“Nay.” He grasped her hands and pulled them off his jacket. “I said I wasna interested. Ye would do well to heed my words.” He pushed past her and took the stairs two at a time.
Fighting the urge to burst through the door, he paused, and took a deep breath before knocking sharply on the door. “’Tis I,” he called and waited for an invitation in.
He said it was only so that he could verify their safety. That’s what he kept telling himself. But he was also hoping for a glimpse of Lizzie in her nightclothes. He’d had a taste of it the night previously, but he longed for more.
Mary swung the door open and held it wide for him to walk through.
Lizzie was in her nightdress, covered with a robe cinched tight around her small waist.
He bit his lip. He wanted to reach out and tug on the bow and let it fall to the floor.
“I have been thinking and I dinna feel comfortable with ye sleeping on the floor of the hall. ’Tis no’ right. Ye are an earl. Ye should be sleeping in the verra best conditions.” She paused, smoothing her robe with the palms of her hands. “While I canna offer ye that, we do have only one bed after all. Ye should at least sleep in here.”
He closed his eyes. The thought of sleeping in the same room with Lizzie and not being able to touch her sounded like a torture he didn’t want to experience.
“’Tis verra kind of ye, Lass. But I dinna think that is wise.”
“Is it because ye would rather sleep in Rosalie’s bedroom?”
“Miss!” Mary scolded.
Lizzie tilted her chin up stubbornly. “Ye can go then. I am no’ holding ye here. Ye’ve no duty to me. I ken men have,” she paused, rolling her lips inward, “needs,” she finished quietly.
Mary gasped at her side.
“I will take my leave. No’ because of any preconceivedneedsye think I may have. But because I respect ye and doona want to say anything uncouth in front of ye. I will be back in the morn to gather ye and continue our journey,” he snapped and left the room. It took all his might to not slam the door shut.
The last thing he saw was Lizzie standing with her mouth open in surprise. Good. The lass had gone too far insinuating what she had.
He paced the hall for a bit before going downstairs and procuring another whisky. Then he marched his arse back up the stairs and parked it on the floor in front of Lizzie’s door. Hopefully this night she would have a better night than the last and she wouldn’t feel the need to chase down a glass of warm milk.
Settling against the door, he let himself relax. He’d slept in much more uncomfortable positions in his lifetime. The night would pass slowly, but it would pass and they would be back on the road in the morn.
Malcolm jerked awake, a loud noise startling him, until he realized the time.
Jumping to his feet, he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes with the heels of his hands.
Rolling his head from side to side trying to get the kinks out, his back screamed from the movement. He very much looked forward to sleeping in a bed, though that wouldn’t happen until they reached Stonehaven.
Downstairs, the inn was coming to life. Maids were moving about and the kitchen staff were hard at work. The smell of fresh baking bread wafting up and infiltrating his senses. His stomach growled, but he ignored it.
They really needed to get on the road as soon as possible this morn. The events of the day before had put them behind schedule. He pushed off the door and went in search of theinnkeeper. There would be no time to break their fast in the dining room today. Instead, he would pay the innkeeper to have his cook prepare them a basket to take on their way.
“Ah, good morn, my lord. I hope the room was to your satisfaction.”
“’Twas, thank ye. Could I trouble ye to prepare us a meal for the road? We must be getting on our way.”
“Och, so soon,” a voice drawled from behind him. “I was hoping we could get to ken each other better today.” Rosalie sidled over to him, and he stiffened.
“Ah, I see ye’ve met my daughter,” the innkeeper said, and Malcolm choked down a snarky reply.
Damn. That was unexpected.
“We met last eve, Papa.”
“Well, I hope ye werena any trouble. Run along and ask Cook to put something together so that the earl and his wards can break their fast as they travel.”
Irritation reddened her face, but she spun and left toward the kitchen. Malcolm had a feeling she didn’t like being ordered about. He also had the feeling her father had no idea his daughter was soliciting his guests.
