Tristan hitched hisbreath.We’re going to get caught.
He traded panic glances with Nic before motioning with his head toward the nearest room. As quietly as the two men could walk, they hurried on bare feet inside and closed the door. Tristan didn’t dare make a sound. He even held his blanket around his shoulders tighter for fear of accidentally dropping the covering.
The squeak from kitchen door opening alerted Tristan that they had just barely made it before being spotted. Pressing his ear against the wooden door, he held his breath.
“Who is out there?” Tabitha’s voice almost echoed through the empty corridor.
“I don’t see anyone,” Diana said as relief lightened her voice. “I suppose I was just hearing things.”
“Most likely that is what happened,” Tabitha answered. “The wind outside is still blowing strong. Perhaps that is what you heard.”
“I certainly hope so.”
As soon as the kitchen door squeaked again, Tristan quietly pulled up on the latch his hand had been gripping so tightly, opened the bedroom door, and peeked out. Tabitha and Diana had gone back inside the kitchen. His pounding heartbeat slowly returned to normal as he expelled a breath.
“Come,” Tristan whispered to Nic, “let’s return to the room before they realize we were listening.”
Nodding, Nic pulled the blanket tight around his body and hurried up the corridor behind Tristan toward the stairs.
“That was a close call,” Nic said as they reached the top of the stairs.
“Too close.” Tristan glanced over his shoulder at Nic. “But when I have my talk with Diana and she asks how I know, I will tell her I overheard her in the kitchen. Although she insists on holding the truth from me, I shall not do the same. I plan on being completely honest.”
“That’s the only way to be.”
“However,” Tristan paused once they reached the room and entered, “I need you to keep Tabitha occupied. I do not want anything to interrupt my talk with Diana.”
Nic rolled his eyes. “I shall try, but that woman can drive a man to drink, and I don’t know how much alcohol Lady Hollingsworth has in this small cottage for me to consume.”
“Then I suggest you ask her. You are very talented at holding your liquor and being charming at the same time.” Tristan grinned.
“Do not make light of this, Worthington.”
Fortunately, they hadn’t waited for Tabitha to collect their clothes, laying out to dry themselves. Nic marched to the fireplace and adjusted his clothes that had been draped over the chair to dry. Tristan followed and copied his friend’s actions. The quicker the garments dried, the more comfortable Tristan would feel.
“I have never met a woman like Diana’s maid,” Nic continued. “She acts as if I’m the one who is far beneathherstation to even speak to me. When she does talk, nothing but disdain pours from her mouth.”
“That is certainly out of the ordinary. Whatever have you done to vex her so?”
“Nothing, I assure you.” Nic lifted his head and looked at Tristan. “The few times I’ve talked to her, she has been this way.” He shook his head. “I have never wronged her or caused her ill will, yet she treats me like I have made her life miserable.”
“Indeed, that is very strange behavior.”
“Quite right.”
“As it were… will you still help me out by keeping her occupied?” Tristan asked. “I don’t want her to accidentally hear her name in the conversation I have with Diana and come barging in to interrupt us.”
“Of course. I just pray your talk with Lady Hollingsworth doesn’t take too long. I fear I won’t know what to do if Tabitha upsets me more than she has done already.”
From out in the corridor, the stairs squeaked. Tristan swung his attention to the door. Mere moments later came a knock.
“Tristan? Are you still there?”
He walked to the door and opened it enough to poke his head out. “Yes, Diana.” He smiled, although he couldn’t feel the happiness inside him as he’d felt before when peering into her lovely face. “Where else would we be? There is no place for us to be since we are covered in blankets.”
Her cheeks turned pink. “I suppose you are right.” She folded her arms. “I just came to check on you to see if you were undressed so we could take your clothes.”
“Actually, the fire is blazing well enough in here so we just draped our clothes over chairs and placed them in front of the hearth. There is no need to have Tabitha hang them up now.”
