“I promise you, Tilly, that when you leave here, you are going to be a damned sight better off than when you arrived,” he growled in a voice that was suddenly hoarse with emotion.
“I think I will be better off when I leave Tooting Mallow. It’s a horrible place to be.”
Harry chuckled. “You too?”
“You don’t like it here either?”
“I hate it,” he confided wryly.
He thought about the huge mansion that awaited them in Cumbria, and wondered if she had ever been to the county before. Somehow, given her life in service, he doubted it. It was a pleasing to know that he would be the one who would get to show her.
Tilly would have been more than happy to remain wrapped in his arms all night. She was so blessedly warm, and felt safe, protected, and a little bit loved. It was a heady combination that was difficult to break free from. Unfortunately, while her body was warm and relaxed, her toes frozen on the cold, stone floor. When she couldn’t stand the discomfort a moment longer she reluctantly eased back from his hold.
“Trust me, Tilly. I promise I won’t let you down,” he whispered.
She nodded. Their eyes met. Her heart launched into her throat. Her breath held suspended in her chest as she watched his head lower slowly toward hers.
His eyes glinted intently in the candlelight, but she could see nothing except tenderness in his steady gaze. He seemed to be assessing her; looking for something only she had no idea what it was. He must have seen what he wanted to see because, after a brief moment’s pause, he slowly closed the rest of the distance between them.
The first brush of his lips blazed a trail of white hot sensation across her lips that branded her to her very soul. Her soft gasp was immediately captured by the much firmer pressure of his lips as they settled fully upon hers. She immediately leaned against him as though silently asking for more, and he was confident that she wasn’t frightened by what they were sharing. He deepened the kiss as he drew her more firmly into his arms. The feel of her delicate curves against him masculine hardness made him groan, and he allowed himself the brief luxury of being able to kiss her the way he had really wanted to ever since he had seen her on the hall floor of the poor house.
Harry felt his control start to waiver and knew that this was neither the time, nor the place for them to pursue where this kiss would take them. At some point they would, but she had been through too much of an ordeal for him to rush her into any decisions that she wasn’t ready for. Still, his body was painfully hard when he forced himself to lift his head and look down into her limpid gaze. She felt so indescribably right in his arms that he could have remained where they were all night and he would have no regrets. As it was, he didn’t want to scare her by taking things too far, too quickly, and so reluctantly removed his arms and took a step back.
He brushed the back of one knuckle down her petal-soft cheek and smiled gently at her.
“Good night, Tilly,” he whispered.
Tilly stared at him nonplussed. Had she done something wrong? What had happened to bring about such a swift change in him? What had gone wrong?
She opened her mouth to ask him only to close it again with a snap. What could she say? Why did you stop kissing me, and turning my world on its head? Do it again?
He didn’t look angry. His eyes were soft and gentle as he waited for her to leave.
“It’s too soon, darling,” Harry whispered. “One day, we will explore where this will take us. We just can’t at the minute.”
Her eyes grew round and, for a moment she wondered if she had actually voiced her disappointment aloud.
He smiled at her, but didn’t quite know how to explain that he too was disappointed and wanted to carry on. However, he was only one man fighting a rising tide of desire that he wasn’t entirely sure he could control. He had never felt this way before, and it unnerved him greatly.
“I am sorry if I frightened you,” he murmured.
“You didn’t,” she assured him.
Something that had previously been closed off; guarded, and kept hidden, suddenly broke free and began to unfurl deep within her. She hugged the precious feelings the last few moments had created within her, close to heart and turned toward the door with a gentle sigh.
“Good night, Harry” she whispered dreamily.
“Goodnight darling,” he replied.
The huskiness in his tender words replayed over and over in her mind as she quietly made her way back to bed. When she settled down amongst the sheets, she was still smiling, and fell into a contented sleep within seconds.
Harry watched the door close behind her and puffed out a sigh. He actually leaned toward the door to go after her. It felt as though his body was willing him to go and finish what they had started, and it took every ounce of self-control he possessed to remain where he was. It was ridiculous really given that he had known her less than a day, but time didn’t seem all that important with Tilly.
As far as he was concerned now, that kiss had confirmed one fact that was very important to both of them: Tilly belonged with him.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Tilly pegged the last of the sheets onto the washing line and took several steps back so she could study the morning’s work. She sighed in satisfaction at the sight of the long washing line full of crisp white sheets that gleamed in the morning sunshine. It had been a busy morning. She had worked with Zack and, together, they had cleaned and scrubbed the upper floor of the Rectory until it sparkled. The scent of beeswax and lemons hung now in the air throughout the house, along with soap and the delicious aroma of the freshly baked cakes Suzanna had made earlier.
The contentment Harry’s kiss had brought her last night seemed to have remained with her because, when she got up this morning, she was still smiling. What was there about the day not to like? Harry was wonderful. The sun was out and the birds were singing. Harry was charming. The scent of lavender in the pot beside the door teased the air with its heavenly scent. Harry liked her.
