When sun's first rays stained the horizon, Damien shook Penelope awake.
He was careful to keep his eyes firmly on her face.
Penelope's eyes opened sleepily, and then with a start when she noticed that it was a man who had stirred her.
Moments after, the night's events came flooding back, and she lurched up soon enough, keen to arrange herself in a less vulnerable position.
"Dawn is breaking," Damien said simply. "I'll send you back before the servants discover you are gone."
Damien had not allowed himself to sleep. As he stared into the leaping flames during the darkest hours of the night, his mind replayed the scene at the garden, and what would happen if they had been caught and accused of rendezvousing.
There was no doubt that both he and his father would lose their jobs, if not worse.
But another part of him was intrigued by Penelope.
Working in the garden, he had caught glimpses of her here and there, but always with an entourage of servants and guards.
He had thought that she was an aloof, stuck-up mistress, as most of the affluent were prone to be.
But her meek, casual disposition had taken him aback.
Up close, Damien also noticed that she had kind, delicate features, complemented by her expressive almond eyes.
Remembering the way her body leaned against his and the forbidden glimpse of her breast, Damien felt a sudden surge of attraction, strong enough that he had to stop himself from walking over to her sleeping form and laying his hands on her.
Pushing away the thrumming pulse of desire, he turned his thoughts once more to the consequences of getting close to Penelope.
That helped to tamper any urge he might have toward her.
Now, in the morning light, Penelope looked slightly petulant at the situation she had gotten into.
Gathering herself, she silently followed Damien out of the cottage, and in 10 minutes, found herself at a familiar spot in the garden.
Damien nodded at her to go on by herself, and quickly turned his back.
After standing still for a second, Penelope darted to the manor's walls, checking that no one was around before she opened a door that blended into the stone wall.
That obscure passageway was how she had gotten out last night undetected, and Penelope was quite sure that she was the only one who knew about it, having discovered it by accident.
Unbeknown to her, however, Damien had not yet left, and was instead observing her from a calculated distance...