“Then...?”
“I need to leave for a few days.” It was the first thing that came to mind.
Rowena sat up straight. “What?”
“If I go to the hotel, you’ll be able to convince her to stay. She will feel more comfortable doing so–obliged, even, since you’ll be alone otherwise–while I’ll have the distance required to think more clearly on how to proceed.”
“But—”
“I’m right about this,” he said, convinced he was doing what was best for Josephine and any potential future he might have with her. “Does absence not make the heart grow fonder?”
“Maybe?”
“Then it is settled. You may inform her of the change in plan.” In the meantime, he would set his mind to romancing the woman from a distance, since staying close to her was clearly not helping.
* * *
Josephine acceptedthe letter the butler brought her and carefully sliced it open. It had been three days since the duke had gone away and she’d agreed to stay on at Snowdon House. Three days without having to argue with him.
She ought to be relieved. She ought to be glad it was only her and Rowena now, without him there to cause her unease. She ought not to miss him. Especially since she and Rowena had been occupied with outings. They had gone to visit one of Rowena’s friends, the Countess of Riply, who’d elected to stay in London with her husband for the winter. The couple was in the process of setting up a charitable foundation for orphans and hoped to finish by March, so they would be ready to encourage donations as soon as the rest of thetonreturned.
After this visit, Rowena had taken Josephine to the British Museum, where they had spent hours strolling between magnificent marble statues and admiring stunning paintings. Her mind should have been occupied—enough for her to stop dreaming of Snowdon.
And yet, in spite of her better judgment, she could not steer her contemplations away from him. She missed his handsome face, his reluctant smiles, and the warmth with which he watched her. She missed their conversations, even if they didn’t always agree. And she missed the way she felt whenever he was near: appreciated, desired, beautiful.
So she read the letter, savoring every second of the experience, from the unfolding of the paper to her perusal of the elegant script.
My dearest Josephine,
I hope this letter finds you happy and in good health.
In good health yes, but happy? Not really.
Please know you are in my thoughts, every second of every day. If there were a way for me to go back – to reverse the hands of time – and avoid offending you as grievously as I did, I would do so. But I cannot, which leaves me with only one hope: to one day earn your forgiveness.
Some might think it unreasonable for me to be so enamored with you after only a brief acquaintance.
Josephine blinked. He was enamored?
But the truth is, I long to hear your laughter again and to see you blush when I subject you to my attention. I even miss your set downs, the fire in your eyes when you are angry. Most of all, however, I wish I had the opportunity to get to know you better and perhaps then realize the dream steadily building within my heart since the moment we met.
Until I see you again, I remain affectionately yours,
Devon
Josephine’s heart fluttered in response to his given name, boldly penned across the bottom.The dream steadily building within my heart.It sounded so utterly romantic, she feared she might melt right there on the sofa. But what did it mean? To what dream was he referring? She dared not allow herself to hope, but he had written that he remained affectionately hers. Who would do such a thing unless there was an emotional investment surpassing the bounds of friendship?
Puzzled, she refolded the letter and wondered what the duke might be playing at. Which was how Rowena found her several minutes later when she entered the room. “I’ve a note from my brother,” she said as she went to the bell pull and rang for a maid. “He asked if we would join him for dinner tomorrow evening at the hotel.”
“He made no mention of it in the letter he sent me.”
Rowena’s gaze shifted to the neatly folded paper in Josephine’s lap. Her eyebrows went up. “He wrote you?”
“I suppose it is rather surprising.”
Something curious lit behind Rowena’s eyes. “How many lines?”
Confused, Josephine frowned. “What?”
