Haunted Hearts

15

He'd never realized how captivating and utterly distracting a woman in a prudish nightgown could be until now, when the morning sunlight revealed all of Elphi's graceful curves as effectively as the white cotton garment kept them concealed.

"Are you feeling all right?" She asked, taking a cautious step forward and giving him a concerned look that suggested the only acceptable answer was in the negative.

"I'm fine... I was thinking."

Much to his sorrow, Elphi walked out of the sunlight to the washbasin as she arched a dubious brow. "It appeared as though you got lost a bit."

A rueful chuckle escaped him as he scratched his head and raked his hand through his hair, giving himself a mental shake. "I did."

"Is thinking usually such a strenuous task for you this early in the morning?" She teased, flashing a cheeky grin before braiding and pinning her hair into a bun. Then, after smoothing a few errant strands into place, she turned to one of her trunks and knelt to sort through its contents.

His lips curled in an answering smile as he heaved a sigh, deciding it was best to remain silent and focus instead on getting dressed rather than attempt witty, conversational sparring in his current mental state.

"You didn't answer my earlier question," she murmured several moments later.

Rufus glanced over his shoulder as he pulled a shirt over his head and stuffed his right arm through the sleeve, then did a double-take when he caught her standing in her chemise and bloomers at the foot of the bed with her back toward him while strapping herself into her corset.

In stunned silence, he slowly faced forward and stared at his armoire, terrified to move a muscle for fear Elphi would make him leave. After forcing a swallow down a suddenly parched throat, he licked his lips and prayed it would be one requiring a simple answer as he choked out, "Which question was that?"

She didn't answer him immediately and instead mumbled something under her breath. Her tone was laced with frustration when she finally asked, "Will you be working today, or do we get to spend the day together?"

Rufus opened his mouth, only slightly surprised to discover he wanted to say the latter was his preferred option. Then promptly snapped his mouth closed and bit back an expletive upon remembering he'd promised to meet with Lord Waltham this afternoon to investigate a disturbance at his estate. "I'm afraid I'll be working."

"Oh," she sighed with a definite tone of dismay bordering on annoyance loaded into the short syllabled word.

Her reply—or more so, the unmistakable emotion of it—took Rufus by surprise and had him cautiously glancing over his shoulder once more.

Without thinking, he asked, "Would you like to come with me?"

She froze. "Downstairs? To your study?"

He shook his head. "I hate to rob you of the excitement when you so clearly sound thrilled at the prospect, but no." A smile tugged at his lips as he turned around and continued dressing. "I'm to investigate a disturbance at Kernwith Hold."

Elphi blinked, her heart racing as she stole a peek over her left shoulder and saw Rufus with his back to her, tucking his shirt into the waistband of his trousers. "I wouldn't be a distraction to you while you go about... doing whatever it is you do?"

Rufus hesitated, "No."

"That sounded suspiciously like a yes," she murmured, biting back a smile as she reached for her petticoat and hurried to dress.

"I would very much enjoy the presence of your company," he said a moment later, his voice full of a sincere, husky warmth that threatened to turn her innards to mush and her legs to jelly. "Should you care to join me."