Suddenly, he squeezed his eyes shut and drew her up, held her tighter still against his warmth, and dropped his head to rest his brow against hers. He held her like that for a moment, then brushed the lightest, most chaste kiss across her lips, and set her away from him.
Mira stood trembling and alone, unsure what to do next. She was suddenly acutely aware of her state of undress, one sleeve of her gown sliding off her shoulder, exposing the linen shift beneath, and her missing tucker.
She could not meet his eyes. Why had he stopped? Had she done something wrong?
“Mira,” he said, his voice a gruff whisper, “I…I am sorry for that.” He looked as though he wanted to say more, but then he shook his head. “You must go get ready for dinner.” The corners of his mouth drifted up in an absent smile as he reached out to tweak Mira’s hair out from behind her ear, to tug the shoulder of her gown back into place. “I am afraid you are a mess.”
“Yes, of course,” she replied, her voice small. She was being dismissed.
But then he bent down and retrieved her tucker from the carpet at their feet. As he handed it to her, his hand lingered longer than it needed to, his fingers caressing hers through the gauzy fabric. She looked into his eyes then and saw the heat still burning there, the reluctance to let her go.
When she had righted her appearance enough to get through the hallways and back to her bedchamber, Nicholas walked her the few steps to the door. Before she disappeared into the tower vestibule, though, he laid a restraining hand on her arm.
She looked up questioningly, and saw that he was staring at her forehead with a bemused smile.
“I appear to have marked you, Mira-mine,” he said softly, his free hand drifting up to indicate a smudge of charcoal on his own face.
Mira watched in fascination as Nicholas licked the edge of his thumb, the sensual gesture triggering a wave of heat washing through her.
He reached out, then, and brushed his moist thumb across her forehead, his touch a benediction.
Without thinking, she grasped his hand before he could pull away, raised it to her lips and lightly kissed his palm. Before he could respond, she turned and dashed out the door and down the stairs to the passageway, burning from head to toe at her own boldness.
Chapter Nine
Mira came awake with a start, sitting bolt upright in bed. The thought was there, clear as daylight in her mind and, even addled with sleep, she knew it was important. In the moment it took for her eyes to adjust to the stygian darkness and for her senses to take in the unfamiliar bedroom, to remember where she was, a voice in her head repeated one phrase over and over: darting, darting, darting.
Gingerly climbing out of bed, she made her way by feel—each foot sliding out a tiny way, toes timidly skimming the carpet in search of obstacles—to the large windows overlooking the courtyard garden. She pulled the drapes to let in what little moonlight there was, and, by that faint glow, made her way to the door that connected her bedchamber to the small room where Nan slept. After cracking the door and peeking in, she crept to Nan’s bedside.
“Nan!” she whispered. “Nan, wake up.” When words alone failed to rouse her friend, Mira reached out a hand to gently shake Nan’s shoulder. “Nan, wake up. It’s me, Mira.”
“Miss Mira?” Nan’s voice was fuzzy with sleep. “Miss Mira, is something the matter?”
“No, Nan. I’m sorry to wake you, but I have had the most astounding revelation.” After pausing a moment for dramatic effect, she announced, “Nicholas did not do it!”
“What?” Nan became more alert, her voice growing stronger, and she sat up in bed. “What do you mean?”
Mira ran a hand over a spot on Nan’s bed, to be sure there was no Nan there, and sat herself down to explain. “The proof has been right in front of my eyes all along. Darting.”
“I’m sorry, Miss Mira. What on earth are you talking about?”
“Sarah Linworth told me that, just before Olivia died, she complained of hearing footsteps following her along the corridors. And she saw a figure darting through the shrubberies outside her chamber window.” Mira stopped, a smug smile spreading across her face.