Bridget had spent days longing for him, imagining Lewis coming to the townhouse and sweeping her into his arms like some romantic hero. That would probably not happen. It had taken Lewis so long to come to her; he had probably spent all those days thinking of the best way to be rid of her.
But what would he do? Would Lewis want to annul the marriage, or would he simply insist that she spend her time in the countryside, largely apart from him? Bridget bit her lip. “I will see him.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
As Halls went to fetch her husband, Bridget set her book aside and clasped her hands together in her lap. She steeled herself forthe encounter, determined to appear poised and confident, even if this might be the last time Lewis ever spoke to her.
When he entered the drawing room, anything Bridget might have said left her at once. Her eyes hungrily took in his massive form, his broad shoulders and trim waist emphasized by his blue jacket. Bridget’s eyes drifted to his handsome face, his strong jaw and his intense eyes. Lewis was just as attractive as she remembered. Once, she had thought it unfair that such a handsome man could be so infuriating. An ache of longing twisted in her chest, as she looked at her husband for the first time in weeks. He was such a handsome man, and she wanted to be everything for him.
“Bridget,” he said.
She stood with all the grace she could muster and squared her shoulders. Bridget would be brave and firm. She would not beg for another chance but would, instead, accept his decision—even if it broke her own heart. “Lewis.”
“I want to apologize for how I have treated you,” Lewis said.
Bridget blinked. “Why would you…” She trailed off, uncertain if she had heard him properly.
What would he need to apologize for? She was the one who had upset him.
Maybe Lewis was going to apologize for marrying her; he would tell her that he was wrong to think their marriage could work.
“I have some things that I would like to say,” Lewis continued. “Please, let me.”
Bridget took a shuddering breath and nodded.
Lewis sat on the sofa, keeping a respectable distance between himself and Bridget. She sat, resisting the impulse to move nearer to him.
“When we married, I knew that you were a young, romantic girl,” Lewis said. “You wanted a marriage built on a foundation of love and mutual respect, and I married you fully believing that I would never give that to you. I should not have done that.”
It was her worst fears realized. Bridget forced down the lump in her throat, trying not to let her thoughts run away from her.
“I was selfish, and I did not open myself up to you, like you wanted—no, like you deserved. I should have given you everything you wanted. The truth is that you deserve someone who loves you, Bridget.”
She stared at him in disbelief. How was that confession meant to make her feel? Bridget’s body was cold and hot all at once.
“I want to be that man. If you just give me another chance, I promise I can be. I will never deny your needs again,” Lewis said,shifting closer to her. “You have changed my life for the best. And not just my life! My staff adores you. My grandmother left her house for the first time in decades because of you.”
Bridget’s throat was heavy and thick. “You—did you assume that I was angry with you?”
“Of course,” he said. “Why else would you have left without sending me any word of where you had gone?”
Bridget’s eyes widened. “But I did!” she exclaimed. “I wrote a letter for you, explaining everything. My sister had her baby, and she needed my help.”
“I never received a letter,” Lewis said, his face uncharacteristically hesitant. “I assumed that you had gone to be away from me.”
Bridget gasped and shook her head. “No, I would never. I just—is that why you did not come to me?”
“Of course. I thought you needed time to yourself,” Lewis said. “And I had no notion of where you might be. When I read in the papers that your sister had a baby, I assumed you would be here.”
Bridget let out a small, anxious laugh. “No, no…the entire family was here for Dorothy’s birth, everyone except for you.”
“I am sorry.”
At his apology, something within Bridget broke. Her eyes burned with newly formed tears, and when she inhaled, her breath ached inside her chest. “I wish you had been here,” she said. “You would have been so proud of me. I did so well with everything. When Dorothy’s baby was coming, I sent for the physician and took charge. I sent you a letter telling you what was happening. And I helped Catherine and Elias look after Dorothy every day.”
The weight of it all suddenly fell upon her shoulders, so crushing that she found it difficult to breathe.
“I am always proud of you,” Lewis said.
