And then laughed at the absurdity of it all.
Which turned out to be something he should not have done because her face took on an expression of offence.
“Why are you laughing at me, you brute?”
He chuckled, waving her away dismissively. “I’m just amused by how ridiculous you are. Get back into the carriage and mind your own concerns.”
She folded her arms defiantly as she stepped closer, looking up at him with disdain.
“What makes you think you can give me orders? I do not know who you are, nor do I care for your sense of self-importance, so please know that it has no place here. If you think I am going to bend my will to someone so clearly irresponsible and fiendish, you are gravely mistaken.”
“Watch your mouth, woman,” Silas warned again, his attention caught by the decreasing distance between them. “Your disrespect can only go so far before it brings about severe consequences.”
She was committed to irritating him because she only pointed at him and snapped.
“You should leave. Go back to wherever it is you’re coming from and leave me be. Perhaps there is someone there who cares for your haughty, rude, nasty attitude –”
Silas could not quite understand what had come over him in the next moment. He was just suddenly… filled with the urge to make her cease her talking and somehow managed to smack away the hand that had been pointed at him and reached for her.
It wasn’t until he felt her pressed against him, with her lips quivering beneath his, that he realized what he had done.
He pulled away as though he had been burned, rendered slightly lightheaded by the scent of her perfume and the horror of his actions.
“I – I’m so, so sorry. I shouldn’t – I do not know what came over me. I apologize; that was improper of me,” he hastily said, stepping away from her, needing some distance between them to allow him to breathe. “I am betrothed to be wed soon, and my actions now have gone against my beliefs – but please know it was not intentional.”
She was oddly silent, a stark contrast from how her sharp tongue lashed at him without relenting earlier. She avoided his gaze and shuffled backwards, clearly also in need of some space as she muttered,
“I understand, and – I am sorry too. It wasn’t – you are not solely to blame. I should not have said such words to you. It was rude of me.”
Embarrassment clung to Agnes’ insides so tightly she felt she would die, and she hoped things would not worsen, suddenly overcome by the weight of exhaustion. Silas studied her for a moment and then glanced at the carriage behind her, inhaling deeply and praying that he would not regret what he was about to do as his lips parted,
“My home is not too far from here. If you wish, you could return with me – just to dry off. As soon as the rain stops, I’ll send my footmen over to help you with the carriage.”
It was a gracious offer – one that was definitely unexpected, but Agnes was thankful regardless. For some reason, her godmother had still not returned, and she had attempted to resolve the issue herself, which led to this strange and frustrating interaction. If one good thing could come out of it, she was willing to accept it.
“That would be wonderful, thank you,” she said, willing away the rest of her hostility towards him.
He nodded and gently tugged his horse forward, reluctantly offering his hand to help her mount. She shook her head andgrabbed at the horn of the saddle, surprising him completely by climbing onto Scar’s back with practiced ease.
“Well?” she asked as he just stared up at her, unmoving.
He blinked, cleared his throat, and mounted his horse, settling behind her, realizing too late that this endeavor meant they would be in close proximity throughout the ride to his mansion. He tried to ignore it, but he had to hold the reins and lead Scar home, which inevitably meant his arms would have to come around her.
It took more willpower than he knew; he had to keep his focus on leading Scar back carefully beneath the rain, but his mind kept wandering, noticing things he wished he did not like the warmth of her body seeping through his wet clothes, how she shivered at every slight gust of wind and the fact that she was rather tall for a woman – something he had not paid attention to while they fought but could not ignore now.
He was still well above her, but she was close, close enough that he could settle his chin against her shoulder, and it would not strain him to do so at all –
Startled, he gripped onto the reins and brought Scar to a stop. She made a noise of confusion, craning her neck to look back at him, and he tried to dismiss all the strange thoughts this woman seemed to be conjuring into his mind.
“Is everything all right?” she asked in concern.
“Yes –” Silas cleared his throat, urging his horse forward. “Yes, I was merely distracted for a moment.”
She pursed her lips and turned her face away, shifting her attention to the field before them, in the middle of which stood a magnificent mansion. Agnes gasped in awe, unable to keep herself from asking,
“That – is that your house?”
“Yes,” he replied simply.