It was truly a sight to behold, looming tall and stunning the closer they got, somehow managing to gleam even beneath the cloudy sky. Finally, they arrived at the front of the mansion, and he quickly disembarked, instinctively reaching out to assist her. This time, she accepted his help, accidentally slipping off the saddle before she had gotten her foot balanced on the stirrup as she reached out to him.
He rushed forward to catch her, managing to keep her from falling as his arms wrapped around her and held her close. She stared down at him silently, a blush staining her cheeks as her fingers tightened their grip on his shoulders.
“You… you can set me down now,” she said softly.
It took Silas a moment to understand what she was saying, and he quickly let her go, stepping back as soon as her feet were firmly on the ground.
“Sorry.” He turned away and walked towards the entrance, leaving her to follow him.
He didn’t expect to see a handful of people gathered around the foyer, much less to be ambushed by his butler, who exhaled deeply with relief.
“Your Grace, thank God you are safe. I – we were very worried when it began to rain, and you did not arrive soon after.” Lukas took a look at Silas’ wet clothes and frowned. “We will run you a hot bath immediately. In the meantime, you should get out of these clothes so you won’t fall ill.”
Silas waved him away, distracted when the woman behind him walked towards another he did not recognize. Agnes sighed thankfully at the sight of her godmother and their staff, who had been sent ahead of them, wondering how they had all ended up in the same place but grateful nonetheless for the stroke of luck.
“Darling! You’re here!” Lady Anna cheered, opening her arms up to embrace Agnes.
Agnes evaded her advances and folded her arms. “No thanks to you. It would seem the Duke’s house was farther than you expected. Thankfully, this man was kind enough to let me wait out the rain, and we can resume our journey afterwards.”
Lady Anna blinked and glanced between Agnes and the man standing behind her.
“Agnes, actually –”
“He also offered to have his footmen assist us with the carriage so we will not be arriving late to the Duke of Forestwood’s abode,” Agnes added, glancing around.
Her footman stepped closer to her, lowering his voice as he leaned in,
“My lady, we are already –”
“Oh!” she clapped her hands together and whirled around to look for her savior. “Perhaps he knows where the Duke lives and can even show us the way. Shall I ask –”
“Lady Agnes!”
Agnes faltered, shifting her gaze to her footman, a little surprised by how loudly he called her name. He appeared to be harboring some level of frustration, evident in the way he sighed and spoke.
“We are already here, my lady. This is the Forestwood mansion.” He stepped aside and gestured at the man she had come with. “And he is the Duke of Forestwood, your husband-to-be.”
Silas had been attempting to ward off Lukas’ efforts to get him to bathe as soon as possible, but when the words of the footman reached his ears, he forgot what he had been about to say, goingstill as he stared at the woman he had brought to his home, unease worming its way beneath his skin for some reason.
“Your Grace, the bath is ready. If you do not go now, the water will –”
“Enough with the bath, Lukas!” he snapped, tearing his gaze from the equally stunned lady to glare at his butler impatiently.
Lukas flinched and stepped back, allowing Silas to think. The situation was less than ideal; it had been from the start, but with any luck, he had not completely compromised his chance to achieve his goal. Quickly, he claimed the attention of his staff and ordered in a loud voice.
“There is a carriage stuck on the main road, and it contains the effects of my future wife. I want them retrieved and returned to the mansion immediately. In the meantime, we will be in the study, going over arrangements for our marriage.”
No one moved, their gaze still fixed on the master of the house and their soon-to-be mistress, trying to understand what had led them to this specific situation rather than the easy, smooth arrival they had expected and even prepared for. Irritation quickly turned to anger, and Silas spoke again, his voice harsh in warning as he barked,
“Have you all gone deaf? I said go and collect her things from the carriage!”
The servants began to scramble around, not wanting to upset the Duke even more, rushing out of the house to do as he asked. Silas walked up to Lady Anna and said,
“Forgive my late reception, Lady Anna. I was unaware that you would arrive this early. Lukas will show you to your room. My grandmother is currently out visiting a sick friend, but she should arrive later.”
Lady Anna grinned, seemingly enjoying the moment, and she waved her hand, bowing slightly to him.
“That is just fine, Your Grace. Thank you for your kind consideration.”