Page 37 of If the Duke Dares
“Rats?” She sounded as though she might not believe him. “How did they get up on your chair-bed?”
“They didn’t. I fell off. Twice. I decided to sleep on the floor. That was, evidently, a rather poor choice.”
“Oh dear, I’m so sorry. And there was more than one?”
“Two,” he said darkly. “So far.”
“There were no rats before tonight?” she asked.
He shook his head. “No.”
“This is now the second prognostication you’ve made that has come to pass. A man assaulted me, and now there are rats.”
Acton’s observation about the Black Ivy being infested with rats came back to him. He moved toward the bed. “I didn’t think that was actually true. I was merely trying to illustrate whatcouldhappen.”
“Since both have now occurred, I must wonder if you somehow had a hand in them.” She met his gaze, and it was all but impossible to even try to discern what she was thinking in the dim dawn light. “To prove your point.”
He let his jaw sag. “You can’t really believe that of me?” Especially the ruffian who’d manhandled her and intended to do worse. Andrats? “What kind of beast do you think I am?” He didn’t try to mask his outrage.
“No, I can’t believe that of you. It’s just awfully coincidental. Please refrain from offering any other ideas as to what could go wrong,” she added wryly.
Acton relaxed, glad that she now seemed to trust him, at least a little. “Happily. I am as distressed as you by what has happened. Which is why I must insist we leave immediately.”
“But it’s the middle of the night. Where would we go?”
“It’s nearly dawn, I think.” Acton went to the window and moved the drape aside to look outside. Indeed, the sun was just breaking over the horizon. “I’ll obtain rooms at the New Inn.”
“Rooms, plural?” she asked.
“Well, a suite of rooms that are connected. I must insist we sleep in the same suite, meaning there is only one way to access the space. I will ensure we have separate chambers to sleep in, or at least separate beds.”
“Before you suggest we masquerade as a married couple to avoid scandal, I prefer we pretend to be siblings. You can be my older brother. Which means we can’t return to the New Inn since they know you as Wellesbourne and me as Mrs. Birdwhistle.”
“Siblings? But we don’t look at all alike.”
“Then we can be half siblings,” she said primly before leaning over the edge of the bed. “I hope there isn’t a rat in my boot.”
Acton hadn’t considered that. The notion of a rat taking shelter in one of his boots was an alarming thought. A raw, almost retching sound came from his throat.
“Are you all right?” Persey asked.
“Fine,” he managed, though he sounded as if someone was squeezing his throat.
“Free of rats,” she announced.
Acton watched, frozen, as she put her boots on. Eventually, he turned his attention to where his boots stood near one of the cushioned chairs. One had fallen over, an open invitation for a rat to make a cozy bed inside.
A moment later, he felt the air move behind him. He swung about, his gaze on the floor where he saw Persey’s boots and the hem of her gown. Lifting his focus to her face, he exhaled.
“You look terrified. Did you see another rat?” she asked.
“No. Not yet.” He flicked a glance toward his toppled boot. Perhaps the rodents had worked together to knock it down to create a haven.
“Are you…afraid of rats?”
“I didn’t think so. But now I must reassess that assumption.”
“Have you even seen rats before?”
