Chapter Eleven #2
Perhaps this was why she had trouble falling asleep. He made her feel too restless.
She walked to the door, and was debating whether to be so brazen as to wake him, when she suddenly heard a noise in the hall. She thought it might have been a guest retiring late to their own quarters.
Sighing, she decided not to be so brazen. It was not only her reputation to be damaged but Solway’s as well if they were seen.
She was about to return to the sofa when she heard more noises from the guest quarters she and Gwenys had just given over to Solway for the night.
Had Montrose’s earlier warning held merit? Were those two witches plotting something nefarious?
Well, Solway knew how to defend himself. But what if he had fallen asleep?
Fearing the person might harm him, she pushed aside the chair blocking the door and raced into the hall just as a hooded figure ran out of the room that Solway now occupied.
Since the hallway was dimly lit by wall sconces, the hooded figure saw her and purposely shoved an elbow into her ribs to knock her down. Miranda cried out in pain and fell to her knees just as Solway tore out after the culprit.
He saw her clutching her ribs. “Dammit, Miranda! Why did ye come out?”
“What happened? Did you see who it was?”
“No’ a clear look,” he said, kneeling beside her. “But I have my suspicions. Now I’ll never prove it because I’ve stopped to tend to ye instead of catching her.”
“Her?”
“Aye. Ye’ve certainly made an enemy of Lady Trowbridge.”
“I might have known,” she grumbled. “What did she try to do?”
“She was beside yer bags, searching through them.” He held up the silver heart locket she had removed earlier and placed in its box in her travel bag. “This is what she was after.”
He then handed it back to her while he checked her ribs to make certain there was no additional damage.
“I’m fine,” she assured him. “Just a passing discomfort when she elbowed me. It was more to push me out of the way than a purposeful attempt to hurt me.”
He lifted her into his arms and carried her back into his suite, setting her down gently on the sofa. “Stay put while I check to make certain she didna do something more.”
“You slept in your clothes,” she remarked, relieved that he had not chased the culprit down the hall while stark naked.
He nodded. “I thought I’d stay prepared, but ye’d better no’ sneak into my bedchamber, because I always do sleep naked. Dinna put it to the test or ye’ll face the consequences.”
“I’m sure I would enjoy the consequences with you.”
He groaned and shook his head. “Aye, lass. Ye would. So would I.”
As he raked a hand through his hair, she noticed a trickle of blood at the corner of his eye. “Wait! You’re bleeding.”
“Am I?”
“Yes.” She held him back when he attempted to rise. “How did this happen?”
He grinned. “She tossed one of yer knitting books at me. Who knew knitting could be so dangerous?”
“Honestly,” she said with a sigh and a roll of her eyes. “Her aim was very good.”
“Aye, I’m sure she makes a habit of tossing objects at anyone who displeases her. She must be a crack marksman by now.”
“Yes, her aim is always piercingly accurate. Sit down, Solway. I’ll—”
“Bram. Ye need to call me Bram.”
She sighed. “Fine, Bram. Stay put and I’ll clean off the blood.”
“I can do it myself.”
Miranda smiled but held firm. “Now you are sounding like me. Sit still, Bram. You cannot go into the suite’s bedroom because Gwenys is sleeping in there. I’ll fetch a clean cloth and the ewer of water. You can fetch that bottle of brandy on the mantel.”
“I will, but after I lock up yer guest room so that the witch does no’ think to sneak in again. I had it locked, but she must have stolen the innkeeper’s spare key. She dropped it while escaping.” He dipped into his pocket, took it out to show her, and then placed the key in his pocket again.
Shaking his head, he left her side to return to the other room.
Since he had left her holding the heart necklace, she clasped it around her neck and resolved not to take it off at all for the rest of their journey.
Upon his return, Miranda tended to him. The gash above his eye was not deep, more of a scrape than an actual cut. There was also a slight amount of swelling around the area of the injury, but she knew the small lump would subside in a day or two.
After washing away the thin trail of blood, she cleansed it with brandy. “There, done,” she said quietly, not wishing to wake up Gwenys, although it was beyond her how the girl could sleep so soundly.
“Thank ye,” he said in a whisper, and gave her a soft kiss on the lips. “Lock up after me. Place that chair against the door. I’ll see ye in the morning.”
“I’m sorry about tonight.”
He shrugged and then fingered the silver heart necklace she had put around her neck again. “Wasn’t yer fault. This looks nice on ye. Perhaps when we get to London, I’ll have it engraved.”
