“Right, well that’s something,” Daniel grunted, shifting his hold on his end of the carpet-rolled George.

Nodding, Richard started forward again, moving quickly toward the stairs. George was a lot heavier with the added weight of the carpet around him and no doubt they would both be relieved to set him down. He just hoped they managed to do so without encountering anyone.

They made it up the stairs and were moving quickly up the hall with their burden, Richard thinking they might just manage the task undiscovered, when Haversham appeared from the master bedroom and started in their direction. Richard heard Daniel curse under his breath behind him and silently echoed the sentiment, but kept calm. It wasn’t like they were carting a naked, dead George about for anyone to see. He was wrapped in the carpet after all . No one could tell he was in there, Richard assured himself. They would just carry the rug past as if nothing were amiss. That was the plan anyway, however, Haversham put an end to it by stopping in the middle of the hall directly in front of him, forcing Richard to a halt.

The elderly butler peered at the rolled up and slightly bulgy carpet, raised an eyebrow and then peered at Richard and asked, “Would you like me to send for a couple of footmen to help you with that, my lord?”

“Er . . . no,” Richard forced a smile. “I—we are just—it’s a bit chill in my room and Lord Woodrow offered this carpet to take away the worst of the chill.”

“Hmm.” Haversham nodded solemnly. “The ladies had a similar problem just yesterday.”

Richard frowned at his words, but before he could ask what the man meant by that, the butler continued.

“I would venture to suggest that closing the window of a night would help warm the room as well, my lord . . . which I just did. I noticed it was open as I was inspecting the bed. The upstairs maid feared it was quite ruined. I came to see what could be done, however it looks as if it somehow got quite soaked through.”

“Oh . . . er . . . yes. It . . . er . . . I . . .” Grimacing, he simply said, “Don’t worry about the bed, Haversham. I’ve ordered a new one and will just sleep with Lady Christiana until it arrives. I mean in her room, not—well, not that there is anything wrong with a husband sleeping with his wife, I just—”

“What his lordship means to say,” Daniel interrupted Richard’s bumbling. “Is that he will reside in Lady Christiana’s room until his own bed is repaired.

That being the case there is really no need for the maid to worry about his room at all for the time being. In fact, he will probably just lock the doors for now so she doesn’t waste her time dusting an unoccupied room.”

“Yes. Exactly. What he said,” Richard muttered uncomfortably. Really, he tended to avoid lying because he wasn’t very good at it. He supposed he didn’t feel it was a very honorable ability anyway so had never practiced it.