“I would like to think I know enough. Especially when you smile, as you do it so often. Right now, you are smiling, but I can tell that it is not genuine. It is one that is masking something deeper behind it.”
“Very well then. You are quite observant, I’ll give you that,” he said with a shrug of his shoulders.
“Observant? Does that mean I am also correct?” she pressed.
She did not know what her goal was in finding out his true feelings. Perhaps when he admits them, she could try to make him feel better then.
She just wanted to see him smiling and happy again, as she knew him.
“I only said observant.” He gave her a sheepish smile. “Don’t you tire out, Frances?”
Frances self-consciously glanced at the clock. It was late already.
“I suppose I will retire to bed soon?—”
“That’s not what I meant.” He chuckled loudly, seeming thoroughly amused. “I meant, do you never tire out by always looking out for everyone? The twins, your family, and now… me. You even have a soft spot for my horrid mother.”
“Oh…” Frances pursed her lips. “I suppose it’s just something that comes naturally to me. I have never quite put too much thought into it.”
He was staring at her intently again. Leaning forward, he brushed a strand of her hair from her face. His fingers lingered just a second longer than they ought, andher breath hitched in her throat.
Suddenly, she wanted to kiss him again. They were in the privacy of her room and would not be interrupted.
But before things could escalate, Christopher withdrew his hands and folded them on his lap.
“It’s quite rare,” he admitted in a low whisper. “The kind of person that you are. I do not think I have ever met someone as selfless as you.”
Frances’s cheeks burned at the comment. Surely, he was being a little too kind to her.
“I just wanted to thank you again today. You were there to protect the twins from my mother before I even knew what was going on,” he continued. “And you were there for them when they needed you.”
“I owe you a thank you as well,” she admitted, but he hushed her straight away.
“There is no need for that. When I married you, I promised to protect you as well. If anything, this incident has taught me that I need to do a better job at it.”
Their gaze met again, and tension crackled in the air between them.
“I should like to ask you this one last time,” she pressed. “Are you truly alright?”
Perhaps it was the vulnerability of the moment or the soft manner in which she had asked him, but he finally relented.
“I’m fine, Frances. Just… still processing everything. You should not worry so much.”
Frances gazed at him, her hand cupping his cheek. “You don’t have to hide how you’re feeling from me. I will not judge you for anything.”
“I am aware.” A smile tugged at his lips.
“Then why the hesitation?”
Christopher sighed, leaning into her touch. “It’s just… my mother always knows how to get under my skin. And the things she said about the boys… it dredged up a lot of old anger.”
Frances nodded, understanding. “That must be hard. But you handled it well.”
Christopher’s smile softened, becoming more genuine. “Now, no more talk about this. We should only focus on the happy things from now on.”
“As you wish.”
He got up to take his leave, kissing her forehead lightly. Tingles rushed through her entire body. It was such a simple gesture, but it was also so intimate.
