Good Duke Gone Wild by Bethany Bennett

Author:Bethany Bennett [BENNETT, BETHANY]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Published: 2024-08-28T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

A harried maid scurried past Dorian at the top of the inn’s stairs. “Mother Nature is all in a tizzy, isn’t she?” She didn’t pause for a response before continuing down the hall with two pails of water that sent up curls of steam in the cool air.

His staff were relieved to be off the roads. Jim, the young groom, had a purple tinge to his lips, and Gibson, the coachman, was soaked through. People and carriages clogged the stable yard as more travelers left the road due to the weather. Based on the number of people claiming spots on the tavern floor and the harried expression on the innkeeper’s face as Dorian slipped up the stairs, everyone was damn near stranded at this point.

If one had to be stuck in a slightly dodgy inn hours from London, there was no one better to share a bed with than the delectable Caro Danvers.

The woman was a marvel, and they hadn’t even fully enjoyed one another yet.

Rage on, Mother Nature, he thought. Knocking twice as she’d directed, he tried not to fidget as he waited for her to open the door. Then, there she was—wet, bedraggled, and somehow still so striking the sight of her made his chest ache. Stepping inside, he locked the door and surveyed their bedchamber.

“I think this will do nicely.” Caro’s statement held a note of challenge. It only took her three paces to reach the fireplace on the far wall, but her look threatened another pointed lecture on pampered gentlemen should he complain about the spartan accommodations.

Dorian removed his hat and set it beside the chipped washing ewer. There weren’t many other options, especially since they’d need to dry all their things the best they could in a small space. “It’s perfect. Thank you for letting me stay.”

She shot him a smile, then knelt and added a log to the fire from the tidy stack beside the hearth.

He’d slept in worse places on the Continent. Of course, these bed linens might be damp or scattered with mouse droppings. Yet Caro seemed content, and that was something else he respected about her.

Calling the room snug would be generous. A bed barely wide enough to sleep two took up one wall. The opposite wall had a table with the ewer and a basin for washing. The mirror above the table reflected directly across the room to the bed, which inspired wicked ideas. Before the fireplace were two wood chairs and a table no larger than a chessboard. The room was bare of anything beyond the essentials. At least they wouldn’t have to worry about their wet clothes soaking a rug.

“Traveling with you on the Continent during the war would have been downright enjoyable, I think.” He’d so often felt guilty for being grateful Juliet hadn’t been present to criticize the accommodations in the various camps. Such a strange thing to want someone there while being simultaneously relieved to not bear the burden of her complaints over the rustic conditions.

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.