Page 17 of His Revelation
He hadn’t expected her to still be talking to him to be honest, as foul as he was.
Deciding to press his luck, he asked, “And after? A place to rest my weary head, milady?”
He shouldn’t have been surprised when she rolled her eyes. “You cannot be asking for more charity? Food is one thing, but you cannot stay here at the inn.”
“Och, of course.” He made a show of shuffling backward, tugging at his cap. “Ye couldnae be seen with the likes ofme. Scarred and dirty.”
There was just a hint of a smile in her voice when she said, “Youcoulddo with a wash or three.” When he glanced up, she raised a brow teasingly and gestured to the well. “There is plenty of water, though you will have to share your bath with the frog.”
She was…teasing him? Someone who looked like—like a barbarian? Dirty and disfigured, and dressed in what appeared to be a shepherd’s castoffs? That was…unexpected. Why wasn’t she reacting the way she was supposed to?
“And after I wash?” he bit out gruffly.
She sighed, then shook her head. “Mother would never allow you to stay at the inn without pay. After you eat, you might as well move along, stranger.”
Truthfully, he hadn’t even expected an offer of food, but he decided to press her. “It will likely be a beautiful night, and that bench looks comfortable.”
Her perfect-blue eyes widened. “You cannot stayhere. This is my family’s private garden. We cannot allow strange men to sleep here. If word got out…” She shook her head, then turned to climb the three stone steps to the door.
And he knew she was right, curse her. Whether he was a viscount or a beggar, a man found sleeping there would cause a scandal which very well might ruin her future.
And he couldn’t have that on his conscience, damn her.
He was about to acquiesce and shuffle his way out of the garden when she surprised him yet again. With her hand already on thedoor handle, she stopped and turned halfway so he could see the graceful curve of her jaw, and her achingly beautiful nose. When had he ever considered noses beautiful?
There were noses, and then there was Tiffany’s nose. Everything about her was beautiful, even the places which shouldn’t be. Hell, her little toe was likely beautiful. Her navel would be perfect of course. Her ears were graceful. The webbing between her fingers would be magnificent. Her arse was?—
Nay, dinnae think of her arse.
His cock still had not recovered from the lip-sucking incident.
His thoughts had gone so far down that lewd path, he almost forgot to listen forwhyshe’d stopped. And her words, when she spoke, shocked him yet again.
“You cannot stay here, but there is usually space behind the stables. On a warm night like tonight,especiallyafter you have bathed, I see no reason ye could not pass the evening in relative comfort.” She opened the door. “I will mention it to the stablemaster.”
And then she was gone.
Lysander was left staring at the closed door.
She’d offered him a place to sleep. She’d offered him food. She’d teased him and accepted his teasing with only the barest of irritation. She’d smiled at him briefly.
And he looked worse than Lyon.
Heknewhe looked worse because he’d tried. With a growl, he yanked the eyepatch from his face after turning away from the inn in case someone was watching. He smelled of dirt and mud,andworse, and wore a kilt like the barbarian she’d accused his brother of being.
Can ye imagine sitting across the table fromthatat meals, Bonnie?
She’d said those words to her sister when she hadn’t known he could hear, and they still sent a spike of disgust through him. She’d taken one look at his brother and had judged him, assuming he didn’t feel and yearn for acceptance, the same as everyone else.
She’d judged Lyon as unworthy because he wasn’t as beautiful as she was.
Lysander stared down at the dirt under his fingernails as he clenched the faux eyepatch in his fist. He’d come to her, disfigured and barbaric as she’d accused Lyon of being, and dirty as well. He’d presented himself as poor, homeless, and desperate, certain she’d turn up her nose and repudiate him. And when she did, his plan was to throw off his disguise, and reveal exactly who he was and why he’d tricked her.
He’d imagined her falling to her knees and begging his forgiveness, vowing to never again judge a person by the way they looked.
It was a pretty daydream, and one he’d looked forward to seeing come true.
But instead, she’d offered him solace. Food, shelter, and…and humanity. She’d spoken with him, like an equal, not like a haughty lady who thought she was a better person because she was so beautiful. And had only shown irritation when any normal woman would have.
