Chapter 3

Three

S he couldn’t sleep and she’d been tossing and turning in her bed for hours now. Cora had little choice left to her. She could continue to stay in bed and not find any rest, or she could go to the library and find a book to read. Perhaps if she read a little, it would allow her to become drowsy enough to fall into a deep slumber. She didn’t stop to consider it a moment longer. There was only one choice.

She sighed, rolled out of bed, donned her dressing gown, and tied it tightly around her before leaving her bedchamber to seek out the library. She didn’t bother with a candle. She could see well enough and she had become accustomed to Ardmore Abbey on her last visit. When she reached the library, she could light a candle. One was left on the table along with the means to light it.

As she walked down the hall, she became lost in thought. At least she had not crossed paths with Lord Thornton yet. Though that meeting was inevitable. They were both guests at the house and would be attending all of the wedding festivities. If she had her way, they wouldn’t have to acknowledge each other at all, but that seemed unlikely.

A noise caught her attention and she stopped to listen. Whatever it was, had ceased. It also could have been her imagination. She shook her head and then headed toward the library. She turned toward the room but stumbled over something on the floor. Whatever it had been, it wasn’t normally there. She tumbled into a room that hadn’t been her original destination. Cora fell to the floor and hit her head hard. “Ouch,” she mumbled to herself. What the blazes…

She kneeled around the room, trying to ascertain where she had landed. Then she felt something warm and firm. The door to the room closed with a soft click, then the sound of a key turning in the lock sent her into a panic. That was when she realized what she’d tripped over. The warmth was a person. An unconscious person. And she’d just been locked in a dark room with that person…

Cora fumbled around and checked the person. She thought perhaps it was a man… He was breathing but unconscious. Slowly, she found her way around the room until she found a chair. She sat down on that and started to shake uncontrollably. What should she do? Even if she could move him, where would she take him? She couldn’t tell what sort of room they were in, but it wasn’t overly large. There was no light at all. Normally, darkness didn’t bother her, but something about this situation felt sinister.

A moan echoed through the room. The man was waking. He rolled over to the side and then winced. “Damn it all…” He said as he struggled to sit up. “Where…”

She recognized that voice. She closed her eyes and held back a groan. Who would have thought locking her in a room with Lord Beast was a good idea? Definitely not one of her friends. She doubted any of Thornton’s friends would have done it either.

“Not again,” he said. He curled into himself. “I don’t like the dark. Please let me out. Please…”

Cora was so confused. What was going on here? Where did he think he was? Should she say something? He didn’t appear to realize she’d been locked into the room with her. He went over to the door and rattled the doorknob. “Let me out. Let me out.” He kept repeating that as he pulled on to the doorknob. Until he gave up and slid against the door. “I promise I’ll be good. Daddy, please let me out.”

This was…disturbing. Did he think he was a child again? There was something not right here. Her heart was breaking…for the one man she had always hated. Cora had to do something. But what?

“Please daddy,” he said. “I hurt so much. My head. Don’t hit me again. I promise I will stay away from you. I won’t be in your way.” He started to rock against the door. The man wasn’t there anymore. Only the child. This man had suffered some trauma. One that still haunted him. What had his father done to him?

Cora stood and walked over to him. She slid on to the floor next to him and rested her hand on his shoulder. “You’re not alone,” she whispered. “I’m here.”

He stilled as she spoke. Then he said softly, “Cora?”

“Yes,” she said. “I’m here.”

“I’ve always dreamed you were here with me in the dark.” His tone was still that of a child. “You made everything all right. You’re so much stronger than I am. Tell them to let me out.”

God… How many times had they locked him up this way? “I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

“I know,” he said solemnly. “You never do. I wish I could talk to you like this all the time.” He sighed. “But only in dreams can I find the words.”

She frowned. What did that mean? The more he talked, the more confused she became. “Why only in dreams?”

“In the light,” he began. “I am nothing but your Lord Beast.” He sighed. “I never say or do the right thing. Instead, the wrong things always happen. The wrong words, the wrong actions. All wrong. I want to be better with you, but I don’t know how.”

“You are talking to me now.” She kept her tone low and soothing. “Tell me everything you have always wished to say but couldn’t.”

“No,” he said. “If I can’t say it to you in the light, then I shouldn’t in the dark. You deserve far better than me. I’m not good. I’ve always been no good. I’ve always known that.”

She sighed. “You should rest,” Cora told him. “It’ll be light soon enough.”

“All right,” he said. “I’ll rest. You’re here. You’ll keep them away from me. No one will hurt me while I sleep.”

“Of course not,” she said in a reassuring tone. “No one can hurt you here.”

He laid down beside her and placed his head in her lap. She caressed his cheek softly with one hand and curled her other in his soft locks. He relaxed and fell asleep faster than she could have anticipated. Something profound had happened. She could not say she understood him better. Not completely, but she did know that he never wanted to be her Lord Beast. She had far more questions than answers now.

