Page 69 of The Rogue’s Offer

Chapter 16

Mathias reined Titan to a halt and stared at the house that was less than a half-mile away. There was a quiet elegance to Marymont that its owner also possessed. Now that he was here, his confidence in his ability to convince Ophelia how much he loved her had diminished significantly.

The gray, forbidding sky overhead had a sobering effect on him. It was representative of his overall mood these past weeks. He’d be fortunate if Ophelia even agreed to speak to him, let alone listen. The memory of those final moments in the Meacham library made his chest constrict painfully.

He hadn’t been just a bastard. He’d been unbelievably cruel. He’d known the instant his offensive, cutting words had passed his lips he’d gone too far. The look on Ophelia’s face in those few seconds had ripped him apart inside. It didn’t matter that anger, jealousy, and the knowledge he’d lost her to the earl had been the driving force behind his ruthless behavior.

Not even his need to hide his love for her could absolve him of his words. Even if she had accepted Chelmsford, she wasn’t the social climber Miriam had been. Deep inside, he’d known she would never change her mind about marriage unless there was a good reason. When she’d compared him to her late husband, her quiet dignity had eviscerated him in a way her anger could not.

But it had been the dark anguish in her lovely eyes that had gutted him as he’d considered the possibility he’d been wrong about her. It was why he’d returned to the library several minutes later, only to find her in Chelmsford’s arms.

The memory of that terrible moment, and the conclusion he’d reached made him jerk slightly as he remembered Chelmsford’s revelation last night. The man was convinced Ophelia loved him, and he prayed the earl wasn’t mistaken. The façade of the comfortable-looking house such a short distance away came into focus once more.

An unfamiliar sensation twisted his gut. Fear wasn’t something he’d experienced a great deal of in his life, but then his life rarely hung in the balance as it did now. If Ophelia refused to forgive him, the hellish existence he’d been living for the past month would become permanent. His jaw tightened with tension as he nudged Titan forward.

The stallion covered the distance to the house in a shorter span of time than Mathias would have liked. He was still struggling to find the best way to convince Ophelia to forgive him as Titan pranced to a halt in front of the house. Mathias slowly dismounted then froze for a moment as uncertainty snaked its way through him. As if the horse could sense his hesitation, Titan’s large head dipped downward to toss restlessly against his arm.

He grimaced slightly at the notion the horse recognized his fear. Would Ophelia see it in him as well? Not waiting for the animal to nudge him again, Mathias moved toward the front door. The knocker echoed harshly in his ears as he waited for it to open. It was no more than a minute before the door swung open, but it seemed an eternity. Taggert’s gaze met his, and the butler frowned. Mathias couldn’t tell if it was an expression of disapproval or concern.

“Taggert,” he jerked his head in an abrupt greeting. “Is Lady Havenstock at home?’

“She went for a walk, sir.”

“Where?” When the butler hesitated, Mathias met the man’s gaze steadily. “My intentions are honorable ones, Taggert.”

“She mentioned walking to the pond near the north pasture, Mr. Gilchrist.” The man hesitated slightly before pointing toward the direction of Melton Park. “If you ride toward the earl’s estate you’ll see a small orchard. The pond is beyond that.”

“Thank you.”

Mathias didn’t wait for a reply as he strode back to Titan and quickly mounted the horse. With a gentle squeeze of his thighs, he urged the stallion in the direction Taggert had indicated. It didn’t take long to find the orchard, and as he cleared the small group of trees he saw the body of water. His gaze quickly found Ophelia. She was standing at the edge of the pond with her back to him. The sight of her made his heart slam into his chest.

Tension spread through Mathias as he dismounted and dropped the reins to the ground to ensure Titan remained where he was. With each step he took in Ophelia’s direction every muscle in his body grew taut. He was only a few feet away from her when he saw her reach up to touch the back of her neck.

Almost instantly, she whirled around to face him. There was a brief flash of emotion that crossed her lovely features before her expression became one of cold antipathy. For a moment, he remained silent and simply drank in the sight of her. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Just looking at her made him happy. God help him if she refused to forgive him.

“Why are you here, Mr. Gilchrist?”

The formality of her question made his lungs constrict until it was difficult to breathe. How could he explain in words what she meant to him? When he hesitated, she narrowed her gaze at him.

“You had a great deal to say the last time we met, and I’m puzzled that you seem bereft of words now.”

“Forgive me. You simply took my breath away,” he said ignoring the reference to their last meeting.

Ophelia stared at him with dislike as she tugged the shawl draped around her shoulders until the material was taut. The weather was unseasonably warm for November, but the air still had a bite to it. It was impossible to determine if she was using the shawl as a way to keep the temperature or him at bay.

“Your frivolous platitudes are a waste of time on me.” The coldness of her reply made him wince.

“It’s the truth,” Mathias said as he searched her expression for a sign she might be willing to forgive him. “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

Her lovely mouth thinned as she dismissed him with a frosty glare. Without a word, she stepped around him and began to walk away. Mathias didn’t think, he simply reacted. His hand reached out to halt her departure, and at his touch she yanked herself free of his grip only to stumble in the process. To prevent her from falling, he pulled her into his arms. The warmth of her penetrated his clothing and made him ache to never let her go. A familiar citrus scent filled his nostrils as she pushed against his chest.

“Let me go.” The outrage in her voice was accompanied by a slight shudder that pulsated its way into his body. Reluctantly, he released her, and she hastily put several feet between them. Brown eyes flashing with anger, her gaze traveled over him in a scathing manner.

“I’ll ask you again. Why are you here, Mr. Gilchrist?”

“Because I love you.” At his quiet reply, Ophelia gasped and the color drained from her face.

”This is a new low, even for you, Mathias. But I should have expected no less from a man such as you.” The contempt in her accusation made his body jerk as if she’d swung a sword and sliced him open. She didn’t believe him. The optimism that had shored him up since last night vanished.