Free Cinders and Ashes by Rebecca King Page A

is
Danvers or Rat in that crypt,” Sebastian murmured. “It is great
news if it is Rat. I think Danvers may already have been dead when
the horses were running. If it is Danvers in the crypt, then Rat is
alive and well, and most probably already on his way back to report
to Ballantyne.”
    “ He won’t know you have survived though. At least you have
that element of surprise on your side, when you return home,”
Amelia reasoned, eyeing his long-legged stride as he stormed from
one side of the cottage to the other, turned and stomped back
again. Clearly the inactivity of the day and the solitude had got
to him.
    “ I know, but it also means Rat may be out there and close by.
If he survived the carriage crash, he may have returned to check I
was dead as soon as the weather improved. He would know roughly
where I left the carriage, and would have to come back to look for
my body.”
    “ Which wasn’t there?” Amelia concluded with a
shudder.
    Sebastian looked at her, clearly impressed that despite her
exhaustion, she was quick thinking enough to be able to reason
events out so rationally. She was also practical enough not to get
all squeamish about the possible threat right on her
doorstep.
    “ He will also see the cottage. The only cottage for several
miles,” Sebastian added starkly. He didn’t want to scare her, but
he didn’t want another day sitting twiddling his thumbs by himself
again.
    Amelia
felt herself go cold, and sternly lectured herself not to be such a
ninny. She had trampled about in the countryside all day, and had
not seen anything untoward. No strangers. No strange carriages or
people. Nothing.
    “ I didn’t see anything today, Sebastian. There was nobody new
in the village. I asked Mrs Ellsworthy if there were any survivors
of the carriage accident in the Tavern. She reported that the
Tavern was completely empty of guests on account of the road being
too muddy for carriages to get through.”
    “ Which points to the fact that if nobody can get into the
village-.” Sebastian was unaware he had actually said the words
aloud until Amelia finished his thought.
    “ Then nobody can get out either. This means that if Rat
survived, he is most probably still in the village somewhere.”
Amelia took a deep breath and felt a wave of weariness sweep
through her. Stifling a yawn, she was trying to assemble the jumble
of her thoughts, when Sebastian appeared in her line of
vision.
    “ Bed for you, my lady,” he murmured softly cupping her cheek.
“You look so tired.”
    Amelia
sat enraptured as the soft pad of his thumb swept tenderly across
the dark smudges under her eyes.
    “ I was so worried about you,” he whispered tenderly, eyeing
the soft curve of her rose petal lips. Longing built steadily in
his chest and, although he didn’t want to spook her, he had to have
some reward for spending his day worrying for her
safety.
    Amelia
sat perfectly still and watched his head dip toward hers. She felt
the feather-light brush of his firm lips against hers with a
mixture of yearning and regret.
    It was everything she had dreamt it would
be , she mused, stunned by the silken brush
of his lips against hers.
    Sebastian longed to capture her lips and deepen the kiss. To
take what he really wanted, and she so innocently offered, but knew
that if he had a prayer of getting her to sleep in the bed with him
again, he had to restrain himself.
    Instinctively, he knew she was holding back from him. Still
didn’t trust him. Although the knowledge frustrated him, he
couldn’t blame her for being wary. They still had a lot to learn
about each other, and circumstances of late had been rather strange
for both of them.
    After
several long moments of tender exploration, he smiled gently at her
and drew away.
    “ I think you have done more than enough for today. It is time
to get some sleep, Amelia,” he ordered, trying hard to be as
non-threatening as possible, as he added more logs to the fire
before taking her hand