Married By Midnight by Julianne MacLean Page A

skulking about in the corridors? Was it you I saw a moment ago?”
    “ What do you mean?”
    He gazed at her for a strange, shivery moment that seemed to pulse through his veins. “I saw someone running...I think. Someone dressed in white.”
    She turned the other way. “It couldn’t have been me. I only just came out of my room this moment.” She gestured toward the door. “This is my room, right here.”
    He turned to glance at it.
    At least now he knew where she slept—a necessary piece of information for the wedding night when he would enjoy the pleasure of consummating the marriage.
    All of a sudden he lost himself in a fantasy of removing her nightdress and running his hands over those sweet, naked curves. The wedding night would be a great pleasure indeed.
    Anne gazed at him for a lingering moment, as if unsure what to do. Perhaps she had recognized the lust in his eye and was concerned he had come here to seduce her. It was not an unreasonable assumption after the way he behaved the night before.
    In an effort to ease her mind, he let out a soft chuckle. “I believe Charlotte is up to something.”
    Anne’s shoulders immediately relaxed and she exhaled a breath. “Ah, that makes sense. Thank heavens. I was beginning to think this place was truly haunted, and I’m not sure I could have held on to my courage until Christmas.”
    She shivered and rubbed a hand over her upper arm.
    “ Are you cold?”
    “ A little. Thank you, by the way, for lending me your dinner jacket last night.”
    “ It was no trouble,” he replied, wondering what would happen if he offered her his robe now and invited her back to his room to sit by the fire and sip some brandy. He let his gaze roam leisurely down the length of her lovely body. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t seem to keep from imagining all sorts of wicked, sensual delights.
    “ And we won the race,” she quickly added, as if struggling to fill the silence so he couldn’t suggest a chancy drink by the fire. “I quite enjoyed myself.”
    “ As did I. The cake was delicious tonight.” For a fiery instant he wasn’t sure if he could wait until the wedding night to touch her again. His desire for her was palpable, like some sort of erotic drug taking over his senses.
    When his desires began to feel more like some form of torture, he decided it was time to say goodnight and return to bed, but another moan caused them both to jump.
    “ Did you hear that?” Anne asked.
    Garrett raised his candle high over their heads. Together they hurried to the end of the corridor and spotted another flash of white heading into the south wing.
    “ It’s my father,” Garrett said. “He must be having some sort of episode. We should get him back to his room.”
    They both hurried to pursue him.
    “ Father, wait!” Garrett shouted as they drew closer. “Let us help you!”
    The duke halted and swung around. His face was ghostly white and creased with a wretched look of terror. He dropped to his knees and cupped his hands together as if in prayer.
    “ Are you all right, Your Grace?” Anne asked, kneeling down beside him and laying a hand on his shoulder.
    “ I couldn’t find my way back,” he replied. “I’m so frightened.”
    “ There’s nothing to be frightened of. We’ll help you.” Garrett pulled his father gently to his feet.
    Anne and Garrett walked on either side of the duke, quietly leading the way.
    “ Did you have a bad dream?” Anne asked.
    The duke regarded her with confusion. “I don’t know. I can’t remember.”
    They walked in silence until they reached the duke’s door and all three entered the chamber.
    “ Everything will be all right now,” Garrett said as he helped his father into bed and covered him with the blankets.
    The duke’s stricken eyes darted back and forth between the two of them. “It’s so cold outside. There is a curse on the palace, you know. If it freezes, the palace will shatter like glass.”
    Garrett took