Page 28 of Crash Landing
This was much later than he usually remained abed, so he hastily tossed off his covers, donned the banyan that his valet had placed at the foot of his bed, and marched to the window to peer out onto a gray, dreary day.
A steady rain was falling and began to pour down in buckets as he watched, so he saw nothing of his usually splendid view, only these sheets of water.
“Doesn’t look like it will end soon,” Reed remarked.
Trajan nodded. This storm would likely last all day. Once the rain slowed to a drizzle, the mix of moisture and heat would leave his grounds blanketed in fog. It would take a strong wind to clear the clouds and dampness from the air any time soon.
This foul weather might rein in Florence’s desire to snoop, he realized.
However, it would also interfere with his ability to follow that lurker’s trail. No point in putting his dogs on the scent now. Thedownpour would have soaked into the soil and washed away all trace of that man by now.
“Shall I order your bath brought up, Your Grace?”
“Do you know if Lady Florence or her aunt are awake yet, Reed?”
“Miss Hermia has not stirred yet, Your Grace. But I believe Miss Florence has just gone downstairs.”
“Blast. Never mind the bath. No time for it. Set out my shaving gear and my clothes, nothing fashionable. Good work clothes will do.” He tossed off the banyan and poured water from his ewer into the basin. Soap and a wet washcloth would serve just as well to scrub his body clean. He slopped water about while hastily washing his hair, but Reed was ever efficient at mopping it up as the droplets fell.
He allowed Reed to shave him because he was already fretting about Florence being left on her own, and was going to carve his chin up if he rushed through the ritual to get himself downstairs faster.
It felt like an eternity but could not have been more than ten or fifteen minutes before he was groomed, dressed, and ready to join Florence at the breakfast table.
He left his valet to his tidying, and tore down the hall.
Perhaps he was worrying too much about Florence. What could she do in this inclement weather?
Still, she was a determined force of nature and he would not put it past her to leave the comfort of his home in order to spy on Frampton again.
He leaped down the stairs and raced past Timmons, who was dutifully at his post by the front door. “Morning,” Trajan called to his butler, and hurried into the dining room.
Florence looked up from the cup of tea she was about to put to her lips, and immediately set it down. “Is something wrong?”
“No. Why? Good morning, Florence,” he said, his manner casual although he felt as though he’d just run three miles over enemy terrain. “Did you sleep well?”
She smiled at him. “Yes, and you?”
Gad, how did such a little troublemaker manage to look so sweet and pretty in the morning? Vulnerable, too. He wanted to wrap her in his arms and assure her all would work out, that he’d keep her safe.
But he knew better than to think she was in any way frail and in need of his protection.
Well, shedidneed protecting, but mostly from herself because of her stubborn refusal to acknowledge the danger and keep away from Frampton.
She sighed. “Did you stay awake all night thinking up ways to keep me safe?”
“I might have done.” He went to the buffet and poured himself a cup of coffee before taking a seat at the table beside her. He noticed her plate was clean and empty. “Were you waiting for me to come down before having your breakfast?”
She nodded. “Yes, I thought it would be rude to start without you. Besides, I wasn’t very hungry. Yesterday’s adventures were a little upsetting.”
He laughed. “Only a little?”
“All right, a lot upsetting. But you needn’t worry about me. I—”
He growled softly.
Gad, when had he ever growled at a woman? But Florence was already infuriating him, and she hadn’t done anything other than smile at him.
“Trajan,” she said with a slight purse of her lips that now had him fixing his gaze on them and wishing to kiss her, “I am not going to go off and climb trees in this downpour. I cannot even pretend to bird-watch, since you tossed my binoculars into the undergrowth and Frampton now has them. Nor will I ask to borrow yours, since you are going to hit the ceiling and put a hole straight through it if I ever dare ask.”
