Daniel finally pulled back, though his hands remained firm at her waist.
She could not suppress the small sound of disappointment that escaped her.
He rested his forehead against hers as both of them struggled to catch their breath.
“Daniel,” she whispered his name like a plea.
Chapter Eighteen
The air between them was so thick that Lucy thought she would never be able to breathe again. Her mouth opened and then closed.
There were so many things she wanted to tell him, but could not. It was far too dangerous. Far too uncertain.
Daniel might have retreated, but his eyes were still on her. He was just as surprised as she was by what had happened. They were still sitting too close to be appropriate. She could feel the heat radiating from him.
Then, both of them heard the frantic footsteps in the corridor.
“Stonewynn! For the love of God and all that is holy, unhand Lady Lucy!”
It was the Marquess of Barton.
He rushed inside, bracing his hands on the doorframe. His face was flushed from exertion, and his eyes were wide with panic. In his haste, his cravat had become askew. He looked up and down the length of the corridor.
“The Earl is coming,” he panted. “Marsleigh is on his way, and from what I gathered, he has been looking everywhere for you, Lady Lucy. Why else would he look suspicious and mad? He will be here in a minute.”
The spell was finally broken.
No, it was not just broken. It shattered into millions of pieces, startling Lucy into full wakefulness. The heat she had felt when she and Daniel were so close to defying all rules of propriety was gone.
She knew that if Joshua found her alone with the Duke of Stonewynn—or any man, for the matter—in a darkened room, her life would end. He would lock her in and throw away the key if he had to.
Daniel must have come to the same conclusion because his eyes lit up, as if he had a plan. He moved toward her, grabbing her shoulders. His touch was firm but not aggressive. In no way did she feel danger.
“Lucy, listen to me,” he whispered urgently. “Do you see that tapestry? The one with the three deer? Slip behind it. It leads to a secret passage that leads to a narrow staircase the servants use. If you follow the path to the right, which curves indefinitely, youwill soon find yourself in a small alcove near the refreshments table. Slip through it and walk slowly as if you had been near the area, so that they would think you were just too shy to show your face. Act as if you’ve always wanted a glass of punch and were checking if people were watching you.”
“Huh?”
Lucy gaped at him.
For a moment, she wondered how he had planned it all so quickly. How did he know about the secret corridor? Well, it was his brother-in-law’s home, but still, it made her wonder if he’d ever had to use it before.
“W-what about you? Are you just going to wait for Joshua here?” she asked, her heart pounding in her chest.
“I am a duke, Lucy.”
He was right. His title and gender would protect him, but she had to escape.
“Move, Lucy. Remember that he cannot ruin me, but he can imprison you,” he urged, looking grim.
Lucy sprang up. She gathered her skirts and vanished beyond the tapestry as planned, much too aware of how her skirts rustled against the floor. When she was a safe distance away, she could hear Joshua’s voice booming across the library.
“Stonewynn?! Are you there?!”
“W-what?” she whispered, but continued walking, no longer having the time to wonder why her brother immediately thought of Daniel while searching for her.
Daniel heard Joshua looking for him. So he turned to Theo, who looked ill from nerves.
“Theo, you must look completely debauched. Right now. Look drunk, man,” he hissed.
