“One I haven’t acquired, apparently.” She laughed and held the cup out to him. “I’ve been concerned, Henry. I’ve not seen you in nearly a month.”
“Yes, well, I’ve been rather busy of late.”
“Students and studies?” She patted the cushion next to her on the settee and Henry settled beside her.
It was no secret that Henry took on students, it was necessary for people to know since so many men came to his house. The secret was what Henry taught.
“That, and an old friend, school chum of mine, recently returned from India and we’ve been becoming reacquainted.”
Harriet dropped her hand to his thigh. “Well, your friend can’t do everything for you,” she said as she slid her hand up his inner thigh. Henry placed a hand over hers.
Why the blazes wasn’t his body reacting to her seduction of his person? It had been almost a bloody month so there should at least be a twitch in his nether regions, but there was absolutely nothing. He’d be worried that something was wrong with his person if his body hadn’t begun to react quite naturally when he was with Miss Doyle this morning.
“What is it, Henry? Is something wrong?”
“I’m not so certain.” He frowned and took a sip of the hot liquid.
“Is it me?” she pouted.
Even if he’d managed to raise some desire, her whine would have killed it.
“Have I displeased you somehow? You’ve not visited and now you don’t seem to want me.”
Perhaps it was Harriet and not so much him. It wasn’t as if the urges hadn’t been present in the past month. They’d just not been strong enough for him to want to make the effort to visit Harriet to assuage them.
“This was meant only to be a temporary agreement and it’s been two years,” he finally said.
Panic flashed in her brown eyes.
“Don’t worry. You’ll receive a nice settlement.”
“Where will I live? Where will I go?” Tears welled in her eyes.
Blast, he hated it when women cried, especially when it came from a very true and deep feeling and not meant for manipulation.
Henry turned more fully to Harriet and took her hand. “I’ve enjoyed our time together and will always remember you fondly.”
She sniffed and he took the handkerchief from his pocket.
“I’m certain that in no time you’ll have a new protector.”
“They won’t be you.”
Henry frowned. “Come now, you can’t claim that we share any deep feelings for one another.” He cared for her, but was far from in love with her.
“I do care for you, Henry. And, you’ve been kind, as well as attentive, when you’ve visited. You’ve never been concerned with your own pleasure alone. Others, are not so pleasant to be with.”
“It’s not as if you need to go out right away and find someone,” Henry assured her. “Take your time and meet other gentlemen.”
“If I don’t have you, I won’t be able to support myself.”
Ah, yes, there was that. She received gifts, had a house and he paid for the servants. Nothing was her own, unless she wished to sell the jewels and clothing.
Henry looked around at the modest house. This had been her home for two years and they had been good together. “If I gift you the house, and pay the servants for the next two months, would that put your mind at ease?”
Once again tears welled and then spilled down her cheeks. “Oh, thank you Henry.”
Well, that was it then. He’d broken from his mistress when his intention in coming here was for intimacy. Odd that, and not something he wished to consider too deeply at the moment.
