“It is, Rose. Everything to do with Chadwick and Sayers is dangerous. The only thing I would ask of you is that you relax while you are here. Enjoy yourself, ring the bell whenever you want anything, but whatever you do, don’t leave the room. It is imperative you remain out of sight. As far as I can tell, nobody knows for definite that you are here and it has to stay that way.”
Rose nodded but looked doubtfully at him. “You have to stay here too though.”
Barnaby was already shaking his head. “I will be coming and going while I help with the investigation. Unfortunately, my work won’t involve set hours so I don’t know when I will need to leave or when I will return. The best thing I can say is that you must stay here, keep away from the windows, and just relax in the comfort of this room. When it is safe to do so we will move on again, I am afraid. However, from now on we will have a lot more men around us to offer better protection while we travel, and we won’t stop overnight in any hovels.”
“But how do you know you can trust the men you work with?” Rose asked.
“Because I am only going to trust the men I know haven’t been in London recently.” He sighed. “It is complicated, but there are men here now who I have worked with for many, many years. I would trust them with my life, and I know for definite that they would never turn on their own. It is just the kind of people they are. I will confide in them and them only. Everyone else can carry on with the orders Sir Hugo gave them. We will move on soon but will take with us only the men who can be trusted.”
“When will that be?”
“I don’t know, Rose. It could be a few days; it could be a week or more. We won’t move until we have flushed this traitor out and identified him. Once we have, and have put Chadwick and his men behind bars where they belong, then and only then will we move. There can be no timetable to any of this because other people are involved who we have no control over. I am sorry,” Barnaby murmured soothingly when Rose began to look worried.
“At least we can eat now, and keep warm,” she replied with half-hearted enthusiasm that didn’t reach her eyes.
Barnaby nodded and smiled at her. “And there is a huge bed in there to sleep in.”
As soon as the words left his mouth he knew he should never have made reference to it. Now they were both very aware of the connotations of the huge double bed so very close to where they sat, and the temptations which lay therein. It would change everything between them if they succumbed to the urge to share it. Because of that, neither made any attempt to take a peek inside the bedroom. Instead, they sat side by side, gazing into the fire while they sipped the fine brandy.
It was an unfamiliar flavour to Rose, who had never imbibed anything stronger than a Ratafia in her life. Her first sip burned all the way down her throat and lay warmly in her stomach, but not in a soothing way. Wrinkling her nose up she waited for the sensation to ease before she risked another tiny sip. She didn’t like it, but didn’t want to break the companionable ease with which they sat together by saying anything.
For a few moments now they were both able to take a deep breath, and allow the latest round of adventures to fade into the background so they could face whatever lay in the future.
When a discrete knock sounded on the door, Barnaby went to answer it. Rose turned around in time to watch several maids enter the room with numerous buckets of water and two trays heavily laden with food.
“I have arranged for the maids to bring up some water in case you would like a bath,” he explained, watching the last of the maids disappear into the bedroom. The sound of splashing water broke the silence for a few minutes before the maid quietly left the room. “If you need their help tug on the bell pull.”
Rose turned her attention to the trays. Everything she liked lay waiting to be tasted. Her stomach rumbled loudly, and she eagerly piled two plates high with huge helpings of everything on offer before she handed a plate to Barnaby and took a seat. Together, she and Barnaby ate their meal in companionable silence.
“When will you have to go?” Rose asked when she had finished. “Not that I want to get rid of you, you understand?”
“But you want me to go so you can take a bath,” he murmured ruefully.
“But I want to take a bath,” Rose replied with a smile. “However, if you want one before you go then feel free.”
“If I do that I won’t want to go out there in the dark to skulk around in the bushes. I will be tempted to remain here,” he teased. “So I had better not, but help yourself while I am gone. I don’t know how long I will be, so don’t bother to wait up.”
Rose suddenly dreaded the moment when he had to leave her on her own.
“Rose.”
There was something in his voice that made the small hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. She hadn’t realised how close he was sitting until she turned to look up at him. Their eyes met. Before she could draw breath, his head lowered and his lips met hers.
Barnaby groaned when she immediately leaned into his embrace. He drew her into his arms as his lips caressed hers. In the safe confines of their room the world faded into insignificance. Careful not to frighten her, he slowly deepened the kiss, giving her the time to adjust to his nearness. Slowly, he lowered her backward until she lay upon the chaise. When she didn’t object, he slid over her and allowed his hands to wander.
Rose had never been this close to another person in her entire life. She could feel every inch of him pressing intimately against her, including the hard knee he pushed between hers. Beneath the gentle pressure of his guiding hands she moved to accommodate him and revelled in how close they became. Her cheeks grew fiery at this new, intensely personal position, but she didn’t have a moment’s doubt that there was anything wrong in what they were doing. This felt wonderfully right, and she wanted more.
Curiosity blossomed and began to build with desperate ferocity. Clawing at his shirt, she tugged it to one side, eager to feel the smooth skin of his back as he lay above her while copying the movements of his mouth.
Barnaby groaned at the slow, smooth glide of her hands against his flesh. His body roared to life beneath that tender touch and he quickly found himself pushed to the boundaries of his endurance. So much so that when Rose’s hand skimmed his thigh, he knew that if he was going to stop he had to do it now.
“Rose,” he growled.
“Don’t stop,” Rose pleaded when she realised he had gone still above her.
“You don’t know what you are asking,” he protested. “This will change everything between us.”
“I don’t care,” she assured him. “I don’t care.”