There was one other thing she’d realized. She could not enact any sort of revenge on him. He’d already suffered far too much. His father had treated him ill, and he’d been a damaged soul all these years. She could not add to that pain.

Aches plagued every bit of Hayes’ body. His head hurt the worst. He couldn’t recall the last time he’d hurt this much. He didn’t ever imbibe too much spirits, so he’d never dealt with those ill effects. Once was enough for him to realize he never wanted to experience that again. He moaned and lifted his hand to his head.

“You probably shouldn’t move too much,” a female said.

Hayes’ eyelids fluttered open and he met Cora’s gaze. She glanced down at him with concern in her warm brown eyes. It was then that he realized his head was in her lap and her fingers were curled in his hair. What the hell had happened? He didn’t think he’d drank too much. He’d had a glass of brandy before bed like he usually did… “Cora?” he asked in a confused tone.

There was not much light in the room. There was a small window that allowed some light to filter into the room. He stared around them and frowned. What was this room? More importantly, why were they both inside?

“Yes,” she said. “How are you feeling?”

“I don’t know…” He winced as he tried to move. “My head…”

“I think you were struck,” she said. “And perhaps drugged. You were not yourself before now.”

Oh, hell… What had he said to her? He could only imagine, and he suspected he wouldn’t like what he’d uttered. Hayes had never wanted her to see him as weak. It was far better for her to think of him as her Lord Beast. At least then she didn’t pity him. He loved her far too much to accept that emotion from her. “What…” He cleared his head. “Tell me what happened.” He did not ask for any details on his behavior. Deep down, he already knew the truth.

“I cannot say,” she said. “I mean, I didn’t see what was done to you. I think I stumbled upon the aftermath.”

“Stumbled?” He liked having his head in her lap. Hayes would have loved to be able to stay there forever. He just loved her. This was a little slice of heaven that he had never dared to hope for. Now that he was this close to her, he never wanted it to end. But it had to. “Explain it to me.”

He still didn’t move. Hayes intended to stay there as long as she would allow it. He prayed it would be for several more moments. At least long enough for him to have many memories to savor over the upcoming years. Cora had never been this soft and kind to him. She’d always been fiery and fierce.

“I couldn’t sleep,” she began. “On my way to the library for a book, I tripped and fell. That was when I realized I’d tripped over a person.” Cora sighed. “Then we were locked in this room together. We have been here for hours.”

“Have we?” And he’d missed the entire duration. What rot. He’d lost hours of memories with her… “Are we still locked inside?”

“I believe so,” she said. “I haven’t heard the key turn in the lock, and I have not slept.”

“What room is this?”

“It’s a storage room of some sort,” she said. “I think it is one that the maids use. But clearly not often. I’m not even certain what they use it for. Cleaning things?” She shrugged. “Hopefully, a maid decides to use this room soon. I’d hate for us to be left in here much longer. I doubt we’d survive.”

“Because we usually argue?” he asked.

She shook her head. “I’m tired of fighting with you.” Cora ran her fingers through his hair. It felt so damn good. He wanted to revel in it. “Perhaps we should call a truce of some sort. We are adults now and it’s time to set aside our childish behavior.”

He stared up at her. “Am I dreaming?”

Cora chuckled. “If you are, then so am I.” She sighed. “And we are both having a rather odd dream.”

“It is definitely not like any I’ve ever had before.” He furrowed his brow. “Doesn’t mean it isn’t true. You’ve never been nice to me before.” He didn’t see pity in her gaze, either. So perhaps he hadn’t babbled like a fool. He prayed he hadn’t…

“I’ve definitely had more pleasant dreams.” She grinned. “I promise you, this isn’t one.”

Hayes believed her. This seemed oddly real, and he wanted to make it last. At least a little while longer. He had to understand why she suddenly didn’t want to fight with him. “So, I’m no longer to be Lord Beast?”

Her lips twitched. “I may still refer to you as such from time to time. You know, for nostalgia’s sake.”

“I suppose I can allow that.” He strangely liked that idea. “As long as we can be cordial with each other.” It was far more than he’d ever hoped for. “And perhaps once we are free from this room, we can maybe even be friendly.”

“I’d like that.” She sounded sincere. He was almost afraid to hope. What if she changed her mind? What would he do then? Hayes wanted to pull her into his arms and just feel her against him. She’d never allow that. It had to be enough that she caressed him freely and willingly. He adored how much her touch affected him. He’d never felt anything so good in his miserable life.

A key turned in the lock and a maid swung the door open. They were barely able to move in time to allow the maid to enter. She stared at them both in shock. “What’s going on here?”

“Thank heavens,” Cora said. “We thought we’d never escape that room. I need to speak with Lady Victoria immediately. Something sinister is afoot, and I demand that the culprit that locked us in this room be found.”

Hayes let her handle it with all the fury he knew she kept inside of her. Cora was never more glorious than when she was demanding justice. He just didn’t understand how it had all happened. But considering it gave him a softer, more congenial Cora—he’d endure it all again. For her, he’d endure anything.