There was that provoking amusement again in his tone, and she was glad for it, because now some of the tension that had been thickening the air like smoke had dissipated.
“If you will make us something to eat, I shall tidy myself posthaste.”
Make them something to eat? Having never prepared a meal in her life, Kitty’s mind blanked for precious seconds. But never the one to shy away from impossible tasks, she made her way toward the small kitchen. Once there, she was grateful to see a few tallow candles had been lit. The counters were neat and tidy, and it did not take her long to discover the cheese. There was little else in the way of food that she could prepare. Still, by the time she returned to the small room, the duke was standing by the fire in clothes that were decidedly not his, yet fitted his lithe frame well, raking the towel through his thick dark hair.
“Cheese and apple?” she asked, placing the plates on the small table in the center of the room.
His gait was very slow and uneven as he made his way over and lowered himself into one of the two chairs. She sat, conscious her sole claim to clothes was a blanket. They ate their simple fare of a few chunks of cheese and apples in silence. Kitty was of a mind to think they might starve for the next few days.
A clap of thunder had her jerking and glancing out the lone window into the darkness. “Do you believe George has made it to your estate?”
“He is clever, adaptable. And used to the terrain. He’ll be quite all right.”
Then dratted silence again. Sudden exhaustion pulled an indelicate yawn from her. Flushing, she glanced at him. “I believe I shall go to bed.”
“There is not much else to do,” he replied, an amused twinkle in his brilliant blue eyes.
She nodded, pushed from the chair, and all but marched over to the armoire. The lady of the cottage was in possession of a nightgown. Rummaging through the armoire, she grabbed the voluminous dark cotton garment. It would have to do.
She went behind the screen, pushed off the blanket, and slipped the gown over her head. It hung ridiculously on her smaller frame, the hem dragging several inches on the ground. The front gaped, and she gathered it to her chest, made her way from behind the screen, and scrambled onto the bed.
She lay there for several moments, cursing the fact she’d agreed to his ridiculous command to travel with him here. But could she truly have resisted? And Kitty wondered if she had tried enough to resist his blackmail coined as mutual bargain, or had she too willingly tumbled merrily down the path of ruin? Surely he wouldn’t have ruined her…
The silence lingered, and it felt awful and uncertain. With a gusty exhalation, she jumped from the bed and fisted a hand on her hip.
The duke had reclined once more in the armchair, his head tipped to the ceiling.
“Your Grace.”
He lowered his regard to her. “Are there ants on the bed, Miss Danvers?”
She scowled and he smiled. Odious, odious man! Still… “Do you plan to spend the night in that chair?”
“I have little wish to further traumatize your sensibilities.”
“Your Grace, we are adults. You are honorable, and I am a lady of good sense,” she said with a touch of desperation. “Surely we can spend the night together in a bed without any inappropriateness or discomfort in each other’s presence.”
The intensity of his gaze kissed over her in a heated caress. “And I’ll not be met with swooning and hysteria in the morning?” This was demanded with a healthy dose of skepticism.
“I’m not a silly miss!”
“No…you aren’t.” He stood with pained slowness. “You are quite safe with me. You can rest assured on my honor you will be.”
She circled the bed, tapping her chin thoughtfully. “You will rest on this side. And I wil
l take this side.”
Then she grabbed one of the two pillows and placed it in the middle. Kitty was nervous. Silly to be, of course, with all the shocking intimacy she just endured with this man.
With a huff, she settled on the bed once more, lying on her side with her back to him. Several moments later, the bed dipped. Fighting the temptation to turn around, she slammed her eyes closed, until they naturally remained that way because of her exhaustion.
Chapter Ten
An odd sound roused Kitty from slumber. It took a few seconds to realize she was precariously perched on the edge of the bed. It was little wonder she had not tumbled to the floor. The chamber was dark, the embers from the fireplace were barely lit, and the air was chilled. It was then she observed a blanket had been tucked under her chin and around her body. She snapped her gaze to the duke in bemusement. He lay flat on his back, without the benefit of the covering of blankets, his chest rising raggedly.
A rough groan slipped from him. There! It was that sound that had brought her awake. She noted the terrible tension in his frame and that his fingers clutched the bedsheets.
Another tortured groan echoed in the small chamber.