Leaning her head to the side, Judith considered that. “I doubt there is a parent whose patience hasn’t been pushed to the breaking point and lost their temper at an inopportune moment. It is an unfortunate byproduct of dealing with taxing situations, and there is no day off for a parent.” But Judith considered that and clarified, “There is no day off for a parent who does their job properly.”
Mr. Byrnes’s gaze swung to her, though his expression did not lighten in the slightest. “So if I am doing my job properly, I will shout at my children?”
Judith smiled at that and shook her head. “You are twisting my words. What I mean is that far too many parents rely on others to raise their children and have little hand in their upbringing. Those invested in the effort will find their fortitude tested to the very limits. Tempers are bound to flare at times, but the best parents learn from it and try to do better the next time.”
Shaking his head, Mr. Byrnes let out a heavy sigh. “Did you not see Helen’s expression?”
“Yes, and I heard her tears, too.”
Mr. Byrnes leaned forward, pinching the bridge of his nose. “My partnership works with Hatch because we each bring different skills to the table. I have a way with people that is necessary for success. After everything that has passed, I think it’s safe to say we are bound for failure.”
“Children are vastly different than business associates, and I assure you the former is far easier to win over despite such setbacks.”
“Though the latter are just as prone to tantrums,” he added with a faint smile. But his jest faded into silence as he returned to his previous pose, studying the flames for several long moments, and Judith wished she had some answer to his conundrum. If only there were some spell to cast that ensured his success, or if they could peer into the future and see exactly how to win the day. Surely, a father who cared this much deserved a happy ending like the characters in Helen’s play.
“Do you truly believe I haven’t ruined things?” His question was so quiet, his brow so furrowed that Judith felt his sorrow echoed in her heart—a dull, aching desperation that made her wish to rush into the nursery and gather the children close. Instead, she rose from her seat and sat beside Mr. Byrnes as though the nearness might assure him of her words.
“No, Mr. Byrnes,” she whispered, placing a hand on his knee. It was so terribly forward, but she needed the connection to anchor her. “Apologize and try again. Do better. They want to love you as much as you want their love.”
*
Silas didn’t think himself an emotional man. He wasn’t akin to the stone-faced gentlemen who viewed the world in a perpetual state of ennui, either, but he was not one to be overwhelmed, overcome, or overpowered by his feelings. Today was certainly testing that belief. The joy of the play had been followed by a surge of anger he’d been unable to rein in. And now, with Miss Delmonte’s company, he found himself awash with sentiments that were far more than his heart could contain.
Reaching over, Silas placed his hand atop hers, squeezing it with all the energy he felt. His whole being was flush with it, heating him through despite the chill evening. If only he could lay hold of this moment and carry it with him, for at this moment, Silas felt as though everything was possible. The future he desired stretched before him, and all he needed to do was keep moving forward.
“My many thanks, Miss Delmonte. I cannot express how deeply grateful I am for your counsel and all you do for me.” Silas’s voice nearly broke beneath the weight of all he felt at that moment. There were so many things he longed to say, but there were not words enough to convey his gratitude for this magnificent creature. He’d been afraid she was as cold and unyielding as his wife, but Miss Delmonte was everything his family needed.
Though it was likely prudent for him to release his hold on her hand, Silas couldn’t surrender the connection. Once more, Miss Delmonte had found him amidst the silence and dark emptiness of his home and dragged him back into the light, showing him all that was possible. And giving him hope that all was not lost.
In truth, he was being so very melodramatic of late, but so much of his life had been upended. Fledgling businesses were precarious. His children’s trust was a tenuous thing. His dreams for his life were scattering, and the fears that had plagued him when he’d first decided to return home were proving to be true.
Silas clung to Miss Delmonte’s hand, his fingers brushing against her skin. It was so rare for him to receive any meaningful touch that despite the warning voice whispering that was taking liberties with her, Silas couldn’t let go. He couldn’t think of another thing he needed more at this moment.
His gaze drifted from their entwined fingers and up along her arm, the line of her neck, and to her cheeks that held a hint of pink; they reminded Silas of his mother’s roses that bloomed every spring, filling the air with a heavenly scent. Miss Delmonte’s mouth opened, though she did not speak, and Silas couldn’t turn his gaze away from those perfectly formed lips.
An impulse seized Silas, and he didn’t question it, allowing himself to close the distance and kiss her. Their hands released, and he drew her into his embrace; his blood sizzled through his veins as his need drove him closer. Her hands drifted to his face and down his back; with only the thin linen of his shirt between her fingers and his skin, her touch raised gooseflesh as it wandered. And Silas wanted more.
The world evaporated from his thoughts as he lost himself in the peace that radiated from Miss Delmonte’s very core. No doubt the Roman and Greeks had some deity that personified that quality, but to Silas’s thinking, there was no better person to symbolize it than Miss Delmonte. And he needed just a bit of that.
*
Judith didn’t believe in magic, yet she wondered if she might have a touch of it. Just as her thoughts lingered too long on the fantasy of Mr. Byrnes kissing her, there he was. For the briefest of moments, Judith couldn’t even be certain it was entirely real, for it appeared from nowhere. One moment, he was holding her hand, speaking such sweet words of gratitude, and the next, she was swept into an experience she’d never expected to have.
Her heart seized, her ribs squeezing tight around it as she fretted about whether she was doing it properly. Where does one put one’s hands in such a moment? Ought she to close her eyes? She tried to anticipate his movements, yet it never quite matched. Her heart thundered, fluttering about like a bumblebee in the wind.
But the feel of his lips on hers and the touch of his hands at her waist had her thoughts fading into nothingness, and Judith was lost to the sensation of being properly kissed. Of course, she’d never been kissed in any fashion—properly or otherwise—but Mr. Byrnes was making certain her first was quite thorough. Nerves evaporated and her heartbeat slowed, though the strength of its pounding didn’t lessen. She felt every beat as though it was about to burst free of her chest.
Her hands roamed his chest, drifting to his neck and into his hair, moving as though independent of her, and Judith reveled in every touch. Mr. Byrnes surrounded her, and she lost herself in the feel of him. He shifted, and Judith moved with him, drawing closer until she was nearly on his lap.
Her eyes popped open.
Mr. Byrnes stilled, breaking apart from her, though he held her tight. His heavy breaths matched hers, laden with desire, and the sight of it had Judith feeling as though she would float away with the slightest breeze. Her hand trembled, but she brought it up to brush against his jawline, and he placed a kiss in her palm. It was everything she’d dreamt of.
But his gaze was not on her.
“Mr. Byrnes?” she whispered, but he did not seem to hear her.
Leaning forward, he seized her lips in another kiss, and the truth flashed bright and clear. Whatever he was feeling, love was not driving him. But his touch was like the siren’s call, begging her to surrender. His hands cupped her face, and he deepened the kiss with another burst of desperate energy, drawing forth a similar frenzy in her. Judith infused her touch with all the feelings that had developed over the passing weeks, willing him to see her as she saw him.
