And oddly, that had chafed more than anything else. Those piercing eyes had communicated it all—frustration, resentment, betrayal, aversion, disappointment. The silence had been unendurable, and she would have given anything to know what was going on in that head of his.

Admittedly, the stolen page of his report looked bad. It put her in the wrong, and she couldn’t defend it because she had no idea how Wentworth had come into possession of it. And the message she delivered… How could she explain her actions about thwarting a possible abduction of the American president without clearing it with her own people first? Thornbury wasn’t going to harm her if she didn’t talk. At least she hoped so.

She was trapped between a rock and a hard place. Wedged between Thornbury’s judgment of her conduct and her duty to her chain of command. One would break…she just wasn’t sure which.

“My lady,” Cora said, opening the stateroom door and startling her. “Do you wish for some hot tea?”

“Yes, please,” she said. “And a bath.”

Bronwyn’s body itched beneath the unwashed, filthy clothes. It had only been a day and a night, but so much had happened. A blush warmed her face as she recalled using Thornbury’s handkerchief and the anger over the loss of her virginity that had been eclipsed by her supposed treachery. Was being in possession of confidential—possibly filched—reports worse than safeguarding one’s chastity?

If a tree fell in the forest and no one was there to hear it, did it make a sound? From her own reading, the philosopher George Berkeley seemed to think there wouldn’t be if there were no means for listening. So by default, wouldn’t virginity be the same?

Then again, hers hadn’t gone quietly. It had left in a carnal symphony of indelicate moans. Bronwyn burst into soft laughter, earning herself an odd look from Cora who was busy getting the bath prepared in the adjacent chamber. Dear God, she was losing her mind. No one knew besides her and the duke, and he wouldn’t be going around proclaiming that anytime soon. He probably couldn’t wait to wash his hands of her and move on.

“Did Rawley say anything, Cora?” she asked.

“I haven’t seen him, my lady.”

Bronwyn blinked. Where was he? Though that was a small mercy, at least. She didn’t know if she could take Rawley’s disappointment as well. She let out an aggravated huff. What did Thornbury have to be so disappointed about anyhow?