Page 19 of Scorched Rose
I waited as the men packed up the rail and suit bags and left without any acknowledgement I was even there, then I turned to the maid.
“Master Thorn has invited you to dine with him downstairs,” she said, averting her gaze from my bathrobe.
My eyebrows shot up. “Now?”
“In one hour.” She glanced up shyly. “I’ll be waiting for you outside.”
As soon as she left, I opened the wardrobe and rifled through the clothes, both loving the textures and hating the fact I did.
There were six day dresses, each with different hems, cuts and necklines; four evening gowns in pale grey, sand, peach and coral; four stunning shirts and blouses; four pairs of trousers – two smart and two casual; and two hanging bags filled with nightwear and lingerie. I swallowed as I laid each set on the bed. My eyes were immediately drawn to a pale pink balconette bra made of the finest, softest lace, and matching pants. I caressed them before looking back to the gowns.What should I wear?
I did a mental inventory of the scenario. I was about to have dinner in a grand stately home with a handsome but intensely unlikeable stranger who was paying for my virginity but holding me captive until I was ready to deliver it wholeheartedly. Remi was going to have a conniption.
I selected a floor-length crepe slip in pale pink to match the underwear. It shamelessly exposed the first degree burn scar across my back. Then the realisation hit me like a falling stack of bricks. This was why he’d chosen me. I was as damaged as he was. The only difference was I had the ability to hide my own scars. Dalziel couldn’t hide his from anyone. Forget wearing hisheart on his sleeve, Dalziel Thorn wore his history on the side of his face.
I wondered again what had happened to him. I knew enough about scars to be certain those were not birth marks. Those had been inflicted. It was clear to me he had too much pride and – dare I admit it –spiritto do that to himself. Someone had done ittohim. But who? And why? And were they still in his life? I was likely I would never know.
I freshened up in the bathroom, fastened my hair in a loose knot and freed a few strands around my face. I kept my make-up minimal, only applying a little blush to my cheeks and gloss to my lips.
“You look beautiful, miss.” The maid’s eyes widened for a brief moment before she glanced away again timidly. The presence of two solidly built security oafs was unmissable and I felt horribly self-conscious as we descended the stairs.
We walked through a series of dimly lit corridors until we reached a dark, slate-coloured door that was almost the size of my house back home. The maid pushed it open and led me into an enormous room with unfeasibly high ceilings peppered with ornate mouldings. The walls were edged with black wood panelling and beautiful wallpaper depicting all the flora and fauna, nature and wildlife I’d read could be found on the Isle of Crow. My breath caught in my throat as I took it all in.
“Take a seat, miss.” The maid’s words cut through my reverie and I dropped my gaze to a table in the centre of the room. It was long and thin with a chair at each end. In one of them sat Dalziel, but I’d known that already. I’d felt the heat of his gaze the second I entered the room. Strangely, I didn’t feel the need to look back at him. Something about his presence felt permanent. He’d still be there to see when I eventually looked his way.
He sat back in a chair, casually, like he owned the place – which he practically did – and his pale eye narrowed on me. “You heard her. Take a seat.”
He glanced at the maid and jerked his head. His dismissal of her tasted sour in my mouth.
I frowned. “You seriously want me to sit all the way down here?”
He crossed a leg over his knee, the corner of his mouth quirking slightly. “Unless you want to sit on the floor.”
“I know how to move a chair,” I said with a pout. “But you’re supposed to be the gentleman here.”
His good brow arched. “And I thought I’d paid for a lady. What’s wrong with sitting at the end of the table?”
“I thought the whole idea was for me to get to know you. I can hardly do that when you’re a dot in the distance.”
He chewed the side of his mouth while his good eye creased in one corner. After a minute or two of stand-off, he got to his feet and walked lazily to the other end of the table, holding my gaze the entire time. He lifted the chair with one hand and carried it to the opposite end, placing it adjacent to his.
“Better?” he deadpanned.
I blew a strand of hair from my face and squared my shoulders. “Much. Thank you.”
His heated gaze followed me to the chair. I went to pull it out to sit but it wouldn’t budge. I tried two hands and it moved half an inch. I released my grip, feeling the skin across my cheekbones parch.He’d lifted it one-handed with the ease and grace of a swan.
“Need some help?” The smirk wasn’t visible on his face but was overwhelmingly present in his voice.
I took a deep breath and steeled myself. “Yes please.”
He stood and pulled out the chair like it weighed no more than a silver spoon. I chewed my lip and sat, transferring my focus to the table.
As if they’d been standing right outside waiting, a team of waiters trotted into the room holding trays aloft. Without making any eye contact with either of us, they bent low and served a range of delicacies onto the thinnest china plates I’d ever seen. I stared at the food, hoping saliva wasn’t dribbling down my chin, and continued to even when the room was quiet again.
Dalziel lifted his knife and fork then paused. His presence was so formidable, his breathing shifted the energy around us both, untethering me.
“I do hope you’re not waiting for me to say grace.” The sarcasm in his voice was thick. “It’s been a long,longtime since God walked these halls.”