She drew in a deep breath and took a moment to savour the ambience of her surroundings. Setting all thoughts of Harry aside for a moment, but only for a moment, she tried to pin-point what had actually made her so happy. Was it purely down to Harry’s kiss? Or was it because it was just so wonderful to be back outside again, and away from the awful building across the valley?
“Penny for them,” Harry murmured quietly, and tugged the washing line down so that he could look over it at her.
“Good morning,” she murmured as she studied his beautiful emerald eyes, which twinkled merrily at her.
“How has everything been here?” he asked as he glanced down the heavily laden washing line.
“Fine. All of the rooms upstairs have been scrubbed and polished now, so are less likely to give you a sneezing fit if you disturb anything. Suzanna has done some baking, and Zack has helped your friend, Barnaby, put the housekeeper’s quarters back together again. He is moving in there apparently, Barnaby, and your other friend, Marcus, is going to use what was the housekeeper’s sitting room as his bedroom. They don’t want to wake anyone as they come and go, apparently,” she added a little ruefully.
Aware that he was still staring at her, she looked at him, and tried not to squirm when he immediately flashed her winning smile.
“How are you, Tilly? You look a little more rested today.” He lowered his voice to an intimate whisper deliberately to see what she would do.
The sound of his husky growl was enough to make her shiver with awareness and she blushed prettily, which made him smile even more. It was lovely to be able to tease her gently and receive such an uninhibited response that was nothing short of pure honesty.
“I feel considerably stronger, thank you. If you want to take a look inside, I am sure that you will be pleased with the changes we have made.” She waved a hand toward the house but he made no attempt to move.
Harry’s lips quirked ruefully and he studied her carefully for a moment. He wanted to remi
nd her that the house wasn’t his, and there really was no job for her to prove her worthiness for. However, from the look of the shadows in her eyes, he suspected that she already knew. Still, if keeping herself busy helped her to cope with her new life then who was he to argue?
“Let’s go and take a look, shall we?” He stood back to allow her into the kitchen first, and bit back a curse at the sudden sensual jolt of awareness that shot through him when her shoulder accidentally brushed his chest as she passed him. He felt as though his body had been slashed with a thousand knives, and almost groaned when his immediately began to respond to her nearness.
Thankfully, he was able to focus his attention on the almost magical transformation that had taken place while he had been gone. The scent of lemons and something that was quintessentially Tilly teased his senses as soon as he stepped through the door and took a good look around.
Everywhere gleamed to a high shine and smelled of lemons, soap and food depending on whichever room you walked into. The rugs had been beaten, the floor swept and scrubbed so thoroughly that Harry almost didn’t want to walk on it for fear of marking it. He was sure that he could eat his dinner off it, if he wanted to.
“Thank you for this. All of you,” he smiled. “Of course this house isn’t mine, but I am sure that Sir Hugo will be grateful for your efforts.”
“What is happening back at the house?” Zack asked with a nod in the direction of the poor house. They all knew where he was referring to, even though he didn’t seem able to bring himself to speak the words themselves.
“Well, the wardens were collected by the jailer’s cart yesterday. They are in Battlington jail where they will wait to be questioned by my boss, Sir Hugo. He is in Cornwall at the moment, dealing with some family business. As soon as he is free, he will be here. The magistrate’s men are working with a few of the residents to keep the poor house secure while we identify how many people are not listed on the registers. Soon though, the people who want to leave will be allowed to go. Those who do not have anywhere else to go will be treated considerably better than they have been, of that I can assure you all.”
Tilly shared a look with Suzanna. She would be very glad never to have to go anywhere near the place ever again, and didn’t even want to see it across the valley. It was a horrifying place to be, to see, and to even know about. It was impossible to conceive of why anyone would even want to build such a horrible establishment and allow people to live there. To some degree, it would be a good day when she could leave it, and Tooting Mallow, far behind.
“What is likely to happen to the wardens?” Suzanna asked with a frown. She hated the thought that Mrs Taylor would be allowed back out onto the streets again, if she was questioned and managed to convince everyone that she was innocent. The thought of crossing that particular woman’s path again, even in public, filled her with dread.
Barnaby read the fear on her face. “Don’t worry, once they have answered the questions, they will be charged with crimes like false imprisonment, and whatever else Sir Hugo can come up with. They will pay for their part in the atrocities that have taken place. As for the governor, he has also been rounded up and charged with neglect of his duties. He too is languishing in jail as we speak because he has received his salary, but has not been doing the job. It’s fraud.”
“None of them are likely to see daylight this side of their court cases,” Harry assured them. “Right now, the Dandridges’ are our primary concern.”
“What’s going to happen to them?” Zack asked, full of curiosity.
“Well, that is something we are working on, but it is official business that we can’t talk about right now,” Harry confided, and tapped the side of his nose secretively.
Aware that Tilly was looking at him, he issued her with a warning look that was more of a silent plea for her not to push for information he wasn’t in a position to give just yet. “I am sure that I don’t need to tell you to stay away from the poor house, and don’t trust the Dandridges’ in any way.”
Tilly shook her head and smiled at him.
