The Millionaire's Rebellious Mistress - By Catherine George Page 0,46
here. It must be a bit tricky to rush someone up that stairway of yours.’
Alex moved closer and took her hand. ‘I’ve never tried, but you’re probably right.’
She gave him a thoughtful look. ‘Funny, really. Neither of us owns easily accessible bedrooms. And in my case, even when you get up to the platform, the bed is too narrow to take more than one person.’
‘And one small person at that,’ he said, smoothing a finger over the back of her hand. ‘For my part, I suppose I took it for granted that if ever I did invite a lady to sleep here she’d climb the stair willingly. And of course the lady who does sleep here on a regular basis does exactly that. My mother,’ he added.
Sarah smiled, hoping he hadn’t noticed her fleeting pang before the penny dropped. ‘She must be very proud of what you’ve done here.’
He nodded, his eyes softening. ‘She saw it at various stages on her visits—which, by the way, are not solely to catch up with me. She spends time with my aunt and grandfather as well. The old reprobate positively dotes on her. Which explains his attitude to my charming stepmother.’
‘It’s an awkward situation,’ agreed Sarah. ‘Have they ever met? Your mother and stepmother, I mean?’
‘Oh, yes, they’ve met—’ Alex’s grip tightened as lightning lit up the room, followed by an earth-shattering crack of thunder. He smiled at her. ‘That was close.’
She nodded, heart thumping.
‘Are you afraid of storms?’
‘Not afraid, exactly,’ she lied, ‘as long as I’m under cover. I don’t like being out in them.’ She winced as another flash lit the room, followed by another crack of thunder.
‘You certainly won’t be going out in this one. I have two spare bedrooms, Sarah.’
She gasped as lightning and thunder did their double act again, and Alex put his arms round her. ‘Thank you,’ she said against his chest. ‘I’ll take you up on that. I don’t fancy driving home in this.’
He held her closer as the storm grew in intensity, and chuckled as the next clap of thunder sent her burrowing against him. ‘From a purely personal point of view, I’m grateful to the weather.’
Sudden torrential rain blotted out conversation, and Alex raised Sarah’s face to his and kissed her. She wreathed her arms round his neck and kissed him back with a fervour he returned with such intensity that Sarah forgot about the storm. Then lightning lit up the room, followed by a crash louder than anything that had gone before, and the lights went out.
Sarah let out a deep, unsteady breath as Alex released her.
‘At least we’ve got the candles on the table to see by, but sit still and don’t move,’ he told her. ‘I’ll see if it’s just the trip-switch, in which case I can trip it back on. If not we’ll need torches and more candles.’ He gave her a swift kiss and got up.
‘Don’t be long,’ said Sarah involuntarily.
‘I’ll be back in a flash,’ he promised, then laughed as lightning lit the room again. ‘Right on cue, but the thunder’s not so close this time.’
Sarah counted to five before the expected crack reverberated through the room, and she relaxed slightly, chuckling when Alex cursed as he stumbled over something in the kitchen. He came back with a box holding candles and torches.
‘Not just the trip-switch, I’m afraid. There must be a line down somewhere—not unusual in these parts.’ He set a torch down on the table beside Sarah, put the box on the floor and fetched the candles from the dining table. He put them down at either end of the sofa, then took matches and a selection of saucers out of the box. ‘I own just the two candle holders, so otherwise I make do with these.’
‘Does this happen regularly, then?’
‘Enough to make it sensible to have this kind of thing on hand.’ He glanced at his watch. ‘It’s a bit late to ring my aunt to see if Edgar’s all right. But I’ve told her I’m home, so she’ll ring me if he’s not.’ Alex handed her a candle and saucer and struck a match, and Sarah held the wick in the flame and waited until wax dripped enough for her to secure the candle in the saucer.
When they had four candles alight Alex ranged them along the fireplace, then sat down again. ‘Now, where were we?’ he said, and pulled her onto his lap, smiling into her eyes. ‘I think I was doing this,’