The Paid Companion | Herophine

Chapter Twenty Five

Josephine

Josephine delayed going downstairs the next morning until she could no longer stand the pangs of hunger. Even then she hesitated and considered requesting that a tray be brought to her bedchamber.

But in the end, she opened the door and marched determinedly out into the hall. Eating in her room to avoid having to confront Hero would have been cowardly in the extreme.

She was surprised to find herself feeling quite fit. She had expected to spend a restless night, but to her amazement, she had slept soundly. That was fortunate, she told herself as she reached the bottom of the staircase. At least her eyes were not puffy and red and her skin was not dull from lack of proper sleep.

She had selected a green muslin gown and a white ruff to wear for this first encounter with Hero. She felt that the vivid colour made her appear somehow more confident and sure of herself.

She needed every ounce of self-possession she could muster. What did one say to a gentleman the morning after making mad, passionate love to him in his library?

“Good morning, ma’am.” Ned loomed in the hall, looking concerned. “I was just about to send the new maid upstairs to see if you wanted to take your meal in your bedchamber.”

“Very thoughtful of you, Ned, but I only take breakfast in bed when I am feeling ill. And I am almost never ill.”

“Yes, ma’am. Breakfast is in the breakfast room, just as ye directed, ma’am. Sally and her sister finished getting it ready yesterday afternoon.”

“Excellent.” She gave him a blazing smile, took a fortifying breath, and swept on down the hall and into the breakfast room.

Despite her concerns about having to deal with Hero, she took a few seconds to enjoy the changes that had taken place in this space.

The breakfast room had been cleaned and polished until it glowed. Enticing odours wafted from the silver serving trays on the sideboard. Warm spring sunlight poured in through the windows. The view of the gardens was somewhat marred by the fact that the foliage was still overgrown and unkempt, but that would soon change. The new gardeners were due to start work today.

She was startled to find that Hero was not alone at the table. Anne was with him.

“Oh, there you are,” Anne said. “I was worried about you. I was just about to send someone upstairs to see if you were feeling well this morning.”

Conscious of Hero watching her with what appeared to be amusement, Josephine tried not to blush.

“As I just told Ned, I enjoy excellent health,” she said. Hero got politely to his feet and pulled out a chair. “We wondered if perhaps you had engaged in a bit too much exercise last night.” She shot him her most repressive glare.

“On the dance floor,” he concluded with perfect innocence.

She searched his face very closely for a couple of heartbeats. Beneath the dry amusement, she caught a glimpse of genuine concern. For heaven's sake, had he really thought that she would find it necessary to take to her bed for a day to recover from the shock of his lovemaking? She was no frail flower.

“Don’t be ridiculous, sir.” Ignoring the chair he held for her, she picked up her plate and went to the sideboard to examine the offerings.

“Hero is just teasing you,” Anne said quickly. “Of course I was not worried that you might have danced too much last night. I thought that perhaps the ghastly events of the evening had taken their toll, that’s all, Hero and I were just talking about them. A dreadful business.”