Strange Game

Chapter 10

They stop for a quick rest in the inn they came across and Angie walk inside the inn with Lord Lanchester beside her, letting the young earl set the dinner for them as they wouldn't stop until they arrive to Lord Lanchester house. She asks Lord Lanchester the quickest time they will arrive at his country house.

"We will probably arrive by next morning, if we don't come across any obstacle. I took only one day to fetch you, and that was on horseback. The carriage actually came later. As for now, I don't want to overtax you with lengthen journey." They ate their dinner in silence after that, each on their own deep thought. Angie wouldn't even care to think what Lord Lanchester thinks but she caught him stealing a few glance at her with a weird expression. Did she have a smudge on her face or something?

Unconsciously Angie touches her cheek and upper lip, wondering if some of the food had missed its destination.

"Are you cold? Or is the food is not to your taste?" Angie snaps out of her reverie when Lord Lanchester hand touch her cheek and she fail to hold the heated blush from emerging.

"Um...it's nothing. The food is nice." He smile and then pluck a bread crumb off the corner of her lip, grinning wickedly. This time she didn't even attempt to stop the blush. "Oh...!" He chuckle deviously.

"I can see that you really enjoy eating that bread." He laughs and pop the bread crumb on his finger into his mouth. "It is delicious, there's no doubt of it."

"Oh stop! You're a true demon for poking at it. A true gentleman wouldn't even mention about it and let the woman recover her embarrassment." He laughs harder, attracting the crowd. "Lord Lan-"

"It is either Demon or Hughes my lady, or I wouldn't stop laughing out and make you die of embarrassment."

"Demon spawns! That's blackmail!" Lord Lanchester shrug, his lip quirk for another bout of devious laugh. "Alright, I'll call you Hughes, just stop laughing!" He grin in satisfaction and leisurely drank his tea as if he hadn't do anything. Sighing in exasperation, Angie resumes her meal, this time taking great care of eating. Lord Lanchester- now to be call Hughes- left her for awhile to see to their room preparation.

By the time Angie got into her room with Tia, she is bone-weary and nearly collapse on the bed if she hadn't remember she call out for the bath to be bring in. Somehow she is glad that Hughes has thought for her exhaustion and recall that she hadn't rest for the whole day. When the bath is ready, she sinks into the tub gratefully.

Ah damn, he could hear her every movement in the next room and now he stood near the window, far away from the connecting door - and somehow it is no longer a safe distant for him. Why in the world must he put himself in a room next to her? It must be his sanity going thin.

Shaking his head at the direction of his thought, Hughes knocks his head at the window and then winces at the pain, rubbing it. Then to make it pain more, he heard the splash of water and Lady Alistair humming a song. Ah no, he now must call her Angie -or Angel in his mind and not out loud- and suffer every time she utter his name from her delectable looking lip.

Hughes bangs his head on the window again and ignores the pain.

He really must get her out of his system or he will go insane. No, no, he must not think about her, bathtub or the bed.

Hughes hit his head again.

Angie frown when they settle into the carriage, this time Tia is her accompany while Hughes thought of riding. First Angie thought she is imagining it but then when Hughes mounted his horse, she saw the bruise on his forehead.