“I’ll take the settee if you want the bed,” he announced. “If it was good enough for Hugh, surely it will work for me.”
“That’s not necessary,” she noted. “I’m sure there is plenty of room for both of us in the…er…. there.” Lord, could she not even say the wordbed? It’s not as if she hadn’t already been intimate with him. But for some reason, now that the threat had passed with Mr. Bernard and there was nothing holding them back but their own desires, things were abruptly awkward. Perhaps it was the things that hadn’t yet been said—or the things they might be wanting to say but couldn’t yet find the words to do so.
Either way, Leah decided that she wasn’t going to stand there in silence any longer. It was starting to get late, and although she had no idea what she would be doing for supper, she decided that neither did she care if this was how it was going to be to spend the next few days in Harlan’s company.
As if reading her mind, he asked, “I think I’ll run out and find us something to eat. Do you have any requests?”
She thought about that for a moment. “A baguette would be nice. I daresay that is one thing I particularly miss from France.”
“I will see what I can find. There are several good bakery shops around, which is why it’s a good thing I don’t frequent London any more than necessary.” He offered a slightly tight smile. “I’ll be back shortly.”
When Harlan returned,he was surprised to find the welcome aroma of coffee. Not only that, but there was the scent of something heavenly in the air.
As he walked into the kitchen, it was a strange sensation to see a beautiful woman at the hearth, a makeshift apron tied about her waist. As her backside was exposed in a tantalizing curve from the trousers she still wore, Leah looked perfectly at home, and decidedly at ease. A tug pulled at his heartstrings as he remembered the vision of his mother standing in similar surroundings when he was a boy.
He resisted the urge to call out a warning that he was home. Instead, he walked over and set the few items in his arms on the counter. This gained her attention and she turned to look at the bounty he offered. Suddenly he was that child again, trying to gain his mother’s notice and hoping he was deserving of her affection. “What’s all this?” he asked.
“Dinner,” she announced proudly. “I made use with what I could find, so it’s not much more than the stew we had at the cottage.”
“It was rather tasty,” he murmured softly, and allowed the moment to drag out slightly, so she might understand he was talking about more than the fare she had prepared. Clearing his throat, he added, “As to what I found—” he held up a brown wrapped parcel. “There was a sad lack of baguettes, but I managed to procure us some scones and a bottle of wine.”
She smiled. “The scones would be a much better choice with the stew anyway.” Leah turned back to the hearth and hummed a slight tune as she continued to toil.
Harlan decided it was almost too easy, too…perfectto be in these harmonious surroundings with Leah. It was certainly more comfortable than their days at the cottage when he’d had to convince her he could be trusted.
Here, he could imagine a time when he might come up behind her without hesitation and wrap his arms around her and pull her close. Perhaps, on occasion, dinner would be spoiled because they were caught up with each other instead. He wouldn’t mind if that were to happen in the least.
However, since he wasn’t confident of where Leah stood on their association right now, something told him it would be best if he retained his distance and took things slow.
She turned back to him, but the unsettled look on her face made him wary. “I keep feeling as though I should write to Agnes and explain what happened with her brother.”
Harlan scrubbed a hand down his face. “After the way you said you were treated there, I am surprised you would give them any more consideration than necessary.”
“It’s true that there is no love lost between my brother and I, but I shouldn’t wish to harm Agnes any further should Mr. Bernard decide to retaliate on his own relation.” She hugged herself. “She is meek and frail. She doesn’t need any more upset in her life.”
Harlan’s jaw clenched, but he gave a sharp nod. “I will ensure that word is sent first thing tomorrow.”
The warmth that swirled in her amber eyes after his statement was enough to make him feel like a storybook hero. “Thank you, Harlan.”
When she turned around, Harlan closed his eyes momentarily. His cock was starting to respond to her presence, but he’d promised himself he wouldn’t act on any sexual impulses. No matter how much he might suffer with the desire to reconnect with her on an intimate level, he would have an iron will.
When the stew was finished and he had poured the wine, they settled down to eat across from one another at the modest table. Immediately, Harlan was reminded of the time they’d spent in Gravesend in similar, modest circumstances. He realized they were some of the happiest of his life.
“You seem rather distracted.”
He looked at Leah over the rim of his wine and gave a lopsided smile. “I was just thinking about how this reminds me of another scene not so long ago.”
She laughed lightly. “I was thinking the same thing.”
“Were you?” he chuckled.
“Indeed.” She took a bite of her stew. Once she swallowed, she said, “You know, I’ve heard that great minds tend to think in a similar fashion.”
“Yes, I have heard the same.” He looked at her and allowed his focus to remain direct. “Do you think that is what is happening with us?”
She shifted slightly in her chair. “Honestly, I’m not entirely sure.”
They sat in silence for a while, each of them enjoying the stew, both of their inner thoughts appearing to be miles away. In the end, Harlan’s fist clenched his spoon with white knuckles. He hated this pretense. He wanted to know what she was feeling, but there was that unspoken rule somewhere about why one couldn’t just ask a person directly to expose their inner emotions.
