Althea opened the door further and stood back, speechless, as the servants entered and began preparing her bath. After the footmen left, one maid poured the buckets into the tub while the other came forward and began unbuttoning her gown.
“I’ll hang the dress close to the fire, but not near enough to burn so that it is dry in the morning.”
“Thank you,” Althea mumbled as her gown was removed. She then sat on the end of the bed and rolled the damp, woolen stockings from her legs.
“I’ll see to these and your shoes as well. By morning all should be dry and ready to be worn again.”
She simply nodded to the young woman paused by the door. “If you be needing anything else, just let us know.”
Standing in only her shift, Althea watched as she left and closed the door behind her. Rushing to the door, she locked it once again before removing her shift and sinking into the warm water. Her head fell back with a sigh. This would surely warm her.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Prestoncheckedhispocketwatch for the tenth time and paced the confines of the room. How soon would Althea be done with her bath? How soon could he speak with her? He had thought the supper would never end. There was so much he wanted to say to her but couldn’t where so many people might hear. Instead, they sat in silence as he mentally prepared his speeches.
He’d hoped that the opportunity to voice what was in his mind would occur when he escorted her upstairs, but Althea had shut the door in his face. How long before she would speak with him?
“Bloody hell!” He wasn’t going to wait until tomorrow, or the next day, or the next. He had to have matters settled between them tonight because he’d let them go on long enough.
He turned to John, the man who had driven him about for the past ten years. “I need to speak with Miss Claywell. You will tell no one that I went to her room tonight.” There were already whispers in the household. Those hadn’t reached him until he was preparing to leave to go after her, but he’d deal with his servants when he returned. However, he didn’t need further gossip from tonight added to what was already being said.
The man had the audacity to grin.
“If you do, you will be out of a job without a reference.”
The smile fell from John’s face. “Of course, Lord Melcombe.”
It didn’t matter what people thought of him, but it mattered a great deal what they thought of Althea.
Preston glanced at the clock again. It had only been thirty minutes since the bath was delivered. Had she already finished bathing and was tucked in her bed?
It was imperative that he speak to her tonight. He couldn’t let her wake on a new day not knowing what was in his heart. But, if he knocked on her door too early, she’d still be in the bath, but if he waited too long, she’d be asleep.
Uncertain what to do, he continued pacing and calculated how much time he thought it took for a woman to bathe.
His cock hardened at the thought of Althea in her bath, but he must ignore his desires, no matter how strong, He needed to talk to her first and if all went as he hoped, he’d not be returning to this room tonight. If she rejected him, then he’d have no choice but to sleep in the blizzard. That was about the only thing that would cool his loins at this moment.
He snapped the case of his watch. Thirty minutes was more than enough. He exited his room, crossed the hall, and knocked on Althea’s door.
One last time he rehearsed what he was going to say and the longer he stood there, the more his heart hammered against his ribs.
Why didn’t she answer? He waited a few moments longer, then Preston lifted his hand to knock again, and the door cracked open, and Althea peeked out at him.
“Yes?”
“I need to speak with you.”
She blanched. “It is not a good time.”
“Please, Althea.”
She didn’t say anything and just looked at him. Her emerald eyes were full of concern or perhaps disappointment. There was certainly sadness within the depths, and it was his fault. “Please, give me a moment and I will not bother you again.”
She lowered her eyes. “Very well.” Then stood back and allowed him to come in. Preston shut the door behind him and turned to her. She wore a woolen wrap of light sage and nothing else. She hadn’t even put on the nightgown yet. Further, Althea was still damp from her bath and the light material clung to her as if it were a second skin. Had she still been in her bath? Preston glanced in the direction of the tub. A wet footprint trail led from the tub to the door. He should have waited but was so glad he hadn’t.
He focused his eyes back on Althea. The glorious midnight hair was piled on top of her head. Her face was rosy, probably from the heat of the water, or embarrassed by her state of undress. Her nipples puckered, strained against the damp material. His mouth went dry, and his cock came to full attention.
He knew they should discuss his honorable intentions, but his mind was suddenly befuddled by the sight of her, knowing the only thing that kept him from seeing her entire body in all its glory was a thin piece of material.
