Chapter 23 #2
A noise alerted her to the fact that she was not alone, and she spun to see who was there.
“Hello?” Her voice echoed off the stone walls.
“Is someone there?” Suddenly, her warm, soothing bath no longer seemed relaxing.
She waited, holding her breath, but heard nothing else.
Angelina swam across to the other side of the pool, so she could see if anyone was about to enter.
The move helped to calm her frazzled nerves and before long, when no one appeared, she was able to get back into her peaceful mindset.
Naturally, her thoughts turned to Richard.
A humble hero. It was so like him, to downplay his part in whatever it was that happened when he’d assisted the MacKenzie clan.
She’d have to ask him about it. Angelina closed her eyes and imagined his smouldering gaze on her, his lips kissing hers—at first soft and then with passionate ferocity—his hands stroking her skin.
Why hadn’t she thought to ask him to join her?
That kind of thing was probably frowned upon here, which made it seem so much more enticing.
Glancing down at her hands, Angelina realized she was rapidly turning into a prune and should probably get out.
She was just pulling herself up out of the water when she heard the distinct sound of a male voice and a female response.
Moments later, a serving girl came in with a drying cloth in her hands.
“The gentleman asked me to bring this to ye, m’lady.” The girl handed the cloth to Angelina. “Would ye like me to help ye?”
Angelina smiled at the obviously shy girl, whose eyes hadn’t left her feet since she entered the bath. “What gentleman?”
The girl, continuing to examine the floor, shrugged her shoulders in response. “I dinnae ken. Not someone I know.”
That was certainly believable—if this girl couldn’t look Angelina in the eye, she surely wouldn’t have looked directly at whoever had asked her to give Angelina the cloth.
“Thank you.” Angelina began to dry herself, turning her back, embarrassed to be seen nude by the girl who remained standing nearby. “What’s your name?”
“Elspeth, ma’am.” She dropped into a low curtsy.
“You can go, Elspeth. I can get dressed on my own.” Angelina watched as Elspeth backed out of the room and took off down the passageway towards the stairs.
She couldn’t help but giggle to herself.
There were so many things she was going to have to get used to in the sixteenth century.
For instance, the cloth she’d been given to dry herself, which was surprisingly absorbent.
She finished drying herself off and was dressed in no time.
Now to find out who was watching me, she thought.
***
Richard bolted for the stairs, as soon as he saw Angelina emerging from the bath.
He had come down here with the intentions of speaking to her about his past but had not thought the idea through particularly well.
Once his eyes had locked onto her naked body, his own body reacted in the most natural of ways.
He had groaned aloud and startled her, so he had remained hidden just outside the doorway until she relaxed again.
Despite knowing it was wrong to do so, he had continued to peek at her from around the doorway until she’d decided to emerge from the bath.
Spinning on his heels to leave before she discovered him, he’d practically run down the small servant girl headed toward the bath.
“The lady needs a drying cloth,” he’d spat out, praying she wouldn’t notice the obvious bulge which had formed in his now far-too-tight breeches.
He hurried on his way and now that he was upstairs, safe in his room, he paced back and forth, cursing himself for his foolish behaviour.
He was Sir Richard Jefford—or at least, he used to be, before his trip to San Francisco.
Now he was thoughtful, caring, kind and seemingly, without any bad qualities he could name.
Unless, of course, he considered spying on a naked woman, which he had done without thought for anything but his own carnal lust. Mayhap he wasn’t as noble as he’d thought.
What he had really wanted was to join her in the bath.
To take her in his arms and make her his, but he couldn’t.
He wouldn’t, not until she knew everything she needed to about him and then she definitely wouldn’t.
This dilemma was tearing him apart. Was there any way he could spirit Angelina from here to his home, without running across anyone who knew him?
He shook his head ruefully. What a ridiculous thought.
What would he do once he got there? He couldn’t keep her locked up in his castle forever.
No. He had to tell her, but he feared he couldn’t work up the courage.
A knock at the door brought him back to the present. “Yes?” he called. He glanced across at Nick, but his friend didn’t move. He had always been a very sound sleeper.
“It’s Angelina. Can I come in?”
Richard went to the door and opened it. “Nick is asleep.”
She pushed past him and into the room. Glancing Nick’s way, she giggled before turning back to him. “Hey, were you just down in the bath area?”
“Me?” He gestured to himself and felt like a complete oaf.
“Yes, you. Is there anyone else here who’s awake?
” She wandered closer to him and all Richard could see was a very wet, very naked Angelina emerging from the water, like a goddess from the sea.
He stumbled backwards as she continued her approach.
“You know, if it was you, I don’t have a problem with that. I just wish you had joined me.”
“Angelina, I …” She was pressing herself up against him. Surely, she would feel the impact she was having on him, and back away.
“What, Richard?” Her hands roamed across his chest and down to his belly and then even lower.
“It was me. I’m so sorry I didn’t announce my presence. I wanted to join you, but I cannot compromise your good name. Things are different in this time.” He backed away again, but her hand lingered and the throbbing of his shaft was making it difficult to think.
“You two should really have your own room.” Nick stretched and yawned as he sat up. “You’ve disturbed my sleep and what I’ve seen is enough to keep me awake for days. As they say in Angelina’s time, I’ll never be able to unsee that, Richard.”
Angelina removed her hand and grabbed a pillow, tossing it at Nick’s head with pinpoint accuracy. It hit him with a thud. “Ow,” he said, feigning injury.
“You could join me in my room, Richard. That way Nick could get back to his nap.”
“I’m afraid that would not be appropriate behaviour.
We are guests here with the MacKenzies and they’ve given us separate rooms. We must bow to their wishes.
” There, that should settle things, he thought.
But there was one thing it wasn’t settling.
“Why is it that my breeches are suddenly too tight.” Richard pulled and tugged at them to relieve his anguish.
Nick and Angelina laughed so hard, they were practically in tears.
“I’d better leave,” Angelina hiccoughed her way to the door. “I’m just across the hall, should you be looking for me.”
The door closed and Richard breathed a sigh of relief, turning to stare daggers at Nick.
“I heard everything. I take it you haven’t told her yet, or this may have ended differently.” Nick threw his legs over the side of the bed and stood.
“I couldn’t tell her. The opportunity simply did not present itself.” He went to his bed and sat down, running his hands through his hair.
“I dinnae believe I’ve ever seen you so affected by a woman, Richard. In the past, you always saw what you wanted and took it. What’s the hold up here?”
“Love.” There he’d said it. He was smitten and he had no idea what he could do about it.
“Aye. That does make a difference.” Nick was eyeing him with a pitying expression on his face.
“I went down to the bath to tell her about my past, and instead, I hid and peeked at her like a young lad who was seeing his first naked lass. Is love always like this, Nick?”
“I wouldnae ken it.” Nick sat down next to him. “I dinnae believe I’ve ever truly been in love meself. And from the looks of it, I’m nae so sure I want to be. It seems painful.”
“It is. I thought I loved Irene, but now that I’ve experienced these feelings I have for Angelina, I know it was not love at all that drew me to Irene. But what I did because of it, could ruin the only true love I’ve ever known.”