Bennett had not gone far.
The carriage rolled slowly through the rain-soaked streets, wheels cutting through shallow puddles as the gas lamps outside blurred into long golden streaks behind the window glass. Inside, Bennett sat stiffly on the velvet seat, gloved hands clasped so tightly his knuckles showed white. His back was straight, posture perfect, but his thoughts were anything but orderly.
He should have stayed with Noel.
The realisation sat heavy in his chest, growing sharper with every passing second. Leaving Noel alone... after the evening they had just shared, after the tension that still crackled between them like static. It felt wrong to leave. Cowardly. Weak.
'I should have walked him to his door,' Bennett thought grimly. 'I should have stayed. At least until he was inside. At least until I knew he was safe. That house isn't safe for him.'
Rain hammered harder against the roof, like an angry drum that matched the pulse in his throat.
