If only she had taken Andrew’s words more seriously the day before last, instead of merely believing he was behaving sullenly.She should have realized that the London season was dull for a boy without friends his own age.She should have tried harder to find him some friends.Or avoided the entire season altogether.She wished she had put his needs first over the expectations of being a duchess and a member of theton.
There was a slight knock at the door, and then it opened.Sunny strode slowly into the room, his exhaustion apparent in every step.
With energy she didn’t know that she had, Mantheria sprang to her feet and ran to meet him.This time, she wisely kept her hands to herself so as not to embarrass herself or him.Still, her heart beat irregularly at the sight of him.“What news of Andrew?Were you able to speak with anyone who has seen him?”
Sunny slowly nodded his head.“Andrew, or at least a lad traveling alone that matched his description, arrived on the first stagecoach this morning, around eleven o’clock.He did get off the stagecoach and was last seen in the company of a young couple named Mr.and Mrs.Norton.They did not stay at the George but spoke of finding more affordable accommodations.The hostlers have agreed to go to every inn and hotel in Bath to see if a Mr.and Mrs.Norton are registered there.I am hopeful that we may locate Andrew in the next couple of hours.”
Mantheria reached to touch Sunny, but then she let her hand fall back to her side.“Thank you, my friend.”
“With your permission, I will bathe and change my clothes and try to make myself a bit more presentable for when we meet Mr.and Mrs.Norton.”
“Or course.”
Sunny gave her a slight smile before going through a door that probably led to his own room and his waiting bath.
8
Sunny exhaled and felt the hot steam roll over his face.Ironically, if anything, he needed to cool down.Mantheria had embraced him.Held him as if her world depended upon him and him alone.And his blasted honor hadn’t allowed him to do anything else but to extricate himself because they were in the taproom of a hotel.Besides, she was right.Hehadsmelled of horse, and in all of his fantasies of them finally holding each other, his scent was always very good.Still, she had run to him like he was her rescuer, which was a far sight better than his failures from yesterday when she had been forced to rescue him.
In the twelve years since she’d been married, Sunny had danced with Mantheria countless times.They’d even waltzed, but there had always been a little space between them.In more ways than one.He knew that Mantheria would never break her marriage vows, even while separated.She’d always kept a little bit of herself back behind the façade of the proper duchess.But not today.The wall that separated her emotions from the rest of the world was gone.He saw her naked vulnerability and fear for her son.
Mantheria was no longer an island.
She’d been willing to ask for his help, and how badly he wished to provide it.To prove to her that he was someone she could turn to in a crisis.
Washing himself, he was grateful for the young man who had been able to spruce up his clothing and iron his borrowed shirt.No one would mistake him for a dandy, but they wouldn’t think he was a country provincial either.The male servant also brought his dinner to his room.Sunny felt ravenous, and he did not trust his table manners in front of Mantheria.He devoured both the chicken and the cold ham and nearly a half loaf of bread.He washed the meal down with a jug of ale.
Once his belly was full and his body clean, he felt up to facing Mantheria.He lifted his hand to knock on the door that led to their shared yellow parlor but decided against it.Instead, he turned the knob and found her in the same position as before, sitting on the rug next to the fire.Her yellow hair was still down, and he could see that it was a little damp.Mantheria’s face turned to look at him, and he would have sworn that she didn’t look a day older than sixteen.She moved to get up, but he held up one hand.“Oh no.If you’re comfortable, I wouldn’t wish for you to move.”
She rocked back and forth with her knees tucked against her chest.“I am merely trying to get my hair to dry.It takes a long time.I shouldn’t have washed it—but it smelled of cabbage, too.”
Despite his sore muscles, Sunny took a seat on the floor next to her.“Your hair takes a long time to dry because there is so much of it.”
Smiling, she bumped her shoulder against his and then placed a hand over her mouth.“Oh, I am sorry.I wasn’t thinking.”
“It’s the other shoulder that was injured, and you never need to apologize for touching me.”
Folding her arms, she sniffed, and her nostrils flared.“You treated me like a plague victim earlier today.I did not mean to make a public scene; I was merely seeking comfort from a friend.”
Friend.
How he had learned to hate that word.It was so limiting when he wanted to be so much more to Mantheria: her lover, her confidant, her partner, her companion, her everything.
“We are no longer in the taproom,” Sunny whispered, although they were alone.“I can hold you now.”
Mantheria did not say anything for several moments, and all Sunny could hear was the sound of his own heart beating.Had he said the wrong thing?She was easily spooked like an unbroken horse.Without a word, she got to her feet and then looked down at him expectantly.Sunny scrambled to his own feet, and he hadn’t even gotten his balance before she had thrown herself into his arms.Mantheria was a tall woman, and her head fit perfectly underneath his chin.He could feel her palms pressed tightly against his back as if she were holding on to him for dear life.His own hands were on her shoulders, but he couldn’t resist allowing them to wander freely across her back.He could feel both her strength and her feminine sinews.
She made a little moan and then rubbed her cheek against his coat as if she was trying to burrow inside of him.He loved feeling her body against his.But what he enjoyed the most was how relaxed her body was pressed against his.There was a stiff elegance to her dancing that was intoxicating, but nothing like this.
He truly believed that he would be happy simply holding her forever.
A loud knock on the door caused them to part.Sunny wanted to snatch her back against him.
Mantheria cleared her throat.“You may enter.”
Mr.Edwards came in.He bowed lowly to Sunny, always giving precedence to men.“Your Grace, one of the lads found where the Nortons are staying.It’s a little inn on the other side of town called the Pelican.It’s not the finest, but it’s respectable.I have a carriage waiting outside to take you there now.”
“Very good,” Sunny said, bowing his head.“Your help is truly appreciated.Her Grace and I will leave at once.”