“I know.”
He raked a hand through his hair, resenting the barriers between them. Resenting the fact that he and she came from such different worlds that they couldn’t have a conversation without sneaking around. His gut seized as he recognized the parallels between the present situation and the one with Chun.
The same mistake, his inner voice sneered. When will you learn that you are not good enough? How many people have to get hurt?
“Tomorrow,” Glory said softly. “Could you meet me at Livy’s? Around one o’clock?”
Shutting out the voice, he forced himself to nod.
“You…you’re not angry, are you?”
The uncertainty in her eyes cut through his brooding. With her hair tumbling over her shoulders and dressed in a man’s shirt, she looked achingly young and beautiful. Despite everything, temptation gripped him.
“Never at you, little tigress.” He brushed a finger beneath her chin. “I will see you tomorrow.”
He left…while he could still make himself do so.
Twenty-Three
The next morning, Glory sat curled up on a chaise in her bedchamber. Shifu Lam’s book of precepts lay open on her lap, but she couldn’t concentrate. She was on pins and needles, waiting for the time when she could leave to meet Wei. Despite the incandescent pleasure they’d shared—or, more accurately, that he’d given her—their parting had left her feeling unsure about where things stood between them.
It wasn’t just that they hadn’t had time to discuss the future. Before Wei left, his mood had turned brooding…and she didn’t know why.
Did he regret making love to me again? Was I too wanton to let him kiss me on my…my pussy? But it was his idea, and he seemed to enjoy it. Or maybe I wasn’t brazen enough. Maybe I ought to have done something for him…
Her cheeks flamed as she realized how inexperienced she must seem to a worldly man like Wei. What if she didn’t measure up to the lovers he’d had in the past? What if she wasn’t good at lovemaking and had disappointed him in some way?
A knock interrupted her spiraling thoughts.
“Come in,” she said hastily.
Mama entered, her rose satin skirts rustling. “Hello, dearest. I wanted to catch you before you left for Lady Olivia’s.”
Glory set aside her book. “Was there something in particular you wanted, Mama?”
“Nothing in particular. I just wished to chat.”
Obligingly, Glory made room on the chaise, and her mother sat beside her, their voluminous skirts brushing.
“What do you want to chat about?” she asked.
Mama’s emerald gaze was disturbingly keen.
“You know I have always respected your independence, dearest. Especially now that you are almost one-and-twenty and capable of making your own decisions. But no matter what, I am your mama, and I hope you feel that you can confide in me about anything.”
Glory felt a pang of guilt because she couldn’t discuss the two most pressing concerns in her life. Her work with the Angels had to be concealed for obvious reasons, and her relationship with Wei was too tenuous and complicated to address. While Mama was no snob, she would likely have concerns about the differences in Glory and Wei’s backgrounds, and she definitely would not approve of the intimacies they’d shared.
Glory settled for, “I know, Mama.”
“I am glad. You and I…we’ve been through so much together, haven’t we?” Mama took Glory’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “From the fossils shop in Dorset to this.”
She waved at the chamber, referring, Glory understood, to their life of luxury.
“Through it all, you have been true to yourself, and I have always admired that,” Mama said.
“I learned it from you,” Glory said sincerely. “You and Aunt Hypatia taught me to be independent and free-thinking.”
“I suppose we did, didn’t we?” Mama’s reminiscent smile faded. “I know life as a debutante hasn’t been easy, especially with Papa’s political work bringing attention to our family.”