“The Dandridges’ don’t have any possessions here, so really have no reason to come back,” Barnaby warned darkly. “If they do turn up on the doorstep, let one of us deal with them. Don’t let either of them into the house, no matter what they might tell you.”
“Now that the house work is nearly done, I should like to go into town, if I may?” Tilly announced quietly when everyone lapsed into silence.
“I will come with you,” Harry announced firmly. He had no idea what she wanted from town. As long as she didn’t intend to purchase any tickets for the post chaise then they were going to be fine. There was no earthly way that he was going to let her go anywhere. Not now, not after last night’s kiss.
It had been damned impossible to get his wayward body to cool down enough so that he could get a proper night’s sleep last night. He had tossed and turned restlessly until, just before dawn, he had been driven from his bed by the raging lust that had hammered through him. Rather than pace around his bedroom like a caged tiger, he had taken his turn on watch at the Dandridges’ lodgings hours earlier than planned.
However, in the quiet of the early morning, he had been forced to confront the emotions that churned within him. It unnerved him a little to realise that Tilly had now become an integral part of his life. Over the last week, she had almost been his obsession. Now that she had been at the Rectory, even for a brief time, he was even more convinced that he felt more for Tilly than just compassion. That kiss they had shared last night had seared him, and it was now absolutely essential he ensure that she remained in his life.
She was beautiful; stunning even. She captivated him; intrigued him. It had driven him downright mad with worry when she was at the poor house and he couldn’t see her, didn’t know how she was, and had no way of being able to see her again. He knew that he couldn’t go back to that – ever.
Unfortunately, in spite of all of that, he still wasn’t entirely sure that he wanted a wife. Being married wasn’t conducive to the kind of work he did on a daily basis. It involved sleepless nights, being away from home for weeks, or months at a time, and came with dangers that put his life at risk far too frequently than was wise for a family man.
However, he didn’t want Tilly as his mistress, or his housekeeper. That only left one position available for her; his wife. Aware that he was going around in circles, and needed to think about this a bit more carefully later, he turned his attention back to the people in the kitchen.
“Can I come?” Zack asked in a whiny voice. The plea in his eyes as he stared longingly at Tilly made her smile, and she nodded at him.
“Of course.”
“If I am not being too presumptuous; what do you need?” Harry asked curiously.
“I only need a broadsheet,” Tilly explained. “So I shouldn’t take long.” She wasn’t sure why she felt the need to justify what she wanted to do, but she did.
“What do you need a broadsheet for?” Barnaby demanded bluntly.
“I need to see if anyone is advertising for staff,” Tilly replied quietly.
She saw the look Barnaby shared with Harry, and opened her mouth to ask them what was wrong only to close it again with a snap when Marcus suddenly stalked into the kitchen with a dark scowl on his face.
“The Dandridges’ have gone,” Marcus declared without preamble, and threw Harry and Barnaby a dark look as he stalked around the table and disappeared into the study.
Harry and Barnaby shared a look and then followed.
“Stay here,” Harry ordered Tilly, but placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder as he passed. “Don’t leave the house without me.”
“I -” She didn’t get the chance to say anything else before the men suddenly vanished from the room.
“What do you think they are planning?” Zack whispered, and he threw a furtive look at the door.
Tilly wasn’t sure that she wanted to find out. She had no idea what this meant f
or any of them but knew instinctively that something had just changed considerably, and it wasn’t altogether for the better.
“I have no idea, Zack. Right now, we need to concern ourselves with what we are going to do when we have to leave here,” Tilly sighed.
She hated to even broach the subject, but she needed him to start to think about his future.
“I think that I would prefer it if we stayed together, Zack,” Tilly told him quietly. “I don’t have any family and I know that you don’t. It would be much nicer if I could consider you my family now.” She watched his eyes grow wide with wonder, and grew a little misty eyed at the stunned joy that was evident on his face as he stared at her for several long moments before he threw himself across the room at her.
It had been wonderful to witness the transformation that had taken place within Zack over the past day or so. His enthusiasm toward everything life could offer was simply captivating. His constant appetite for food, and life, along with his cheeky persona and infectious laugh had endeared him to them all.
She had no idea how it would work yet, or what they were going to do, but she simply couldn’t even contemplate dropping him off at the nearest orphanage. They had to remain together; she simply wouldn’t contemplate any other alternative.
“I would love that,” he beamed proudly and threw a delighted smile at Suzanna. “I have a sister,” he declared triumphantly to nobody in particular and hugged Tilly again.
Tilly laughed and hugged him back before she ruffled his hair. “Does this mean that I get to tell you what to do?” She teased.
“Ha! You already do,” Zack laughed, and broke away so he could dance around the table.
Tilly watched him for a moment, and decided that he had a little too much energy and it needed to be put to good use.
“Come on, you can help me get the first of the sheets in. Then, if Harry is ready, we can go for a stroll into town and fetch that broadsheet. The sooner we get started, the sooner we can then see what jobs are available, and decide what we are going to do once this Sir Hugo has been to question us.”
Shattered Dreams Page 15