“Perhaps you should retire now,” Lord Ridgewood said, breaking into her thoughts. “We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.”
She nodded and bent to collect her valise.
He reached for it at the same time, and their heads nearly bumped. She turned her head up to find herself just inches from his face.
“Allow me,” he said, closing his hand over hers.
Slowly, she untwisted her fingers from the handle, and extricated her hand from his grasp. “Thank you.” She stepped away, her sudden need for more space from him as inexplicable as her shortness of breath.
He swept his hand out before him. “Come. I’ll show you to your room.”
India followed him from the drawing room, and they mounted the stairs in the foyer. She took in the simple décor, and she was somewhat surprised that his home wasn’t more ostentatious. Besides the location of his home, there was nothing to hint of his station.
“Here we are,” he said, opening a door and gesturing her inside. He placed her bag on the floor, and turned back to her. “We’ll speak more in the morning.” He checked his timepiece then offered a rueful grin. “I should say we’ll speak later on. It’s already quite well into the morning. The sun will be up in a few hours.”
“My apologies for barging in unannounced to your home,” she said, her lips twisting in amusement. How ironic that she would be apologizing for what he had done the day before.
He smiled and had the grace to look abashed. “No apology needed, Miss Ashton.” He paused and looked intently at her. “I am just very glad you are here.”
She felt a peculiar surge of pleasure at his words. Her face warmed, and despite her attempt to control it, a wide smile split her lips.
“Good night, Lord Ridgewood. I shall speak to you again in a few hours.”
###
Ridge rose early despite the fact he had slept so little. He was anxious to begin preparations for their journey. Where to he still had no idea, but as soon as Miss Ashton translated the journal he would. There was so much to sort out. So much todo.
He paced his study in agitation, stopping periodically to check his timepiece. How could she sleep at a time like this? Growing more impatient, he stalked out of the study and into the dining room where he saw Kavi and Udaya eating breakfast.
They both rose and he motioned them back down. “If you aren’t her servants then stop acting like them,” he said crossly.
“But wedoserveMem-Sahib,” Kavi said in a somber tone.
“Where is she this morning?” he asked when they had taken their seats again.
Udaya exchanged a troubled glance with Kavi. “She does not sleep well at night,Sahib.”
“She does not sleep at all,” Kavi contradicted.
Udaya silenced Kavi with her eyes.
“Why doesn’t she sleep?” Ridge demanded. “Is that why she looks so exhausted all the time? Because she’s not sleeping?”
“She sleeps with the dawn,” Udaya said simply. “These past days she has been unable to rest when she should.” She stared pointedly at Ridge.
He refused to allow himself to feel more guilt over Miss Ashton. If she slept normal hours, he wouldn’t have disturbed her. “When can I expect her to rise?” he asked, trying to mask his growing irritation. He had no desire to sit on his hands for an entire day.
“I am here, Lord Ridgewood,” Miss Ashton spoke from the doorway.
He whirled around to find her glaring at him.
“My apologies for keeping you waiting, my lord.”
Her tone suggested she was anything but sorry. His gaze swept over her tired face, and despite his best effort, he felt...Well that was the question of the day. What did he feel?
It defied rational explanation, but the caustic Miss Ashton inspired emotions in him that he couldn’t define. Nor did he think he particularly wanted to. Irritation suited him much better than some of the other stirrings he felt. Yet he couldn’t summon it after staring into her shuttered eyes. He felt the whispering of something remarkably like desire.
“Are you going to remain there staring at me all morning or shall we begin translating the script?”
