And again, they simply looked at each other.
“That almost sounds like a challenge,” he said eventually, breaking the heavy silence.
But she was already shaking her head. “It isn’t.” Neither trellis could hold her, let alone him. “Please, please don’t try it.”
“You don’t think it would be romantic if I snuck into your chamber?”
Melanie’s heart stuttered. For a moment, she couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. “I—I?—”
“Forget I said that. I didn’t mean?—”
“No. Of course not.” She hated that she felt awkward. Nothing should feel awkward between the two of them. Especially after tonight…
Still, she could see that his mouth was pressed into a firm line, and a shadow passed over his face.
“I’m sorry,” he said suddenly, surprising her.
“It’s fine, really.”
“Not about…” He gestured toward the trellis—toward her window. “But about everything else.”
Melanie frowned. “I don’t understand.”
“For…” He coughed into his hand. “Decisions I made—that affected you. If I hadn’t told Helton about your visit to theDomus, you wouldn’t have been forced to attend that ball. I wouldn’t have felt compelled to find you there, and…” He shook his head, his demeanor rueful. “None of this would’ve happened.”
Her throat tightened. “So, you’re sorry for… all of it?” Was he sorry about their drive through the park? Those moments by the lake?
For making love to me?
His gaze flicked up to hers, and something in his expression made her chest ache. “Yes.”
Her heart sank. “Really.”
He didn’t answer.
“Are you sorry because you regret it,” she asked, “or because you think you’ve hurt me somehow?”
He paused, his jaw flexing. “Both,” he admitted finally, the single word heavier than she expected. But what if she wasn’t—hurt or sorry?
Of course, he would finally make a real, heartfelt apology—now that she didn’t want him to.
Well.
Melanie looked down, fiddling with the sleeve of her dress.
If he didn’t want to talk about it in a meaningful way, she wouldn’t either.
She blinked away the stinging in her eyes, reluctant to walk away from the window just yet, wanting to keep on hearing his voice.
“I spoke with Josie—about Northwoods,” she blurted out.
“Good.” But he was frowning. At the same time, he looked relieved that she’d changed the subject. Which made her heart even heavier. “If she doesn’t break it off, your brother will do it for her.”
“Perhaps...” Melanie winced. Reed had seemed distracted lately, and Josie… “She’s stubborn, though. And she’s enjoying having an earl’s attention.”
“She’ll have to find a different earl, then.” Malum’s confidence was firmly in place again. “Because he’ll stop sniffing around her, one way or another.”
“How do you know that?”
