He wrinkled his brow in confusion and shock and, yes, happiness. “You’d be my defender?”
“If you need one? Always,” Phoebe said, then lifted up to kiss his cheek. “Better go back to her. I’m sure she’s waiting to talk to you about this and be reassured I wasn’t offended by her very existence. Which, of course, I’m not. I hope we’ll see each other soon.”
The carriage pulled up then and Silas watched as his sister was helped up into the rig. She waved from the open window as she pulled away and he was left alone with his thoughts.
And alone with the woman he wanted to be with more than anyone else in the world. He just hoped that the reason she’d descended upon his home today was a good one.
* * *
Arabella’s hands shook as she paced the parlor waiting for Silas to return after his farewells to his sister. She had come here to end things with him after her talk with Simone and the fact that his sister had been with him had thrown off her entire plan.
Truth be told, hispresencethrew her off. The moment she’d looked up to find him entering the foyer, defending her against the butler, her heart had started pounding and all her certainty about what she must do had faded.
She didn’t want to walk away. The very thought of it made her chest ache and her eyes sting.
Silas returned to the parlor and shut the door behind him. Without a word, he crossed to her and gathered her up in his arms. His mouth came down on hers, firm and warm. The kiss was gentle at first, then deepened until her breath seemed to fall away from her lungs and all there was in the world was him.
At last he parted from her and smiled down into her face. “I’ve wanted to do that since the moment I realized you were here,” he admitted.
She smiled. “I cannot imagine your sister would have been quite so polite to me had you started out that way.”
He set her aside gently and shrugged. “I’m not so certain. She told me before she left that she likes you. And given that she told you something about her marriage that I didn’t even know, I think all her connection to you was very real.”
She frowned. “I am sorry about that, Silas. About her first marriage and that you didn’t know what kind of man he was.”
His expression looked so pained in that moment, so filled with real love for his sister. It put her to mind of her own feelings for Julia and Evelina. And the heartbreak when she couldn’t protect them from harm.
“I wish I’d known. I’d have done anything to keep her from that pain.”
“That Idounderstand,” she said. “But sometimes you can’t save someone you love. And it seems like she ended up happy enough in her second marriage.”
“Yes. It’s been two years since he died and she still mourns him and wears his ring. She truly loved him and he her. I’m glad she got to experience that in her life, even though she lost it.”
They stared at each other a moment. Suddenly the air felt thicker, like those words hung there as an accusation between them.
He cleared his throat at last. “Do you mind if I ask you why you came today? I don’t think I was expecting you.”
“You weren’t,” she said. “I was just at—at Simone’s before this.”
“Oh,” he said with a smile. “And you two were talking about me, comparing notes on my prowess and you had to rush right over?”
She froze. He was teasing her and she should have laughed, but she couldn’t. He was too close to the truth.
He moved closer. “Arabella, what is it?”
She stared up at him, memorizing every gorgeous line of his angled face, the brightness of his green eyes. She wanted to collect it all to store for when she finally found the bravery to walk away and save them both.
But it wasn’t going to be today. Even if that had been the intention.
“Nothing,” she said with a shake of her head. “I’m just still trying to get my mind around having a polite conversation with your sister, that’s all. No, I came here to—to invite you to supper tonight. My sisters will both be there and I’d love you to join us. And afterward, we could share that big bath I’ve been dangling before you since we started this.”
He nodded. “Supper with your family and that big bath both sound wonderful.”
“I suppose I could have sent you a note to invite you,” she said, even as she hoped she could manage to get Julia and Evelina to join her for supper. Hoped her staff could put together this last-minute gathering with no trouble.
“I’m glad you came.” He caught her hand and drew her closer. “Are you certain your well, Arabella? You have the strangest look on your face.”
She forced herself to smile, to erase whatever he saw. Whatever she couldn’t reveal when her head was spinning and her heart was too full of him. “I’m simply planning for our night together. And so I must go to finish all my preparations.”
