“What happened?” Haslemere’svoice was grim.
“I’m not sure yet. Cecilia’s a little incoherent, but it sounds as if she may have gotten locked inside the kitchen garden. I’ll find out more when Mrs. Briggs is finished with her.”
“Locked outside, in this cold?” Haslemere’s mouth fell open. “Jesus, Darlington. She might have frozen to death.”
“I think that was the idea, Haslemere.” Gideon looked steadily into his friend’s eyes, so there’d be no mistaking his meaning.
Haslemere nodded, then turned to address his men. “Fletcher, I want you, Hobbes, and Thompson on horseback. The others can go on foot—”
“No. There’s no use in chasing after her tonight, Haslemere. You can be sure she’s long gone by now. But let’s keep two men on each bedchamber door, just to be safe. Duncan and Fraser can keep watch over Amy and Isabella, and two of your men on Mrs. Briggs’s door. The others can keep watch at the doors leading outside, and in a few hours we’ll switch off.”
“What of Cecilia? Who will watch over her?”
“Me,” Gideon said, in a tone that discouraged argument.
But Haslemere, being Haslemere,didargue. “That’s not a good idea, Darlington. Why not let Mrs. Briggsstay with her?”
“No. I’llstay with her.”
“Darlington, be reasonable. Her reputation—”
“Do you truly think I’ll let Cecilia out of my sight after what happened to her tonight, Haslemere? I won’t risk her safety.” As for Cecilia’s reputation, no one here would carry tales into the village, but even if they did, it wouldn’t matter.
She washis, and he wasn’tgiving her up.
Ever.
Haslemere held up his hands in surrender. “All right then, if you insist. I don’t envy you the wrangle you’ll have with Mrs. Briggs over it. She’s far more alarming than I am.”
Alarming? Gideon had once seen Mrs. Briggs take a broom to a footman who’d tried to steal a kiss from one of her housemaids. She wasn’talarming, she was downright terrifying, and never more so than when a scoundrel tried to trifle with one of her girls.
But to Gideon’s surprise, she only gazed hard at him for a moment when he returned to the bedchamber and seated himself in the rocking chair with the air of a man who intendedto stay there.
“Very well, my lord,” she said, with a small smile. “Stay if you must, but mind you keep to thatrocking chair.”
With that she was gone, and Gideon and Cecilia were left alone.
Chapter Twenty-two
Cecilia lay in the middle of her bed, her arms wrapped around herself, shivering with cold, and…something else. Anxiety, or anticipation? She couldn’t have said which in that moment, only that her entire attention was focused on the man now seated in the chair beside her.
She waited, her belly leaping with nerves, for him to say something,dosomething.
But he didn’t speak, didn’t reach for her, didn’t even sigh. He simply sat there, his body tensed,gazing at her.
She’d broken her promise to him. She’d sworn she wouldn’t venture outside the castle, then she’d done it anyway. Worse, she’d done it at night, and alone, utterly careless ofher own safety.
Anything might have happened to her. It almosthadhappened.
“Gideon,I…I’m sorry I—”
Cecilia broke off with a gasp as he shot to his feet. She gazed up at him when he stopped beside her bed, her lower lip caught between her teeth. “I know I promised I wouldn’t—”
She broke off again, this time with a faint cry as he leaned down, and without any warning or so much as a by your leave, scooped her up into his arms, coverlet and all.
“Gideon!” She clutched at his coat to steady herself, the fine wool wet to the touch, damp all the way through to the silk lining and his heated skin beneath. “Whatare you doing?”
He didn’t answer. He strode across the room to the door that connected their bedchambers without a single word, and passed through it with her still in his arms. He didn’t stop until he reached his bed, then he lay her down and tugged his thick coverlet over her. “My bedchamber is warmer than yours. You’re staying here until you stop shaking with cold.”
