Say You Love Me by Johanna Lindsey

sturdily made, no drafts sneaking in through cracked or rotting boards. All it really needed was a good cleaning and a few necessities to make it quite cozy.
    After a sigh over the condition of the place, Derek fetched an armload of firewood from a shed that was out back and got a fire going. Dusting his hands off after he’d finished, he turned to Kelsey expectantly.
    “I need to check in at the house,” he told her, “to let them know I’ve arrived. I’d as soon it not become common knowledge who you are and why you’re here, so the less people who see you, the better. I’ve never kept a woman here before, you understand, and having it known will raise brows among my staff and get back to m’father, which I’d rather not happen. But I’ll have bedding and other essentials sent down to you, and return shortly m’self. You’ll be all right here alone for a little while?”

    “Certainly,” Kelsey replied.
    He gave her a bright smile, apparently pleased that she wasn’t going to complain about the accommodations. “Splendid. And perhaps dinner in town when I return? They have several excellent eating establishments as I recall, and it’s only about a mile from here.” He said that as he approached her, where she was sitting at the table, and he bent to give her a brief kiss. “I’m looking forward to tonight, m’dear. I hope you are as well.”
    The blush was quick to come, but he didn’t stay to notice. Kelsey sighed as the door closed behind him. Tonight? No, she wasn’t looking forward to it in the least. And to keep her mind from dwelling on it, she set about doing what she could in the way of cleaning after a bit of exploring turned up two crates in the shed out back, one filled with broken dishes, the other with a bucket and rags.
    She made use of the rags, dusting the few pieces of furniture and wiping down the windows and the few empty kitchen cupboards. But there wasn’t much else she could do without some strong soap and a broom. So she was soon back to waiting for Derek’s return and the arrival of the things she needed to make the cottage habitable.
    It was soon dark, however, and the strain of the day was fast catching up to her. Kelsey had been much more comfortable sitting on his lap for that short while in the carriage than sitting across from him the rest of the day, knowing he was watching her, wonderingwhat he was thinking. That had been quite tiring indeed. So she was asleep in the stuffed chair with only a single blanket and the fire for warmth before anyone came by.

11
    Kelsey had no idea what to think when she awoke the next morning to find the cottage just as it had been the previous night. Apparently Derek hadn’t returned, or if he had, he hadn’t bothered to wake her. Obviously he hadn’t stayed, because he wasn’t there now. Neither were the essentials he’d promised would be delivered.
    She fretted about it for several hours, wondering what could have happened to change his plans. Nothing occurred to her. And all she could do was wait. He’d made it clear, before he left her the night before, that he didn’t want her appearing on his doorstep, so she couldn’t even go looking for him to find out what had happened.
    At least the basket that Mrs. Hershal had had prepared for her, and that she’d never gotten around to opening yesterday, had been brought into the cottage. She was ravenous. Upon examining the basket, she found a plate of assorted pastries wrapped in a towel and a jar of jam with a knife for spreading it.
    The four pastries, stale now, would haveserved her well enough for her missed breakfast yesterday. Today, however, having missed her dinner last night as well, they didn’t keep her belly quiet for more than a few hours, making her wish that she’d slept longer, rather than waking with the first daylight that slipped through the curtainless windows.
    Toward noon, she was too worried to heed Derek’s warning about not raising eyebrows with her