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“Come, sit!” Victoria led him farther into the room, but he shook his head.
“My clothing is all dirty, I traversed half the distance on foot before getting a horse. Details are unimportant, but I’d rather get straight into a bath. Do we have water ready by the fire?”
“It needs heating,” Victoria said absently before shaking her head. “What should we do? Should we alert the constables? O-or perhaps the King’s men?”
William let out a chuckle as he placed a bucket of water above the fire. “Darling, nobody would care. I am not a nobleman.”
“But you are my husband!” she cried, her hands fisted at her sides.
He smiled. “Touching, really, how protective you can be. But do not worry, my sweet. Porter doesn’t pose a real threat. I already gave an order to have him watched, however. And you’re going to have double as many guards as before, just in case.”
“Me? You are the one he abducted!”
“Yes, and I can take care of myself. You, on the other hand, cannot. From now on, I really don’t think you should ever be alone in this house.” He scrubbed his face with his hands. “In fact, I think you should stay at the Kensingtons’ for a while.”
Victoria reared back. “You want me to leave?”
William grimaced. “I want you safe.”
“So, you do think that I am in peril?”
“No, not necessarily.” William leaned his back against the hearth. “I don’t think Porter is the peril. But it is better to be on the safe side.”
“And you think I am safer with Kensington than with you?”
“Sweetness, nobody’s going to snatch a princess from a duke’s townhouse.”
“But nobody even knows where we live! Isn’t this safer?” She raised her arm to indicate their tower.
“Not when you are alone, no.” He shook his head for emphasis. “I can’t be worried about you every time I am out.”
“Then I won’t be alone!”
“As much as I would love to stay locked inside this tower with you for twenty-four hours a day, I have to find the thugs who abducted me on Porter’s behalf. I have to silence them and find out if anyone else is looking for me. I also need to make sure Porter doesn’t open his mouth and spread lies about me. All in all, an honest week’s work.” His voice was rough, not a hint of playfulness. She almost didn’t recognize it.
Victoria swallowed. “If you want me to stay with the Kensingtons during the day, that is fine. But we have a deal. And I am going to stay true to it. So, every night when you’re done with your business, you will take me home.”
William’s gaze softened then, a gentle smile on his lips. She was glad to see that expression on his face. “As you wish.”
Victoria approached him, wishing for a kiss, but he stopped her halfway, with an outstretched hand. “It’s better if I take a bath before I can kiss you properly. I’ve been chained to the wall in Porter’s… room of depravity. Who knows what else other than dirt I got smeared on my hands and clothes.” He shuddered in thought.
“Should I help you… bathe and heal?”
He chuckled and crossed his arms over his chest. “I would love nothing more. But I am extremely tired. And you no doubt are, too. And if you start bathing me, it will take a lot longer than necessary. Go to bed, and we’ll talk more in the morning.”
“But—”
William tilted his chin toward the clock on the mantelpiece. “It’s after three in the morning. You should get some sleep. We’ll need to wake up early.”
“Very well,” Victoria agreed rather easily. She didn’t want to argue with him. And it seemed that this event had triggered past hurt or perhaps he was simply very tired.
So, she went to the bedroom and prepared for bed.
William came upstairs a few minutes later, lugging a bucket of steaming-hot water, and a moment later, carrying a bucket of cold water and filling his bath.
When Victoria finished brushing her hair, she went into the dressing room to dress for bed. Once she had donned her nightgown, she noticed William’s nightshirt on the shelf. She took it out and brought it closer to the bathtub.
William was clearly lost in the moment, and his breath, steady and content, was the only sound breaking the silence.
