Page 24 of Snowed In with the Runaway Bride

“I am if you’re with me.” He still looked skeptical, so she said, “The exercise will do me good. Staying immobile is often worse than moving.”

Clearly, he needed a stronger statement from her. Penny cleared her throat and sat up straight against the headboard, meeting his gaze head-on. "I will get dressed and come down to the taproom."

"If you insist," Hugo said.

His relaxed demeanor annoyed her as he continued to lounge at the foot of the bed. He seemed to find her statement amusing, and she scowled at him for not catching her hint.

"You must stand in the hallway while I get dressed."

A tiny smirk came and went across his face. "How will you fasten your dress?"

"I shall call you back when it's time for that."

He nodded and stamped his feet back into his boots as he stood up. He reached for his coat and shrugged it on. "Call me when you are ready, then."

As soon as the door closed behind him, Penny rolled across the bed and slid her legs to the floor so she could grab her traveling bag from Hugo’s side of the bed. Her left hip gave a warning twinge, but otherwise her body obeyed her.

Cautiously, she rose to her feet and took the three steps to the washbasin in the corner. The water in the pitcher was cold, of course, but that was all to the good. After spending the day lounging in bed with only Hugo for company, she was feeling a bit... heated. A cooling cloth and a little soap was exactly what she needed.

She dressed as rapidly as she could in another of her wool gowns and a clean chemise. She was able to lace her stays by herself, but as Hugo had predicted, she would need his help to button the back of her dress.

She hated when he was right.

Her hair was still relatively short after having it cut during her illness, so it was easy for her to brush and re-braid it to wrap into a bun. It was not a fashionable hairstyle, but it would do for this country inn.

Unable to put the moment off any longer, she crossed to the door and opened it. Hugo lounged against the nearest wall, examining his fingernails.

"You can come in."

He followed her in, closing the door as she turned her back to him. She held the dress up to her neck, and he tugged the edges together to do up the hooks, his warm fingers brushing against her upper back above her chemise and stays. The slight roughness of them against her skin caused a peculiar quiver at the pit of her stomach.

"Sorry," he murmured, the word traveling across the nape of her neck in a warm rush as he fastened the last hook. "There you are."

She stepped away, concealing her unease, and fumbled for her half-boots. Had Hugo ever touched her before yesterday? She could not recall him so much as kissing her hand before this. His greetings had always been remote, given from a safe distance away.

It was only being in this small room together that made her feel that way, Penny assured herself. They simply had not spent much time together before this, and now they were forced into each other's company. They were both sensible people, so they were making the best of it.

Nothing more than that.

“I am ready,” she announced, and Hugo opened the door for her with a bow.

Negotiating the steep, narrow stairs down to the taproom was challenging, but Hugo offered her his arm and they went slowly, Penny gaining more confidence as they descended. The inside door to the taproom was propped open, and a flood of voices and light and a few strains of song flowed from it.

Penny stopped, and Hugo halted as well.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

She was about to enter a room full of men, mostly men of the lower classes. Would they stare? Would they catcall? Would they rush to the door to eject her from their masculine company?

"It's all part of the adventure," she whispered to herself, and turned to Hugo with a bright smile. "Nothing wrong. Shall we go in?"

Even at his average height, Hugo had to duck a little to get through the low door. A hush fell over the room as they entered, and Penny could feel her face flush.

"Good evening, gentlemen," she said. Glancing around, she could see she was the only woman present save the innkeeper’s wife and one of their older daughters. Her knees threatened to give way, but she stiffened them.

For a long moment, they only looked back at her. Then, one by one, they rose to their feet, nudging their fellows who were slower to rise, the few wearing caps snatching them from their heads as they nodded respectfully to her.

"Come take our table, missus," one man said from the corner. She glanced at Hugo, who gave her a tiny nod, and then turned to smile at the man.