“And if you two are in the mood for some music later on, a few of the lads here will be playin’ a tune or two in a tavern just down the road,” the innkeeper added. “While it is no Duke’s ball, I guarantee you it’s fun.”
This time, Robert was the one to agree. “Perhaps we shall try that, too. Thank you.”
As they climbed the narrow wooden staircase, he could hear the fire crackling below and smell something earthy and warm wafting from the kitchen: onions and herbs, the scent of roasted meat. He looked at Evelyn’s hand where it clutched her skirts, her knuckles pale from cold. She was shivering though she tried to hide it.
They entered the room. It was warm and cozy. Still, he had to admit that he didn’t foresee the rain. Now, they were both soaking wet and most certainly about to catch a dreadful cold. A part of him wondered if all this was a good idea.
But then, a knock on the door reminded him that sometimes, fate had everything covered.
Chapter Eighteen
Aknock startled Evelyn just as she was wringing out the ends of her damp hair by the hearth. She turned, glancing at Robert, who leaned lazily against the wall near the bed, looking far too comfortable for someone so recently drenched. Another knock came, gentle but insistent.
“I’ll get it,” she said quickly, smoothing her skirts as she crossed the room.
She opened the door to find the innkeeper’s wife standing there with a bundle of neatly folded clothes in her arms. The woman’s round cheeks were flushed from the heat of the kitchens, and her gray-streaked hair was pinned beneath a simple linen cap.
“I hope I’m not interrupting,” the woman said kindly. “My husband told me you two were caught in that sudden rain. Said you’d gotten lost.” She smiled in a way that made her eyes twinkle. “I thought you might get cold, so I brought you some dry clothes. They’re my son’s and daughter’s, grown andgone now, but I kept a few things just in case someone passing through might need them. I hope they’ll fit.”
Evelyn blinked, momentarily speechless.
Such simple, uncalculated kindness was rare. It hit her somewhere deep and raw. Her throat tightened unexpectedly, and for a moment, she had the insane urge to throw her arms around the woman and hug her. But she stopped herself. This wasn’t London, but still, such a gesture might be wildly inappropriate.
Instead, Evelyn reached out and gently squeezed the woman’s hand.
“Thank you,” she said sincerely. “This… is incredibly kind of you.”
The woman’s smile softened. “No trouble at all, dear.” She handed over the bundle. “Do come downstairs when you’ve changed. The soup’s hot and hearty; it’ll warm your bones.”
Evelyn nodded, still touched. “We will. And thank you again.”
The woman nodded and bustled off down the corridor. Evelyn closed the door quietly behind her and turned to Robert, who had straightened up and was watching her with something unreadable in his expression.
“She brought us clothes,” Evelyn said, almost in awe, holding them up. “Just… out of kindness.”
Robert smiled. “You look like you’re about to cry.”
“I am not,” she huffed, turning away to hide the prickling in her eyes. “It’s just… nice. No motives, no pretense. Just decent, genuine people. I wasn’t prepared for that.”
“You’d better change, then,” he said, his voice unusually soft. “Before you go hugging the entire inn.”
That made her laugh, and the heaviness in her chest eased a little more.
Evelyn placed the bundle of clothes on the edge of the bed and gave Robert a long look, her brow arching as she asked. “How exactly are we supposed to change?”
He tilted his head, already smirking. “Well… in this room, I presume.”
She crossed her arms and pouted though her eyes gleamed with mirth. “You know what I mean.”
That earned a chuckle from him, low and amused this time, the kind that made his shoulders shake slightly. “Of course, I do.”
He pushed away from the wall, making a show of glancing around the small room. “I could step out if you’d prefer,” he offered.
But she hesitated.
“It’s… it’s all right. You don’t have to leave,” she told him softly, almost too quietly. Then, quickly, before he got the wrong idea, she added with haste, “So long as you turn your back.”
His grin widened, and there was a devilish flicker in his eyes. “Ah. Rules. I see.”
