“Very good,” Smith said. “I’ll pass that along immediately. Additionally, they had some news regarding the bridge.”
Charlotte froze, staring at him. News about the bridge meant news about the families coming. About this private hideaway being turned back into a public place. About whatever was between her and Ewan ending because she knew he would never allow it to exist back in the normal world.
She felt Ewan’s hand on her arm, and she jerked her face to look at him. He was looking at her in question and he signed, “Did you catch that?”
She shook her head. “No, I’m sorry. What was it?”
Smith cleared his throat. “The men rode horses over it today. The water was never high enough to clear the passway and they feel it’s solid. Now that the river is down so far, there is no reason the rest couldn’t join your party.”
“When?” Charlotte whispered even as Ewan signed the same single word.
“This evening,” Smith said, almost apologetically. “If you’d like for them to send word and help the families move from the inn in Donburrow, they could be with you this evening.”
Charlotte turned to Ewan and found he was staring right back. She lifted her hands, signing, “Should I tell him to send for them?”
He was steady, not looking away, his dark eyes searching her face. Then he found the notebook in his pocket and wrote a brief note. He handed it over to Smith and the man glanced over it before he said, “Yes, sir. I’ll make the arrangements. Good afternoon.”
Charlotte stared in confusion as the butler bowed his exit and left them alone again. She swallowed hard. “What did you tell him?”
“To give it one more night,” he signed as he moved toward her. He touched her chin, tilting it up as he lowered his lips toward hers. He kissed her, gentle but filled with promise, then pulled away. “I need one more night.”
“So do I,” she said, her voice cracking as she reached for his hand. He allowed it, his fingers threading through hers, and he squeezed gently.
She didn’t say anything else, but just led him from the room. Led him down the halls, led him up the stairs and to his chamber.
She knew that this last night would change nothing that had passed between them. She knew that he was determined and stubborn in what he thought he could and could not do. But it didn’t matter. Tonight wasn’t about the future or the past. It was about the moment. And she wasn’t about to throw this moment away.
Not when it might be the last one he ever allowed.
The sun had set hours before and Ewan had thrown logs on the fire after the last time they’d made love. They’d eaten a cold supper in his chamber, Charlotte clad only in his shirt, he in his robe. Now they were back in his bed, her body half out of the covers as he traced a hand along her naked side.
Her eyes fluttered shut and she sighed in that ragged way that let him know he was touching her in a way that gave her pleasure. And how he loved to give her pleasure. Watching her face contort with it was better than any other thing in the world.
Causing her pain was worse. Today he’d done both. In rapid succession, actually. But she’d said nothing about his confession that he’d never have a child. In fact, she didn’t seem to want to discuss anything else on the subject. That fact relieved and grieved him in equal measure.
“What are you thinking about?” she whispered, her green eyes coming open and snaring his.
“How do you know I’m thinking?” he signed after he reluctantly lifted a hand from her skin.
She smiled. “Sometimes you thinkveryloudly. I can almost hear it.”
He let out his breath. “Just that this is our last night,” he said.
Her smile fell. “I am tryingnotto think of that. But I suppose we must discuss it. In two days it will be Christmas and then only another week before we all return to London after the new year.”
He glanced away. He actually had not intended to return to London with the rest. He hated spending time there and avoided the city whenever possible.
“You must come,” Charlotte said, reading those thoughts that must have been very loud, indeed. “Emma is due to her have her baby soon, and Graham and Adelaide are marrying. Youcan’tmiss those moments.”
He shifted. As always, it was his friends that kept him in the loop, drawing him in like he belonged in their circle. With them, with her, he always felt like he did. “Yes, you are right about that. But I’m not certain what we are discussing.”
“We’ll have another nine days,” she said. “Do you intend to just pretend this…thing between us never happened?”
“Should I tell everyone it did?” he signed, trying to lighten the mood with a smile. “I can imagine Baldwin and your mother would take the news of our affair very well.”
She didn’t laugh along with him, but reached up to trace his lips with her fingertips. “You know that’s not what I mean. You know I’m talking about between you and me. Will you avoid me? Will this truly be our last night together, not just our last night alone?”
He shut his eyes for a beat. Everything that was rational and fair in him told him to cut off this affair now. It was a reasonable stopping point with the families coming. When they went back to London, they certainly couldn’t continue. Charlotte had already said she would reenter Society. What good would it do to drag out the end that would only break every piece of his heart?
