“I’m not saying she’s off without a care,” Celia said. “But some tension goes out of her shoulders whenever you come into a room.”
“I also see the difference,” Rosalinde agreed. “But you know, we haven’t known Felicity long. Only in the past year or so.”
He frowned as he thought of the Felicity he’d known years before that. Before her marriage. “She wasn’t always so…”
“Sad?” Celia finished when he didn’t.
He shook his head. “Broken,” he whispered, and felt the pain of how true that was keenly. “She is broken and I have no idea how to help her.”
Celia caught her breath. “I know a little something about broken,” she said. “My best advice to you is to be patient with her. Obviously your history with this family is…complicated. But Rosalinde and I are here to help you any way we can.”
Asher looked back and forth between the women in surprise. Help him? They barely knew him. “Why?” he asked.
Rosalinde took her sister’s hand. “We have lost family,” she said softly. “We know its value.”
“Lost,” Asher repeated. “You mean your mother, what we talked about last night at supper.”
Celia nodded slowly. “That, but there is more to the story.”
“But it’s too long to tell now. Perhaps someday,” Rosalinde said.
Asher looked at them closely. He found himself wanting to know their story. “I look forward to that day,” he said. “And I appreciate the kindness you have offered to me and to Felicity.”
Before either woman could answer, Felicity stepped through the door to the breakfast room. When she saw them all gathered, she came to a halt, watching as Asher rose to greet her. A bright blush darkened her cheeks as she darted her gaze away from him, bringing to mind the same blush that had covered her cheeks and chest when he brought her to orgasm in his bed the night before.
“Good morning,” she said, “I didn’t expect such a full room.”
“It seems everyone is up early today, for Gray and John are in the office looking over something.” Celia laughed as she came to kiss Felicity’s cheek. “Only Stenfax and Elise haven’t joined us.”
Rosalinde smiled. “But they are newlyweds.”
Felicity’s blush darkened further and Asher stepped toward her. “I should likely join the gentlemen in their discussion, I suppose.”
She swallowed hard and reached for him, surprising him by laying a gentle hand on his arm. “I—would you like to take a turn around the garden with me first? I have something I’d like to discuss with you.”
He arched a brow, for he hadn’t expected her to reach out to him first. But there was a wary expression in her eyes as she jerked her hand away from him like she hadn’t meant to touch him.
And he had a sinking feeling he knew exactly what she wanted to discuss.
“Certainly,” he said. “Let us go now, shall we?”
She smiled at the other two women before she stepped from the room without waiting for him. As Asher turned back to say farewell to the sisters, he found them standing together.
Patience, Celia mouthed as Rosalinde smiled in encouragement toward him.
He nodded and followed Felicity out. Only he wasn’t sure patience was going to help him. Not if she was about to reject him.
Felicity could hardly breathe as she walked through the garden paths with Asher at her side. The morning sun was only just beginning to warm the cool autumn air, and she pulled her shawl around her as she shivered.
“Do you need something?” he asked. “My jacket?”
She turned to face him. The very idea of stripping that jacket off of him and wrapping it, along with his heat and his scent, around herself was tempting, indeed. It put her to mind of the night before, when he had covered her body with his. When he had drawn such pleasure from her.
“It might not be wise,” she said. “I’m not really cold. Just…nervous.”
He let out a long breath. “Are you all right?”
She bit her lip gently and considered the question. Then she found herself answering honestly. “I…don’t know, Asher.”
