Page 61 of Marrying a Reluctant Lady
Ophelia held his hand. He squeezed her fingers gently.
“I’m so glad you’re safe,” he murmured.
Ophelia smiled; eyes open. “Me, too,” she said softly. “Or Iwould never have got to tell you.”
“Me, neither.”
She chuckled and he grinned.
They sat silently for a moment. Ophelia felt herself start to drift off to sleep. Owen was holding her hand, his fingers tight on hers, a pressure that made her feel safe. She heard the door open and guessed the butler was putting wood in the fireplace, and her mind drifted back to thoughts of fire and burning. She tightened her hand on Owen’s. He stroked her cheek.
“It’s all right, sweetling,” he said gently. “It’s all well.”
The door shut and there was silence. She lay holding Owen’s hand. He gently wrapped her in a blanket, and she slowly stopped feeling cold. Her lungs still hurt, and she still felt tired and had a headache, but she felt much better with Owen sitting holding her hand.
Her mind drifted and she fell back to sleep.
The next morning, the sunlight was pouring through the window when she opened her eyes. She stretched and yawned and looked around, feeling afraid for a moment. She looked around. The room was quite large, the wallpaper white and the curtains green brocade. The bedcover was green too, closer to sage than to pine like curtains, and a fire crackled in the grate. She made herself look at it, willing herself not to be afraid.
It’s going to be a while until I am no longer afraid.
She took a deep breath. That experience had been truly terrifying.
She slipped out of bed and looked around. She had no clothing with her except for the dress she had slept in, the blue one. It stank of smoke. She longed to take it off.
She looked around the room and found a pitcher of water on the nightstand and washed her face in it, thankful to wash off the dirt. It felt better, as though the awful ordeal was a little bit further in the past.
After checking her hair in the looking-glass and trying to arrange it as best she could, she tiptoed out of the room and into the hallway.
A long hallway stretched to her right and she walked slowly, her indoor shoes quiet on the wooden floorboards. She listened, trying to hear whether anyone was having breakfast nearby. She didn’t know the house at all, and she had no idea where the breakfast room might be.
“...and all that matters to me is that we are safe.”
Her heart soared as she heard Owen’s voice. It was two doors ahead of her and she walked swiftly there, her stomach twisting as she realized how hungry she was. The smell of toast wafted towards her, and she walked in and, as she did, she heard Owen call out.
“Ophelia! You’re awake. I didn’t want to disturb your rest.”
“I rested very well. Thank you. Thank you,” she added, glancing at Leonard, who was sitting at the table with Owen. Owen was wearing a new set of clothes, the jacket a bit long for him, and Ophelia guessed he had borrowed Leonard’s clothing for the day.
“My lady, I am honoured to assist you.” Leonard held her gaze firmly. She looked over at Owen, who smiled.
“He won’t let me say a word in thanking him,” he said gently. “Come and sit down, sweetling. Would you like some toast? Or something else?”
Ophelia shook her head, touched by his care. She still felt lightheaded, and her lungs hurt, but the exhaustion had worn off somewhat and she was hungry.
“I would be glad for some toast.”
“Good. Good,” Owen said caringly. She sat down beside him, and he poured her some tea and she smiled at him. In spite of the horror of the previous day, the truths they had shared still touched her. She remembered how gently he had spoken.
“Thank you,” she murmured.
He smiled at her and in that moment, it felt as though they were sitting alone in the breakfast room, her whole world in the green depths of his eyes.
“So,” Leonard said, interrupting the moment. “If you need anything else brought over from the manor, you need only ask. Anything that can be salvaged can be stored here, until you can repair the house.”
“I appreciate it, Leonard, truly I do.” Owen held his gaze.
Ophelia felt her heart twist. The entire house must have burned down. She remembered very little after losing consciousness—only the moment when she had woken with his arms around her, and he had told her the truth of his heart and she had done the same.
