What the Hart Wants by Royal Emily

Author:Royal, Emily
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Historical
Publisher: Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2020-09-28T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

An owl screeched outside, and Lilah sat upright, heart pounding.

Voices chattered in the distance—servants clearing up after dinner and laying the fires in preparation for the morning. How was it that the men and women who tended to the rich retired much later than the people they served and were obliged to rise earlier?

She wiggled her toes, which had grown numb with cold. The owl screeched again, and she slipped out of bed. A shaft of moonlight streamed through the window, and she crossed the floor to look outside.

The moon sat directly above the mountain, illuminating the jagged peaks and the patches of snow. In the peace of the night, she could watch the mountain unobserved. Tall and silent, it guarded the land like a sentinel or a pagan god of old. Perhaps it was from the mountains where the people of this land drew their strength.

Footsteps approached. Someone was outside.

She crossed the floor and pulled the door open.

He stood before her, his large frame filling the doorway. A candle flickered in his hand, illuminating his face, which bore a frown of concern.

“Is there anything wrong?” she asked.

“I came to see if you were all right,” he said. “You seemed out of sorts tonight. Was the meal not to your taste?”

“It was delicious.”

“The company, perhaps?”

She looked away.

“You must forgive Jennifer,” he said. “We grew up together, and she expects me to offer for her.”

“And will you?”

“No.”

“Does she know you intend never to marry?”

He shook his head.

“You should tell her,” she said. “It’s not fair to let a woman believe you feel something that you don’t. It’s dishonest.”

“That’s why I admire you, Miss Hart,” he said. “Jennifer displayed such incivility, yet you champion her cause and admonish me for my lack of honesty.”

Her mind wandered to the article she’d just finished.

“I’m not honest,” she said. “You don’t know me.”

“I know you better than you think, lass,” he said. “From the moment we met, I knew you were different. Other women bend back and forth, weaving themselves around the people they seek to manipulate to gain what they want. Like water, they follow the easy path. But you…” He sighed, his chest rising and falling in a shuddering motion as if he struggled to contain himself. “You’re like the mountain. Straight and true, you never deviate from your path, no matter the temptation.”

Guilt pricked at her conscience, and she spoke harshly to conceal it. “You came to my chamber, risking my reputation, to tell me that?”

“I’m here out of genuine concern for your welfare,” he said.

“I’m well, as you see.”

“Why are you awake?” he asked. “Is there anything you need?”

“No,” she said. “I have been admiring the view from my window. The mountain is so beautiful. Will you take me there tomorrow?”

He smiled. “I promised, didn’t I? I agreed to show you pleasure five times to complete your education, and I have only done so once. You have four more.”

She reached up and touched his face, unable to fight the need to feel his skin against hers.

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