“Bring me inside,” she said at last, running her hand through his hair.
Henry led her inside to sit on the sofa by the fire, then found a quilt tucked away in the corner by the bookshelves.
“Here we are,” he said, draping the quilt over her. He turned to leave, but she reached out and grabbed his hand, pulling him backward.
“Stay. A little longer?”
As if she had to ask.
Tilly lifted the corner of the quilt up, and he climbed under to join her. She rested against him, laying her head on his chest. He ran his fingers through her hair, and in the silence that followed, both were happy just to be for a moment.
CHAPTER 7
In the morning, the spell was broken.
Chaos descended Haddington as the rest of the party swept into the house bringing in merriment and Christmas cheer. Tilly was left with a horrible sick feeling in her stomach. She knew why. Or rather, she knew who was causing this feeling. And sure enough, Roger strolled through the door and glanced up at her with a wicked grin on his face.
“Oh, there you are, Miss Brennan,” he announced loudly from across the foyer.
Tilly only nodded and slipped away from the balcony farther out of view.
She would need to find her nerves to survive the next few days with these strangers. And she didn’t wish for Henry to leave. But he had made it clear he wasn’t going to stay last evening. She didn’t wish to be alone for Christmas. And that’s what she would be if he left. She would be surrounded by people, true, but no one she wished to spend time with. No one who she could enjoy the holiday with. She strongly wished for Henry and her family, and both were off-limits to her.
Mrs. Craven shuffled up to her in the hallway, out of breath and red in the face.
“Where have you been?” Mrs. Craven slammed the end of her cane against the floor. “I have been waiting for twenty minutes. You cannot slip by me.”
Tilly quickly wiped the sleep away from her eyes, exhausted, and annoyed that the peace she had felt with Henry cuddled beneath that blanket by the fire last evening was gone.
“I was in the morning room having tea.”
Which was half true.
Tilly had been in the morning room pacing, waiting for Henry to also join her before the others arrived. But he hadn’t. Instead, the rest of the house party was slowly descending upon her, and now Mrs. Craven was suddenly convinced she must be Tilly’s shadow.
Tilly only wished to return to bed if she were being truly honest. She wished to return with Henry and finish what they had begun last evening.
What a mess.
“I had to rely on that lady’s maid this morning because I couldn’t find you,” Mrs. Craven snapped. “And she did my hair wrong. You know how particular I am about my cap. I look like a buffoon.”
“You look lovely, Mrs. Craven,” Tilly lied. “And the duke will find you exceptionally beautiful this morning.”
“I know you’re lying,” Mrs. Craven said, “but if you insist on flattery, I will take it. A woman of my age doesn’t receive much flattery. Well come along. No time to waste now that the other guests are arriving.”
Tilly followed, examining the collections of portraits in the hallway of the grand home. The sun was bright, washing through the large bank of windows to her left, overlooking a large hedge maze covered in snow.
Then, she heard someone clear their throat behind her. She spun around, certain that she had heard someone.
“One moment, Mrs. Craven,” Tilly called out, grinning as the hidden paneled door kicked out ever so slightly. “I have to return to my room. I forgot my shawl.”
Mrs. Craven mumbled, waving her off before proceeding down the hallway out of view.
“Where are you?” Tilly whispered.
A door creaked open behind her, and a strong hand clasped around her wrist, then quickly pulled her into the dark before the door closed behind her.
“The other guests have arrived,” she announced.
“I don’t normally hide away in closets.”
“Right.” She couldn’t see well in the dark but that hadn’t stopped them before. Tilly traced his body with her hands, then found his face, then his mouth, and pressed hers against his, desperate. Everything was about to change, and she was greedy and didn’t wish for anything to change now that she had found him.
“We only need time to think,” Henry said, breaking away. “We can figure this out. There has to be a solution.”
“No one can know.” Fear filled her limbs. “No one can know, Henry. Please, please…”
“Ssh, all right. No one will know, and I will leave as planned.”
But she didn’t wish for that either. She didn’t feel safe if he left her. She didn’t trust Roger. She didn’t trust Roger even if Henry remained, so perhaps it made no difference.
“I don’t wish to leave you either.”
Hearing those words was like a salve to her nerves, as if he had read her mind.
“But we can’t remain in this closet.”
