As soon as Edwin left the room, Henley stepped forward.“Lady Anna, I thought better of you than this,” he scolded, immediately regretting his words.
He sounded like an old man, not merely three years her senior.
“Pardon?”she replied, tone low.Her cobalt eyes narrowed as she stepped closer.“You are accusing me of impropriety?”
Henley ran his fingers through his hair.“Yes, I believe you put yourself in a position that was unwise.”
“And why are you so concerned?”
“I’m not, really, but what I’m saying is you shouldn’t be in a darkened hall alone with a gentleman,” he lied.
As his eyes darted to her lips, he couldn’t resist watching every expression, studying it, memorizing every nuance.Anna was his little sister’s best friend—not one to be trifled with, no matter how tempting the trifling.
“Ironic, is it not?”she asked, eyes sparkling with irritation.
Henley realized that expression earlier was not indecision but irritation.Damn, she was bolder than he expected.
“Pardon?”He forgot the question—or statement, rather.She stepped closer than he’d ever allowed.
She poked him in the chest.“Turns out it helps when one explains the question, does it not?Since you did an abysmal job of it, I’ll show you how it should be done.”She arched a brow.“You just accused me of disregarding my reputation—very bold of you.”She gave a derisive shake of her head.“Then you proceeded to explain the surroundings, and how I shouldn’t be in those environs with a gentleman.”
Henley nodded.“That about sums it up, Lady Anna.”A hint of sarcasm slipped into his tone.
She narrowed her eyes.
He narrowed his.
Then suddenly, she laughed.The sound was musical and sharp all at once.“Do you truly not see it?”
Henley frowned.Then, for good measure, looked around the vacant hall.
Vacant.
“Oh.”
“Yes, oh,” she mimicked him.“Unless you don’t consider yourself a threat to my reputation equal to that of your brother,” she teased.
Her words echoed in his ears.He was likely the greater threat.But she didn’t know that—and she never would, not if Edwin traveled the route he expected.
No.
Lady Anna would be his sister-in-law.
And he’d watch as the light in her gaze faded once she realized the man she gave her heart to didn’t return the same.It would destroy her from the inside out—and he’d have a front-row seat to the whole tragedy.
She’d want loyalty.
She’d receive none.
“No,” Henley replied.
“No?”she repeated.“You’re not the same threat?I highly doubt anyone would agree with you—but—”
Henley stepped closer, silencing her words.Cobalt eyes clouded with confusion as he reached out and grasped a loose curl, winding it around his finger.
Tugging, he pulled her closer.“No, I am not the same as my brother,” he whispered, eyes roaming her features, gaze landing on her lips.
She swayed forward, then back, swallowing hard—an indication of her confusion.“I never thought you were, but…” She shook her head, unable to finish.
