“Are you alone now?” she asked in a whisper.
“More than I care to be,” he returned, not breaking eye contact.
Her blood heated and breasts tightened.
He tilted his head as a smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. “You seem to be under the impression that I am some kind of rake or scoundrel,” Orlando offered quietly.
She rather hoped that he was so that they could go above-stairs to her chamber. However, she would not admit as much just yet. “I have seen for myself that you often visit women of ill-repute. You did so outside of Brussels and I witnessed you do so here,” she returned and tried not to smile as she teased.
“If that were true, is it not dangerous for you to be alone with me? What if I were determined to seduce you?”
Her heart pounded. If only…
“You have not before nor do I expect you to now,” she reminded him. “And we are hardly alone.”
He arched a dark brow, and nodded to the room beyond.
Blythe turned and gasped. When they had taken their seats, the drawing room had been filled with guests, now she and Orlando were completely alone.
“Ah, Blythe, I could not then. You were married and as much as I wanted you, it would have been wrong.”
“You had wanted to?” she asked. He had never indicated he had such a desire.
“Do you really not know the answer to your own question?”
It was something that she had never given thought to, or would not allow herself to ponder simply because it was wrong.
“You were a wife then, Blythe.” His eyes darkened. “You are not any longer.”
Her pulse heated. Maybe he did want her. She certainly wanted him.
Orlando leaned in, his lips almost touching hers.
She sucked in a breath, skin heating, longing, desires, everything about her was sensitive, waiting for that kiss and what was to follow.
“Lady Blythe,” one of the footmen called and she sprang away from Orlando.
“Yes, George.”
“Everyone else has gone for the evening. Would you like me to remain by the door until Dr. Valentine has taken his leave?”
“That is not necessary. I will see Dr. Valentine out and lock the door behind him.”
“Until tomorrow.” The footman offered a slight bow then left them alone.
Would he kiss her now or had the spell been broken.
“It does grow late.” Orlando stood, much to her disappointment. “However, before I go, there are matters that I must clarify.”
“What would those be?”
“The reason you often saw me visiting camp followers was because they were also in need of a doctor since they did not bring one of their own as the army did. They suffered injuries and illnesses much like the soldiers. And, because they were women, I wanted to allot them the privacy they would have lacked in a medical tent.”
She had just assumed…but of course women would at times need a physician. Many of them had been with the regiment far longer than she.
Had she judged him unfairly.
“As for this morning, one of the women at Madame Devine’s had been harmed by a man who had visited. I was called in the early morning to treat her injuries.”
