“What was it?”
“I don’t know. It is too dark to see, but I think it was a mouse. No… it was larger than a mouse. Probably a rat.”
She shivered once more as she continued to cling to him, burying her face against his chest. If only she was near a chair or a table, she would crawl on that instead.
“Cilla, please calm yourself.” He stroked his large, comforting hand over her back. “I doubt it was a rat. I have never seen one inside my grandmother’s estate.”
“Then… what was it?” Her voice lifted as panic continued to unsettle her.
He wrapped both arms around her, and oddly enough, the urgency to climb on top of something quickly left her. Slowly, she lifted her head and peeked at his face. Because of the shadows surrounding them, it was difficult to see his expression fully, but concern was etched in the lines on his forehead and around his mouth.
“My darling Cilla, it was probably my grandmother’s cat.”
“Acat?” She felt her heartbeat skip, knowing she should not be in his arms this way—or any way, for that matter. “I have not seen a cat this whole time.”
“Miss McKenzie likes to wander around at night and sleep during the day. That is probably why you haven’t seen her.”
“Miss McKenzie? Is that the cat’s name?”
“Yes. Why? Haven’t you heard my grandmother mention that name?”
Slowly, Priscilla nodded. “Twice, but I figured it was one of her friends.”
“Make no mistake, Miss McKenzie is indeed one of the dowager’s friends. Grandmother talks about her pet as if it were a person and not an animal.”
Feeling more relaxed, Priscilla smiled. “My grandmother does that with her dog.”
While one of his hands still held her against him, he moved the other hand and cupped the side of her face. His thumb stroked her cheek.
“Do you feel better now?”
Realizing she was still intimately pressed against him, she snapped out of the enchantment he had somehow put her under. How could she have allowed him to hold her so personally? Earlier, she had assumed that nothing frightened her. She was mistaken. She was frightened of rodents… and Gavin.
She wiggled out of his hold and stepped back. Now that the contact had been broken between them, she felt a considerable difference in the rhythm of her heartbeat. Not only that, but the warmth that had been flowing through her body had disappeared, leaving her cold and weak.
“I… I think we need to leave this room.”
“Have you found a book to read?”
“No, but I shall make that a priority during the day, while I have the sun peeking through the windows to help me look.”
“You can read mine.” He bent to snatch it from off the nearby sofa. “I have read it many times already.” He handed it to her. “If you enjoy mystery novels, you will not be able to put this one down.”
Priscilla nearly laughed. Her sister, Bridget, would have claimed this book quickly. Priscilla enjoyed mysteries, but she would rather read a novel with romance. “Thank you.” She took it from him.
He picked up the candle. “The flame is almost out. We had better hurry back to your candle, since we didn’t think to bring the lamp with us.”
Inwardly, she groaned. How could she have forgotten something so vital?
Without asking, he took hold of her hand and pulled her with him. This time, they stepped faster. Once they reached the door, she pulled away. She really should have done that first. Being with him and allowing him to touch her was not a good thing at all. Even now, her mind and heart were playing tug-of-war. Thankfully, the wounds of her heart were still fresh from when he’d trampled on it before.
She had learned her lesson, and she vowed she would never make that mistake again. No matter how hard he tried to convince her he had changed, she would stay strong and remind herself that leopards couldn’t change their spots, and snakes would always be loathsome.
Chapter Three
Gavin studied thecalculations in each column as he budgeted the ledgers, and shook his head. He wasn’t fit to be a duke, especially when he didn’t want to think about the three estates he had to manage, not to mention the two townhouses, and all the servants that went with them. Although this was now his responsibility, he realized the burden was heavier than he could bear, especially when, as each day passed, he discovered bigger problems.
The meeting with his secretary yesterday had left Gavin puzzled. Jacob McGuire said the oddest thing, which made Gavin want to throw up his arms in surrender. Apparently, the man had heard that Gavin was close to going to debtors’ prison.
