Page 34 of Mending the Baron's Sins
One of her eyebrows twitched, as if she was daring him to match her strength in a wrestling match.
“Don’t tempt me, Orla,” he warned her, turning his eyes back down to the page as she poured out the herbal tea.
“I never tempt you,” she whispered.
“Hmm.” He said nothing more. It was dangerous to talk of Orla and temptation. What if she mentioned the night, she had seen what she had done to him? They had purposefully never spoken of that night, not once.
“What is it you are doing?” She moved around the desk to peer over his shoulder. “What are all these things?”
“Papers relating to the business. It’s an upsetting read. I’d rather be reading something like Shakespeare instead. Something infinitely more entertaining.” He tried to stifle his yawn as hetook the teacup from her, their fingers brushing together on the cup. He looked away fast, as did she.
To his surprise, she didn’t leave the room straight away. She moved to a nearby shelf, stacked full of Shakespeare, and pulled out one of the comedies.
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”She toyed with it in her hand and moved toward his desk, where he sat back, looking at her, though at all times being careful to keep his lower half hidden beneath the desk. She opened the cover and turned to the first page.
“Now, fair Hopplyta, our nuptial hour,
Draws an apace. Four happy days bring in
Another moon. But, O, methinks how slow
This old moon wanes!” Orla declared, reading with such enthusiasm that he watched her, a smile playing on his lips.
“She linger my desires
Like to a stepdame or a dowager
Long withering out a young man’s revenue.”
She broke off, turning the page.
“You can continue,” he broke in suddenly. “You have a pleasant voice to listen to.”
“What a compliment.” She giggled. “When I first entered this house, I quite thought you’d despair of my company and presence. Aye, what a grand entrance I made! The woman you thought incapable of being a healer.”
“By all means, belittle me for the thought,” he said encouragingly. “I am very happy to be proven wrong, believe me.” He had no desire to see her leave the room, so he nodded at her, encouraging her to read more.
“I confess, I do not know what these opening lines mean from Theseus. What is he trying to say to his love?” She drew a finger down the page as she spoke.
“Ah, I should not speak of it.”
“Why not?”
“Because he is speaking of desire, Orla.” At his words, she blinked and stood straight. She seemed to remember just how close she stood to his seat and took a step away. His gut stirred,and he sank lower in the chair. “He’s saying he cannot wait for the four nights before their marriage to pass, so that night may fall, and with the light of the moon… he will take her.”
“Oh.” She appeared to tremble in front of him, but she did not look away, neither did she walk away.
No, Orla. Do not look at me like that.
He was desperate to show her everything in that meaning, to introduce her to full desire, but she cleared her throat, put down the book and looked at the papers on the desk instead, showing that the conversation was at an end.
“So, instead of reading something you enjoy, you are reading all this instead? What does all this tell you?”
“It tells me that the foul conditions in which we are keeping our workers,” he said in full honesty. He reached for a particular file, drawing it forward. “Orla, which factory does your brother work in?”
“Thomas? Oh.” She sank down, perching on the edge of the bureau. Having her so near again was hardly helpfully when he was trying to keep his mind on business matters.
“Look at this.” He pointed to a list of cotton mills and factories on the page. “These are all the accidents these places have had in this last year alone. Where is your brother?”
