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“Your head was falling forward. When did you last sleep?”

“Last night.”

“That was not the question.”

Judith sighed. “There was a problem with one of the guest rooms, and Lady Dunsmore’s megrim began shortly after midnight. Then the dogs started barking because someone had shut them out of her room.”

“A national emergency.”

“At Blackthorn it very nearly qualifies.”

“You cannot investigate secret passages tonight if you are like to fall down one of the staircases before we discover anything.”

Judith gave him a look of condemnation but settled farther into the sofa.

One of the spaniels, apparently deciding Baines had been forgiven, climbed onto his boot and curled there. Baines chose not to acknowledge the surrender.

Judith laughed, then covered a yawn with one hand.

Baines raised his brows.

“I shall rest for ten minutes, if it will prevent you from becoming unbearable.”

“My dear Judith, nothing can prevent that.”

He expected her to close her eyes against the back of the sofa. Instead, after a moment’s hesitation, she shifted slightly towards him. Baines held his breath lest she change her mind. Judith rested her head upon his shoulder, then snuggled closer.

There were battles for which a man trained his entire adult life and nevertheless found himself entirely unprepared. This was apparently one of them. He looked down at the top of her head.

She adjusted her head against his shoulder, and her hand came to rest loosely upon his forearm. The movement brought her closer until the warmth of her body rested along his side. Baines looked towards the ceiling. He had hoped, rather optimistically, for another kiss.

He had imagined several possibilities on the ride back from the cottage, most of which had involved Judith looking at him as she had beside the stream and none of which had included Lady Dunsmore’s spaniels or a sleeping woman on his shoulder.

He discovered, to his considerable alarm, that this was better. Judith trusted him enough to sleep.

The realization settled somewhere beneath his ribs with a weight that had nothing to do with desire. Within minutes her breathing had changed. The tension left her hand where it rested upon his arm, and her head grew heavier against him.

Horatio snored upon his boot. The other spaniel climbed onto the sofa, circled twice and settled against Judith’s skirts as though Baines’ earlier victory had never occurred.

He considered objecting but decided the campaign had reached an honourable settlement.

Baines looked down at her. He brushed one escaped curl very gently away from her cheek. She did not wake.

“Dangerous woman,” he murmured.

Horatio opened one eye.

Baines looked at him. “Not a word.”

The dog yawned and went back to sleep.

Baines settled more comfortably against the sofa, careful not to disturb Judith. He would wake her shortly, he told himself. Ten minutes, as agreed, perhaps fifteen because she plainly needed it.

Half an hour later, when the clock struck again and Judith remained asleep against his shoulder, Baines was still sitting exactly where she had joined him.

The hidden passage could wait a little longer.

CHAPTER 14