In the Shadow of Arabella by Menzel Lois

Author:Menzel, Lois [Menzel, Lois]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Romance
ISBN: 9781610847131
Publisher: Belgrave House/Regency Reads
Published: 2012-10-28T17:00:00+00:00

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Chapter 14

Katherine awoke with a start. The candle at her bedside was guttering, and she realized she had fallen asleep. She rose from her bed to extinguish the other candles in the room and saw that the clock on the mantel showed a quarter to midnight. She must have been more tired by the day’s drive than she suspected.

Thinking of Lord Gilborough’s lovely horses, she suddenly remembered the note he had given her for Ned. She had forgotten to give it to him. She took it from her reticule on the dressing table, wondering what best to do with it. “I will give it to him first thing in the morning,” she told herself aloud. Then she reconsidered. “But Lord Gilborough did ask me to give it to him tonight.”

She turned decisively toward the communicating door, thinking that her husband might still be awake. She passed through the dressing room connecting Rudley’s bedchamber with her own and saw light showing beneath his door. She knocked quietly, and when there was no reply, she knocked more loudly. Still there was no answer. Turning the handle, she found the door unlocked. She entered the room to find several candles lit and the fire still burning. There was, however, no sign of the earl. The bed had not been disturbed, and it was quite obvious that he was not in the room.

Katherine looked about with interest, for she had never been in the room before. She stepped inside, moving toward the warmth of the fire. The bank of windows to her right was shrouded by crimson velvet. Directly before them sat an ornate low-profile writing desk. Clearly her husband enjoyed a view of the lake while occupied with his correspondence. Against the far wall a massive bed, also hung in crimson, displayed an intricately embroidered counterpane. Several framed paintings, indistinguishable in the shadows, adorned the dark-paneled walls. Katherine’s feet sank into a plush Axminster carpet worked in an intricate floral pattern of blues and reds. Even as she was appreciating the softness of the carpet and realizing she had come away without her slippers, the hallway door opened and Rudley entered.

“Katherine!” His voice exhibited pleased surprise when he saw her standing there. “Did you want me? I decided I wanted some brandy and did not care to drag Wiggin from his bed, so I went to fetch some from the library.”

She held out the note to him. “This is for you. Lord Gilborough entrusted it to me this afternoon and asked me specifically to give it to you tonight, but I had forgotten it until now. I am glad I found you still awake.”

He seemed to notice how lightly she was clad, for he stepped to the bed where a loose quilt lay and carried it to a small couch set near the fire.

“Sit here, Katherine, and wrap yourself in this.” She traded him the note for the quilt and sat down as he suggested. She watched as he crossed to the candles on his desk, broke the seal, and unfolded the paper.

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