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Thank goodness the coach was so dark. One large jostle and the hat would certainly slip from his grasp, revealing his presence to the gentlemen.

Despite the darkness, she could still see his chest rising and falling as he drew deep breaths. He was asleep, then.

The knowledge instantly soothed her concerns. Mr. Steele felt nothing for her. He’d done his best to inform her of such at the assembly. But now that he slept, Marianne could finally be at ease, for Mr. Steele would be entirely unaware of just how greatly she enjoyed their proximity.

With a slow sigh, her shoulders fell, and her head sank into his shoulder as if it were a feather pillow. The coach continued to jostle back and forth, seeming to hit every hole in the road, but Marianne hardly cared. With each bounce, her cloak slipped to reveal more of her face, but instead of pulling the hood closer around her, she nuzzled deeper into Mr. Steele’s arm, burying her face in the folds of his jacket.

She may as well take advantage of the opportunity she had to memorize his scent. It would certainly be the only time she’d ever be able to.

Despite that discouraging thought, she soon drifted off to sleep, and the smell of musky cologne and carved mahogany filled her senses.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Edward could not sleep. He lay with his head back against the coach wall, bouncing uncomfortably against it with each hole in the road the coach did not miss, which he was fairly certain was all of them.

But that wasn’t what pained him. It was his heart pounding against his chest, squeezing tightly and twisting around to the point that he felt like a dry rag being rung of water that was not there.

Miss Coventry’s head against his shoulder would be the death of him. At least she’d managed to fall asleep. There was no other explanation for how she continued to nuzzle against his arm.

He could not believe his own resolve, for he wished to do nothing more than to wrap her in his embrace, not to protect her, but simply to hold her, to pretend that this remarkable woman was really his wife.

Another bounce of the stagecoach, and Miss Coventry brought her hand up to rest in the crook of his arm, her fingers encircling it.

His eyes flew wide open, and he stared at the blackness that was the inside of his hat.

He’d lost his senses at the ball, allowing himself to get wrapped up in the woman’s beauty and her vivacity for life. Thank goodness the older couple had shocked him back to reality, reminding him that he could never love Miss Coventry—no matter how naturally it came. He could not afford to.

Finally, after what seemed an eternity, the stagecoach pulled to a stop before the Blue Boar. He waited for the two gentlemen to unload and make for the inn before Edward even stirred.

He shifted against his seat, but Miss Coventry didn’t budge. How he longed to keep her there.

He moved again, but still she did not move.

Hesitating, he hovered his hand above her own for a moment before rubbing his thumb against the back of her glove. She sighed, leaning closer against his arm.

He ground his teeth together, his aching heart unable to take her sweet caress any longer. This woman was destroying him, one soft touch at a time.

“Miss Coventry,” he whispered.

“Hmm?”

“We’re in Ashwick.”

“Hmm.”

He smiled despite himself. The poor woman must be exhausted.

He rubbed his hand against the back of hers again until she stiffened, leaning up with rounded eyes.

“Forgive me,” she mumbled. “I did not realize I’d fallen asleep.” She roused Jane next without awaiting a response, then the three of them exited the carriage, ducking their heads and averting their eyes, though the street was veritably empty at more than an hour past midnight.

“I will see you both home,” Edward offered, and he was met with very little protest as Miss Coventry and Jane stared down the darkened street with a wary eye.

They opted out of using lanterns from the inn, for fear of alerting anyone to their presence as they continued on foot. Edward knew the way to Daffley Park by heart now, though the moon lit their pathway just enough for the three of them to travel safely side-by-side.

The walk was accomplished in silence, Miss Coventry and Jane no doubt half asleep as they traversed the darkened ground. By the time Daffley’s lights shone in the distance, Edward was fairly certain he had been walking in his sleep, too.

They paused beside a few oversized hedges near the house, close enough to see the door but far enough away for them to remain unseen.