Melbourne picked her up and carried her to the carriage. A footman opened the door for him and retrieved blankets from the chest mounted on the back, while another fetched a water skin and offered it to Melbourne.
She drank greedily, and Melbourne cautioned her to take it slow. He sat down beside her and then lifted her onto his lap, holding her to his chest. When the door closed and the coach lurched into motion, his arms tightened around her, and she winced.
“I am so sorry. I selfishly detained you longer than I should have.”
The raw quality of his words betrayed his feelings of responsibility, and she realized her ploy to make Eagene feel bad, also made him feel worse.
Remorse struck through her heart.
“I chose to stay and forgot about my aunt. I am not used to being watched and
