‘You’d better go before me, Rosie,’ she said firmly. ‘I’ll fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow. I don’t even mind sleeping on my own now.’

‘Good night, Alex,’ Rosalind called over her shoulder as she mounted the stairs. She would have liked to kiss him good night, but she had made a firm resolution to resist the overwhelming attraction she felt for him. She kissed Hester on the cheek. ‘Good night, Hester.’

‘Good night, poppet. You’re doing the right thing.’ Hester went into her room and closed the door.

Rosalind sighed as she entered her own room and set the candlestick down on the table by the bed. She undressed slowly, standing in front of the dying embers of the fire. She reached for her nightgown and was about to slip it on when she heard her door creak open.

‘Did you forget something?’ She spun round to see Alex standing in the doorway.

‘What do you think you’re doing? Go away.’ Rosalind backed into the shadows.

‘You don’t mean that, Rosie.’ Alex edged into the room, closing the door behind him.

‘Of course I do. What are you thinking?’

He swayed on his feet. ‘Do you mind if I sit down?’ He moved awkwardly towards the bed and slumped onto it with a groan. ‘This isn’t how I imagined it would be. I’m sorry.’

‘So you should be.’ Rosalind turned away to slip her nightgown over her head. ‘I’ll help you down the stairs, but you must go back to your own bed.’

He nodded. ‘You’re right. I just wanted to be close to you – I shouldn’t have come.’ He lay back against the pillows closing his eyes.

Rosalind moved nearer. ‘Are you in a lot of pain?’

‘Yes, and before you say anything, I know it serves me right. Blame the wine and the Calvados.’

She perched on the edge of the bed, brushing his fair hair back from his forehead. ‘No, I blame you, Alex. This is your fault entirely.’ She pulled the coverlet over him. ‘Go to sleep.’

He opened his eyes. ‘You’re letting me stay?’

‘Only if you behave yourself. If I try to help you down the stairs we’ll almost certainly disturb Hester, and that’s the last thing I want.’

‘I may never get another chance to be with you like this,’ Alex said sleepily.

‘We had our chance to be together two years ago, Alex. It’s too late to change our minds now.’ Rosalind went to sit by the fire, but she became cramped and cold, and in desperation she climbed into bed, keeping as far apart from Alex as was possible. She sank into a deep sleep, comforted by his nearness and the warmth of his body.

Chapter Nine