Louisa’s hand dropped to his chest, and he fell under her spell as she gazed down at him.
“Tell me.”
He sighed, annoyed with himself that she should have so much power over him that he would collapse at her command.
“It’s just… You needn’t say things if they aren’t true.”
“What have I said that wasn’t true?”
“Nothing. I mean, I believe you are proud to be my wife, but perhaps, not more than anyone else’s.”
“And whose wife would I have been better suited—oh.”
The heavy truth seemed to drop on his chest.
“Yes. Well.” He turned his body to roll, but to his surprise she brought her other hand to his chest and held him still.
He could have shifted and rolled her off him with ease, but the determined look in her eyes caused him to still as he waited for her to speak.
“I did love John, Rhys, but it wasn’t like this,” she started, her voice so soft that he strained to hear as he watched her lips. “It was unadulterated and gentle, almost too pure to be anything real, if that make sense.” It didn’t, but he remained quiet. “But the love I feel for you is so much more. It’s tangible and real and physical.” A blush appeared on her cheeks and though she continued to speak, all Rhys could focus on was that she loved him. “It’s a love I never knew existed.”
“I feel the same way,” he said, sitting up as she shifted her hips to sit next to him on the floor. “I didn’t think that this was even possible.” Lifting his hand, he stroked her cheek as his insides twisted in trepidation before his confession. “I love you, Louisa. Truly and without reservation.”
“You do?”
He nodded as his hand drifted into her thick auburn locks at the back of her head and pulled her gently towards him. He brushed his lips against hers before whispering, “Yes.” Then he kissed her deeply and neither of them left the floor that night.
Chapter Ten
Although Louisa hadn’tdecided what to tell her sister the following morning, she was sure it would be difficult. While Kitty had always been rather practical, she was equally stubborn. If Louisa tried to explain Rhys’s decision to test Lord Dawson, Kitty would react one of two ways. Either she would be furious about Rhys and Louisa trying to manage her and Lord Dawson, or she would be furious that they had lied to her about her pin money.
Louisa knew it was going to be a significant argument, and so she was slow to dress that morning. Thankfully, Rhys had tried to reassure her.
“You’ve said it yourself. Kitty is practical,” he said as they exited their bedroom. “She may not like what I did, but surely, she’ll be able to see the reasoning behind it.”
“I don’t doubt she’ll understand it. But that won’t stop her from being angry.” Their voices lowered as they descended the staircase. “Particularly at me.”
“But you didn’t have anything to do with it.”
“No, but that won’t save me,” Louisa said as they reached the bottom landing. “Kitty will think it was all my idea and that’s what I’m prepared for.”
They had barely turned to enter the dining room when Mrs. Crawford came rushing out into the foyer.
“Lieutenant, Mrs. Carlyle,” she said. “The carriage carrying Miss Babcock and Lord Dawson is no longer in the stable.”
Louisa stared.
“Excuse me?”
“It’s not in the stable and neither Miss Babcock nor Lord Dawson are in their rooms. All their things are missing too.”
“Oh no,” she whispered, turning to Rhys. “She’s run away.”
“Or she’s been kidnapped,” Rhys said, standing up. “Ready my horse.”
“Yes sir.”
“Kidnapped? Oh, no, I don’t think, er, wait. Where are you going?”
