I took a right turn onto the Palace Green, these thoughts circling through my head, and walked toward the Montgomery home. With the rain, there were few people out, for which I was thankful. I didn’t wish for gossip, though I was willing to take the risk.
Henry had come into Williamsburg without his parents, but I didn’t know if he’d be happy to see me on his doorstep. I wasn’t even sure if he’d be home. It had been many years since I’d been a guest in his house—not since his father had put a stop to our families’ connection. I missed the house and those years when our friendship had been welcome. What would his father think if he saw me walking up the steps to the front door now?
I knocked and then stood under the covered stoop, clasping my hands together as I took a steadying breath.
Stanley, the Montgomerys’ butler, answered the door.
“Miss Libby,” he said with a wide smile. He’d always been a favorite of mine and had often snuck extra treats from the cook for us when we were children, keeping our secrets to himself. “What can I help you with today?”
“Is Mister Henry at home?”
“Aye. He just arrived. Would you like to come in?” He stepped to the side. “If you’d like to wait, I’ll tell him you’re here.”
I entered the foyer and lowered my hood, my hands shaking. To be at Henry’s home alone, without a chaperone, was scandalous. I trusted Stanley not to say anything, but what about the neighbors or other servants who might see me? I hoped Henry would not be upset.
The Montgomerys’ home was grand and elegant, even though it was much smaller than Edgewater Hall and was only used on occasion. Lady Gwendolyn had redecorated since the last time I’d visited. The entry walls were painted a vivid green, and the trim was a dark cream color. A carpet runner ran up the open staircase, ascending to the second floor.
“Libby?” Henry appeared in the doorway to the front parlor and the study beyond. Concern tilted his brow as he put his hand upon my arm. “Is something amiss?”
I shook my head, trying to find my voice. He must have been at his leisure when Stanley found him, because his coat was askew, his cravat was missing, and the top buttons of his shirt were undone, revealing his neck and part of his chest.
“Nay,” I said, forcing my eyes to lift to his face, my cheeks warming at the intimacy of his undress. “’Tis nothing wrong.”
He stared at me for a moment, questions in his eyes.
“I’m sorry.” I shook my head, suddenly realizing the foolishness of my plan. I started to back toward the door. “You weren’t expecting me. I shouldn’t have come.”
He gently reached for my hand, his face softening. “I’ll have Stanley bring us something warm to drink. You’re wet.”
He let go of my hand and slowly untied the strings of my cloak. My breath caught as his hand brushed the underside of my chin. His touch was soft and tender. This close, all I could look at was his unbuttoned shirt.
“You can’t go back out in the rain until your cloak has dried. We’ll set it by the hearth.”
Stanley entered the hall, and Henry asked for tea. I did not speak a word as Henry took my hand and led me through the parlor and into the study. It was a small, informal room, not meant for company. I’d only been in it once before with Henry, and it had proven to be a mistake. When his father found us, we’d been reprimanded and told never to enter the room again. It was the last time I’d been invited to this house.
Henry glanced at me as he pulled one of the chairs near the fire and spread my cloak over it. His smile was warm and familiar. “Do you remember the last time we were here together?”
“Aye.” I returned his smile. “I remember it well.”
I had been fourteen and deeply in love with Henry. He had brought me to this room to play a game of chess while our mothers visited, but neither of us had paid much attention to the board. There had been a lot of flirting and teasing and secretive smiles. It was during one of those moments, when my cheeks burned from something sweet Henry had said, that his father found us.
“Will you have a seat?” Henry asked me now, indicating the sofa under the window facing the gardens.
I sat, stiff and proper, and though there were other chairs he could have occupied, Henry joined me on the sofa. He had somehow managed to button his shirt, for which I was thankful.
“’Tis probably foolish of me to come here,” I said as I sat on the edge of the sofa, my back straight and my hands clasped in my lap, “but I was anxious to hear news from the convention today—for theVirginia Gazette.”
“Is that the only reason you’ve come?” His voice was low.
I looked at him to see if he was teasing me, but he just watched me with a clear, steady gaze.
“Aye, ’tis all.”
He leaned back against the sofa, a half-smile on his face,seeming to take pleasure in my discomfort. “If that is the only reason you’ve come, then I should get on with the telling. Or mayhap I should wait until you’re even more uncomfortable to be here alone with me.”
Heat climbed up my neck as I gave him a withering look in return, which made him laugh outright.
It was easy to remember how much fun we’d had as children. No doubt if his father found us like this again, he would be bolder in his dismissal of me.
