He watched her face carefully before answering. “Let us consider this objectively. I told you that my grandmother was in poor health and asked that you not speak to her until she was ready, and you disobeyed me.”
“Andyouadmitted that I did not have all the facts needed to understand her condition!” Bridget snapped.
“Because I did not trust you.”
“You still do not trust me!”
Lewis grimaced, an ugly knot of guilt twisting in his chest. She was entirely right.
“It is not that I distrust you,” Lewis said.
“It clearly is.”
Lewis took a steadying breath. “Fine. I doubted your motivations, but you must understand that my grandmother is my only surviving relative.”
“Iknow.”
“She is one of the most important people in my life. It is my duty to protect her, and I must ensure that she is safe.”
“She is. From me,” Bridget retorted. “She likes me, and her condition has improved since meeting me. Any reasonable person, anyone who wants to protect the Dowager Duchess, would believe those are good things! I cannot please you, no matter what I do!”
Did she truly believe that about him?
“That is untrue,” Lewis said. “You have pleased me. I just want to be certain that you have no malicious intentions towards my grandmother.”
“I do not. I doubt that you believe me, though.”
Bridget’s face was flushed with fury. Her eyes gleamed with such intensity that Lewis was left nearly breathless. His eyes dipped down to her chest, which rose and fell more quickly than it usually did. Lewis was reminded of an avenging angel, of a woman who had been wronged and was determined to have vengeance for herself. She was beautiful like that, as strong as iron.
“I do believe you,” he said, his voice raw.
She snorted hotly and crossed her arms over her chest.
“You can believe menow,” Lewis said. “I should not have doubted you.”
“No,” Bridget said.
Her anger did not abate, and though he knew that it was irrational, Lewis found that his desire for her grew stronger with every passing second.
Lewis sighed. “I made an error in judgment.”
“Yes,” she said. “Now, you can deal with the consequences of thaterror in judgment. I am furious.”
Lewis clenched his jaw. She was right to be angry with him, as loathe as he was to admit it. Worse, he could not bring himself to care about her fury as much as he ought to. She was beautiful, glorious, and he wanted nothing more than to take her into his bed chamber and consummate their marriage at last.
He had spent so long promising to reward a proper duchess, but this angry woman, this defiant woman, was far more appealing than the dutiful, compliant one ever had been.
“I can tell,” he said. “A duchess should manage her anger more gracefully.”
Her face hardened with indignation. “And now, you have the audacity to criticize my behavior? A husband ought to trust his wife!”
Lewis’s blood ran hot, as he gazed at her. His desire to assuage the guilt blooming in his chest warred with his want to see her even angrier, lost in the throes of her righteous fury.
“Perhaps the wife should be less conniving!”
That was true, admittedly.
Bridget inhaled sharply. “No,” she said. “You do not get to make this my fault somehow. You made the error by not trusting me! I am only trying to be a good granddaughter-in-law.”
