“So you do not have five sisters and are running away from marriage to an old man?”
“No, I made it up to blend in.”
She’d fallen in love with him. A guy who was getting married. Well, she wasn’t sticking around to see the perfect, beautiful, intelligent fiancée arrive. And to make it all worse, she’d probably be nice on top of it all. Because Ashley couldn’t imagine him marrying someone who wasn’t all those things. It was time to go home, give up the daydream of living in the past, and go back to real life. How? She didn’t have a clue.
“Christian, I want to go home.”
“And if you cannot?” His voice was soft.
“Then I will have to find a job. Something useful.”
He touched her cheek, and she saw the wetness in the torchlight. Ashley hadn’t even noticed she was crying. He stood so close that she could see the gray flecks in his blue eyes, his expression inscrutable.
“I will send word to my brothers. We will return you to your time.”
“But what can they do? It’s not like they have a time machine.”
Christian sighed. “We will talk more after supper.”
He dismissed her guard and led her back to her room, where he stopped outside the door. It was strange knowing she would be sleeping alone for the first time since she’d arrived.
“I’ve had a bath prepared.”
Without thinking, Ashley hugged him tight.
“I could almost forgive you for not telling me about your soon-to-be wife.” She rubbed her hands together. “It’s like Christmas is coming early. A bath. Thank you so much.”
He looked stunned, but nodded. “The women will aid you.” He turned on his heel and left the corridor, and for the first time she was alone, and the emptiness he left in his wake was enough to fill a stadium.
“We will bathe you, lady.”
The two girls looked young, Ashley guessed early teens. They helped her undress. One held up the dress, frowning. “I’ll take this to be cleaned.”
The other one handed her another round ball of rose-scented soap. Ashley wanted to kiss the girl.
“Shall I wash your hair for you?”
“Please.” Having someone else wash her hair was a decadent feeling. As she soaked in the tub, watching the water turn gray, Ashley felt her muscles relax, the heat doing its job.
While the girl scrubbed her—which was a new experience, asshe’d never had anyone bathe her before—Ashley thought about going home, started making lists in her head. Christian. It would have never worked anyway, since she couldn’t have babies. He’d made it clear he wanted a big family.
The water was cool by the time she climbed out, her fingers wrinkled. The girl dried her off with a large piece of cloth.
The other one had brought something for her to wear. As they dressed her, one of the girls made a clucking noise. “The dress is too short, lady.”
Ashley looked down to see her ankles showing.
“It doesn’t matter. It’s clean and it fits. I thank you for the dress.”
“When the merchant comes, you may choose the material for new dresses.”
“That would be nice.” She planned to be long gone by then.
One of the girls combed her hair, braiding it and pinning it up, chattering away, the sounds washing over Ashley.
“Did you know there’s to be a wedding, lady?”
The other one chimed in: “Lord Winterforth is finally getting married.”
