Page 9 of The Countess's Awakening (The Lovers’ Arch #3)
CHAPTER 9
T he balloon adventure had gone as well as one could have hoped. He had held Esther and braced for any impact, ready to absorb the shock and make sure nothing harmed her. But the landing had been smooth. Mr. Coxwell had controlled the descent, and his ground crew had followed the balloon on a wagon and caught the ropes, stabilizing the basket as it touched down with the softness of a bird perching on the branch of a tree.
Now they were in an open field, somewhere on the outskirts of London. This wasn’t unexpected, and he had prepared for it. Mr. Coxwell and his crew would take them to the nearest inn, and from there, they would hire a coach to take them back to Mayfair.
Everything was going according to plan, except some clouds had rolled in and, with a crack of thunder, the skies opened, and rain poured down on all of them. The balloonist and crew shouted as they redoubled the efforts to fold and put away the balloon.
He had sat Esther in the wagon, but the conveyance did not have a roof, designed more for carrying cargo than for the comfort of humans.
“If you want, I can help you sit under the wagon to protect you from the rain,” Wang shouted over the clamor of the summer storm.
She laughed, lifting her face. A carefree, musical laugh that curled around his heart. “Don’t be silly. The rain feels wonderful against my skin. I haven’t experienced rain in such a long time.”
A hint of longing colored her voice, a fondness for the memory.
“Well, in all fairness, it’s an experience most people avoid.”
That laugh again. “True. But when one hasn’t felt it in so long, it becomes precious. Today it’s been a day of experiencing new things and rekindling long-forgotten experiences.”
He wondered to which of those categories their kiss belonged but was afraid to ask. He still had not recovered from that kiss. His usually leveled mind reeled from the feelings it had unleashed. He needed time to process what had happened. What it meant, and how to go on.
“Will you manage if I leave you for a few moments to go offer my help to pack the balloon? The sooner they can put it away, the sooner we can get on our way and out of this rain.”
“Please do. I’ll be fine, Kai.”
His name had never sounded so sweet as when uttered by those lips he had thoroughly kissed.
B y the time they reached the nearest inn, they were all soaked to the skin. At least it wasn’t overly cold, being this close to summer. Even so, the chill of the wet garments penetrated to the bones.
The rain had been fun at first, but after half an hour of the unrelenting downpour, she had been more than ready to go inside and sit by a roaring fire. Maybe she was too old for adventures that involved discomfort.
She had brought her cloak, and the hood covered her head as Kai lifted her from the wagon and ushered her into the inn. She thought he was going to request a carriage, but his words to the innkeeper surprised her.
“A room for the lady, if you please. And a hot bath. Please send a maid to help her.”
“Kai, that’s not necessary. I can wait to get home to take a bath,” she whispered.
His eyes turned to her. “It will take us over an hour to get you home. Even longer to prepare a bath. You need to get out of those wet clothes immediately. I won’t risk your health.”
“I have a room available and can have a hot bath ready in twenty minutes,” the innkeeper suggested, reluctant to lose the business.
“We’ll take it,” Kai replied, his eyes still on her.
They followed the innkeeper down a candlelit corridor to a room on the ground floor. The man opened the door and invited them inside.
“Thank you.” Wang walked into the room and deposited her on a chair near the fireplace where the innkeeper was lighting a fire. “I would also like to arrange for transportation back to London.”“Not a problem. We have some cabbies hanging around in the taproom.”
“Excellent.” Wang turned to her and bowed. “My lady, I’ll arrange for our transportation. A maid will be in shortly with the bath.”
What on earth? Was he just going to leave her here in the care of an unknown maid? “Wait.” She grabbed Kai’s sleeve. He turned back toward her with a question in his eyes.And what did he mean by that formal tone? She waited until the innkeeper had finished lighting the fire and was exiting the room to speak.
“I’ll need help to get into the bath,” she whispered.
His eyes slammed closed, and he pinched the bridge of his nose. “I didn’t think of that. Can’t the maid help you?”
“Not unless she is extraordinarily strong and able to carry me like you do. At home, two maids are required to lower me into my bath,” Esther replied, her eyes wide. “I stood today, but my legs are still shaky. I don’t think I’ll have the strength to lift them in order to climb into the bath. And if I were to fall…”
“Right. Of course, we can’t risk that. I’ll be back soon.” He strode from the room as if chased by dogs.