Chapter 24
Just when Thomas thought that the coast might be clear, he found himself once more trapped. Having spent most of the midday in the library with a book in hand, he finally left the safety of the musky room when he believed everyone was likely resting before dinner, heading for his own room to do the same.
He very nearly made it. Only the thudding of footsteps behind him stopped him from slipping straight into his room. He could sense eyes on his back and for one foolish moment, he imagined that Miss Skeffington might have come around to speaking to him again.
Hopeful, he turned. Bile rose in the back of his throat the moment he laid eyes upon Miss Hyatt.Blast it!
“Lord Warrington,” she greeted him sweetly, curtseying before straightening up and clasping her hands before her with her head still bowed. “How fortunate that we find out rooms close together.”
Thomas’ stomach twisted when Miss Hyatt gestured to the door only two away from his own.If that is your room, then where were you just coming from?Thomas wondered though he did not ask the question because the truth was, he did not really care. If Miss Hyatt was up to no good, then it was no concern of his.
“I am sure it is merely down to coincidence,” Thomas announced firmly, “Lady Kendall was surprised by your visit, and I doubt that the servants had managed to clean the rooms from the previous guests yet.”
“Whatever the reason, it is fortunate.” Miss Hyatt smiled and took a step forward, making Thomas feel more than a little uncomfortable. Months ago, Thomas would likely have reacted very differently to her closeness, he might have even acted upon quite different urges and dragged her into the room behind him.
Yet now, all he could think about was how he wanted to be as far away from her as possible. The expectant, affectionate glint in her brown gaze made him feel nauseous.
“Miss Hyatt, I believe we may need to get something straight,” Thomas said, seeing that he had no other choice. He’d had enough of avoiding Miss Hyatt all afternoon. He could hear the rain pounding on the roof, showing no signs of stopping, and he knew that it was likely to continue for quite some time. Even afterwards, they might well be stuck until everywhere began to dry out.Better to get this over with,he thought.
“Maybe we could discuss whatever it is inside?” Miss Hyatt asked, her gaze dancing with seduction and she closed the distance between them, placing the palms of her hands against his chest. Thomas glanced quickly this way and that to be sure that nobody was watching. Listening carefully for footsteps, he gripped Miss Hyatt’s wrists and gently urged her backward.
“Here is perfectly fine, Miss Hyatt,” he told her firmly, keeping his tone as neutral as possible, speaking clearly yet quietly. He could only hope that the walls were thick enough.
Miss Hyatt looked crestfallen. Stepping back, she lowered her hands, yanking them free of his grip. “What has changed, Lord Warrington?” she demanded, her voice a hiss of disgust. “We got on so well when last we met.”
Thomas cringed, nodding agreement. “We did. Though that time has long since passed.”
“What are you saying?” Miss Hyatt grumbled. She eyed him darkly, one brow raised with suspicion. Her lips pursed, clearly forcing herself not to say more.
“What happened between us back then will not happen here,” Thomas insisted, hoping to let her down easily. He was not sure he could bring himself to spell it out for her entirely. “I have no wish to reignite things, Miss Hyatt.”
Miss Hyatt’s expression remained grim. She appeared to take in his words. Straightening her spine, she looked him dead in the eye, her expression never changing. When it finally did, Thomas was sickened by the way she smiled sweetly. “I am sure that when we return home, all will be well.”
Though Thomas was well aware that he and Miss Hyatt’s family lived in close proximity, he could not help but feel as though she was not talking about their relative homes but rather his alone, as if she intended for their relationship to be far more serious than it ever had been.
“Miss Hyatt, I am not sure that you have understood my meaning,” Thomas hastily began. Before he could continue, Miss Hyatt closed the space between them and pressed her index finger against his lips.
She hushed him gently with a smile and said, “You are right to wish to be respectful beneath your friend’s roof. We have all the time in the world to pick up where we left off once we return home to normalcy.”
With that, she pushed up onto her tiptoes. Thomas’ cheek turned to ice the moment her lips touched his flesh. The door against his back was the only thing that stopped him from stepping away. The smile that Miss Hyatt offered him when she stepped back suggested one thing to Thomas.
She is determined to have me no matter how I act toward her.
It was in that moment that Thomas realised just how dangerous Miss Hyatt was. Whether she truly believed there was affection between them, or she was merely after him for his wealth and title, Thomas could not be sure, but he could be certain that she was not about to give up easily.
“Until then, Lord Warrington,” she purred, dropping into a low and respectful curtsey. Dumbfounded, Thomas could not think of anything to say. Instead, frozen, he watched Miss Hyatt walk away in the direction of her own room just two doors down.