gaze roving from her bare feet to the disarrayed collar of her nightdress and everything in between. A vivid reminder that she was not dressed for company.

She swallowed tightly. “Then what? Let me guess, there will be consequences, and I won’t like them very much?”