“If it is important to you.” Miranda ran her own fingers lightly over the heart. “I know who gave it to me and shall never forget.”
He kissed her softly again. “Sweet dreams, Miranda.”
She closed the door after him and placed the chair at a precarious tilt against it.
Yes, her dreams would be very sweet because of him.
Since Gwenys had rolled back onto her own side of the bed, Miranda slipped under the covers to reclaim her spot and drifted off with dreams of Solway.
The sun was particularly bright and the air already warm the next morning, promising to be an excellent day for travel. Gwenys was the first to rise, since she had slept like a log, and was seated on the bed beside Miranda, coaxing her to open her eyes.
Miranda realized she must have overslept because of their little adventure and wondered whether Solway had done the same.
“I thought the duke wanted to get an early start,” Gwenys said.
Miranda yawned and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. “Yes, he did. Let’s go knock on his door. Oh dear. I wonder if he came by earlier to wake us and we simply did not hear him.”
“He didn’t. I’ve been up for a while and all has been quiet. Did you sleep well? I hope I did not toss and turn too much.”
“You were perfect, as always,” she said, giving Gwenys a hug.
Miranda donned her robe and slippers, and then the two of them made their way to the adjoining guest room. They were about to knock lightly when the door suddenly flew open and Solway loomed before them. “Ah, perfect timing. I was about to see if the two of ye were awake.”
“What happened to your eye?” Gwenys asked, frowning.
“Och, I happened to run into a book,” he replied, no doubt confusing her all the more. “It’s nothing.”
Gwenys tsked. “Aunt Miranda, you didn’t…”
“No, I would never harm him. Well, not after that first night.”
“All right, as long as the two of you are not fighting,” Gwenys said, now sounding like a prim governess berating her charges.
Solway chuckled. “Get yerselves ready. I’d like to be on the road within the hour. Shall I have breakfast sent to yer room?”
“Yes,” Gwenys said at the same time Miranda responded, “No.”
“Breakfast in yer room it is,” he replied, deciding Gwenys’s opinion would hold sway.
No doubt he was not in any humor for a confrontation with Lady Trowbridge—not that Miranda expected the harpy to be awake at this hour.
But the woman had already shown herself to be vindictive, so she supposed Solway was right to keep them away from any possible confrontation.
“Yes, breakfast in hiding is fine for me, too.”
Miranda had just finished washing up and getting dressed when a maid wheeled in a cart containing several silver salvers and a teapot with steam wafting out of it. “His Grace said that he would join you shortly.”
She smiled at the girl, who then bobbed a curtsy and bustled off.
“Shall we finish packing while we wait for him to arrive?” she suggested.
“Yes, that’s a fine idea,” Gwenys said. “There isn’t much for us to put away, just those gowns we wore last night. I’ll fold them carefully and stow them in our trunks.”
They had just closed their trunks when Solway strode in, looking even more magnificent than he had last night.
Perhaps it was that bruise above his eye that made him appear quite rugged, although he was already appealingly rough around the edges.
“Eat up, lasses. The innkeeper’s porters will be here in a moment to carry yer belongings to our waiting carriage. ”
“I’ll be glad to be away from here,” Gwenys muttered, raising the lid on the first salver and breathing in the aroma of smoked fish. “Hmm, kippers. My favorite.”
Miranda noticed only two plates had been set out and frowned. “Are you not joining us?”
Solway shook his head. “I ate with Montrose and Gwenys’s father in the dining room. They wished ye a most pleasant journey, and yer father had a kiss for ye, Gwenys.” He leaned forward and gave the girl a light peck on the cheek.
Miranda’s heart tugged, for Gwenys looked so happy. It was such a small gesture. However, Miranda wasn’t certain her father had thought of his daughter at all or ever said any such thing to the duke. Well, she would leave it alone for now and ask Solway later, once they were gone from here.
She was eager to leave York and these Lawsons. The mere thought of them made her ill. It did not matter that their day spent in York had been delightful or that their inn was beautiful and they’d had excellent accommodations during their stay.
She finally breathed easy once they climbed into their carriage and the journey was underway. Before long, they were passing over the old York bridge and rolling southward to London.
The realization they would be home in a matter of days pleased her and also left her saddened. She was eager to return to the normalcy of her life on Duchess Square, but could it ever be the same now that she had met Solway?
Well, her friends would be happy to see her, especially her neighbors, Berry, Gwendolyn, and Suzanna. They would be eager to hear about her adventures and how she met that big Scottish duke.