Stay with me
When we reached the entrance, the Duke turned to me, still pale but managing a shaky smile. "Lady Ciara, you have… exceeded our expectations," he said, his voice trembling slightly. "We are in your debt."
"Damn right you are," I muttered under my breath, crossing my arms over my chest. "But let's skip the groveling. What do you want?"
The Duke cleared his throat, looking even more nervous now. "Ah, yes. We would be honored if you and Lady Cassandra would stay as our guests for the night. We have the finest accommodations, and it would be a chance to show our gratitude."
I raised an eyebrow, glancing over at Cassandra. She was looking at me with a mix of curiosity and something else I couldn't quite place. Maybe she was waiting for my reaction, or maybe she was hoping for a different outcome. Either way, the thought of staying here another minute, let alone a whole night, made my skin crawl.