Dukes and Indiscretions by Wendy Soliman

Author:Wendy Soliman [Soliman, Wendy]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Published: 2019-08-05T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

Georgia drifted in and out of the most compelling of dreams. She had suffered some sort of accident and hurt everywhere. Yet she had felt no pain when Ellery swept her up in his strong arms and carried her back to his house. That was the thing about dreams; they were so very personal. Tailor made like a bespoke gown, and no one else got to share in the ramblings of her subconscious.

She felt safe with her head resting on the shoulder of this mystical Ellery. It felt so realistic that she could inhale his unique aroma and even feel the muscles in his chest flexing as he strode along with her in his arms, whispering endearments. This fantasy, the product of her over-active imagination, made it feel as though the weight of her responsibilities had been temporarily lifted from her shoulders. This particular dream of Ellery was a more effective means of escapism than the most compelling fiction. She clung to him, his solidity so reassuring and realistic that it felt…well, real.

And she didn’t want ever to wake up.

But a sharp, persistent throbbing behind her forehead forced her to open her eyes. She struggled to sit up and the world span. A kindly voice belonging to a woman who sounded vaguely familiar told her to have a care as a hand eased her into a sitting position.

‘Mrs Yates?’ Georgia blinked the sleep from her eyes, unwilling to part with her dream, and taking a moment to assess her surroundings. She was fairly sure that she was in the morning room at Bentham Hall, but how had she got there? And why was she lying down? She found it hard to string together any coherent thoughts. ‘What happened?’ she shook her head and winced as renewed pain shot through it. ‘I don’t remember. I…’

‘Hush, love, you had a fall from your horse. His grace carried you back here.’

A fall. Sienna being spooked. It came back to her in dribs and drabs. More to the point, she had not imagined being in Ellery’s arms. Ye gods!

‘Yes,’ she said slowly, mortified because she recalled clinging to Ellery. She thought she had spoken too and was terrified that she might have blurted out something that would embarrass them both. ‘I remember.’

Mrs Yates felt Georgia’s forehead, tutted and then rang the bell. She told the girl who answered it to bring tea.

‘Everything seems better after a cup of tea,’ she said.

Georgia wanted to return to her dream. She felt cheated out of its last act, even though she knew very well how it would end. How her dreams featuring Ellery always ended. He would turn his back and walk away from her, just like before. The dream had already faded and there would be no getting it back. This was reality, and the reality was that her throat was parched. Tea would not be unwelcome. She hurt all over, especially her head.

And her broken heart, as always.

The tea was delivered promptly. Mrs Yates plumped up the cushions behind Georgia’s back and helped her to sit more comfortably.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.