Henry wanted to ensure his message regarding Grace came across loud and clear, so he grabbed Thomas’s arms and looked him dead in the eye before proceeding. “I want your word that you will not speak to anyone about what you did to Lady Harcourt the other night. I will not have her good name smeared by the likes of you.”
Obviously taken aback by the level of vitriol in Henry’s delivery, Thomas dropped his smarmy smile.
“Because you are Moira’s brother and I have nothing but love and respect for her, I am willing to give you the benefit of the doubt that you will conduct yourself as a gentleman, and we can discuss this issue no further,” Henry said. “If, however, I hear from anyone, anywhere—even ten years from now—that you have hurt Lady Harcourt’s reputation by bragging of a conquest to your friends, I will make you regret it. Are we clear?” he snapped.
Attempting to laugh off the situation, Thomas said, “Your Grace, it was only a little bit of innocent entertainment between two old friends, surely you cannot begrudge a man for taking advantage and having a little fu—”
He was abruptly cut off by Henry placing his arm across his throat, slamming him against the kitchen door.
“The Lady did not want your advances and you had no right to take any liberties without her express permission. She clearly told you no,” Henry seethed. “Even if a lady were to give you permission in a similar situation, as a gentleman, you should give thought to their reputation before deciding to act.” When Thomas opened his mouth to reply, Henry cut him off. “I would think long and hard about what you say next.” He applied more pressure to make his point while being careful not to cut off Thomas’s air supply.
Thomas held up his hands in surrender, and Henry eased away. Realizing he was beaten, Thomas grudgingly said, “I promise I will not mention the incident to anyone. No one needs to know, and I will protect her reputation.”
“Good, now go and sleep it off,” Henry barked as he walked away, releasing Thomas and leaving him doubled over to catch his breath.
Henry was fuming. Thomas’s blasé attitude toward how he had treated Grace reaffirmed everything she had been afraid of yesterday when she asked him to speak to Thomas on her behalf. He was angry with himself for not initially seeing the seriousness of the situation or understanding why Grace had been so concerned.
Stomping off to find breakfast and cool his temper, he decided to find the lady afterward and let her know Thomas would no longer be a problem.
* * *
Later that morning, much less agitated after a delicious morning meal, Henry went to the library at Moira’s direction to speak with Lady Harcourt. Opening the doors to the room, he found Moira’s intuition had been correct. He discovered the lady in question sitting in a window seat, engrossed in a slender volume resting on her lap.
She hadn’t noticed him yet, so Henry took the moment to observe her. She was still a little pale, and the shadows under her eyes hinted at the continued need for sleep, but overall, she appeared to be in much better condition this morning. Though nothing about her appearance was ornate—she was dressed in a muted navy and her hair was styled in an unfussy manner—she was still dazzling. Sitting in the window, the morning sun shone on her bent head, lending her golden hair and skin a glow that made her remaining pallor almost unnoticeable. She was clearly enjoying whatever she was reading, and a corner of her mouth perked up in a half smile while he watched.
As she flipped a page, he could see the dust rise from the noticeably old book and dance in a sunbeam that cut across the room. Her nose scrunched adorably, fighting the tickle from the swirling dust, and Henry felt his heart clench at the action; it was so unguarded and pure. A moment later, she let out a tremendous sneeze that seemed much too large for her diminutive frame. A laugh escaped him before he could contain it and Grace startled as she became aware of his presence.
Blushing deeply, she hung her head as if she were ashamed to be caught in such a position. She hurried to scramble down from the windowsill and snapped the book shut, holding it behind her back.
“I’m sorry, my lady, please forgive me. I didn’t mean to startle you. Please don’t get up on my account, I just wanted to see if you were well this morning.”
“I am quite well. Thank you, Your Grace,” she answered while looking at the floor, cheeks aflame. “I’m afraid you caught me in a guilty pleasure.” She quickly placed the book down, as if it were dangerous and she should not have possession of it.
“Why is reading something you should feel guilty about?” he asked, genuinely curious.
She blushed even deeper, a reaction he found charming, the color spreading down her neck to her chest. “I guess I’m still getting used to reading whenever I feel like it. It was not a pastime my husband or his family approved of,” she said quietly, still staring at the floorboards.
Henry was astounded. “Well, I’m sorry for that,” he said after a moment, unsure how to respond to such an indignity. From what Moira had implied earlier, reading had been a source of joy for her all her life. “You seem better this morning—were you able to rest?” he asked, returning the conversation to her well-being. “I was quite worried for you yesterday. You seemed to be in a great deal of pain.” She finally looked up at him and smiled. He was once again struck by her beauty, even more so when she let out a genuine smile.
“I assure you I am well, Your Grace. I will need to take it slow today, but overall, I feel back to normal.” She looked down again. “I cannot thank you enough for your aid yesterday,” she continued. “I must admit to being embarrassed by the desperate display I presented . . . It was bad enough that I was skirting the rules of decorum by meeting with you—and then to ask for your help as well. It’s quite another thing to then fall ill and require further assistance.” She began wringing her hands, distressed at the idea that she may have put him out.
He grabbed her hands to still them, wanting to put her at ease. He felt her slightly shudder at the contact, but she did not pull away. “Please, think nothing of it. I was not in the least offended, and I can assure you that I was happy I could be of assistance,” he said, smiling down at her.
Grace returned a small smile, barely perceptible at the corners of her mouth, and he was once again transfixed by the plump shape of her lips. “The megrim has released its hold after a long night of needed sleep. And I was able to get some fresh air this morning, which is the best medicine.” Henry was surprised to hear her echoing what he had thought himself on his morning ride.
“Good, I am glad to hear it,” Henry said, before releasing her hands. “I also wanted to let you know that I spoke with Thomas this morning. He should not bother you again, and I believe he will think twice before saying anything about you in company.” His brow furrowed just thinking about the miserable excuse for a man. The fact that he was Moira’s brother was the only thing keeping him from giving Thomas a taste of what he really deserved, but for his friend he would keep himself in check.
“Thank you,” Grace said. “I am sorry I asked you to use your influence in such a way, but I greatly appreciate that it hopefully had the intended effect.”
“If it’s what it took to get him in line, I was more than happy to throw my title around. I never asked for or wanted it, but I’m happy I’ve been able to use it for good,” he told her.
She was puzzled by his cryptic statement, but instead said, “I sincerely appreciate your efforts. I cannot repay you. Hopefully the incident can be laid to rest, and there will be no more danger to finding a good position.”
Henry hated the idea of her needing to work to support herself and felt anger rising within him. Recalling Fitz’s comments about marriage from the day before, he realized that if he were to make her his wife, she would no longer need to worry about her future. The fact that he could help her as she supported him made Henry excited. He would need to think on the idea and use the next few days to learn more about her and see if they could have a life together.
“I’ll take no more of your time,” he informed her, getting ready to take his leave so he could ponder his own next steps. “I hope you will enjoy your book and not feel a shred of guilt about it.”
The image of her delighted face and warm smile at his pronouncement stayed with Henry for the rest of the day.
