He laughed and held the flame to the candle inside the lantern. A glow emerged, reddened by the colorful glass casing and shining a pattern of rectangles onto the walls, ceiling and floor. Carefully, Henry descended the ladder and set the tinderbox back in its place. He glanced at Viola, who stood as if dazed.
“It’s so beautiful.”
Her words were mere whispers reaching across the distance between them and pulling him closer. But he resisted the lure in order to simply admire her wonder. “I agree.” And then, to dissuade her from discerning his true meaning so she wouldn’t think him too forward, he cleared his throat and quickly added, “I’m not sure what your intention is with this particular room, but the atmosphere is very pleasing.”
A smile lit her eyes as she turned to him. “This will be where the women can enjoy a cup of tea and relax. It is where they will wait to be taken through to the room we were just in or to the sauna or bath or one of the other treatment areas we offer.”
“When do you intend to open for business?”
“As soon as possible.” She allowed her gaze to collide with his, the effect so powerful he almost felt the need to sit. “I’m planning to host the grand opening on the twenty-fifth.”
“That doesn’t leave much time to prepare.” She was only allowing herself four days in which to add the final touches.
“I know, but I don’t want to wait any longer than that.” She bit her lip, studied him for a second before saying, “The hospital needs the extra income in order to grow. With patient numbers increasing each month, we’ll soon have to turn people away, which is something I don’t want to do. So I’m thinking of acquiring additional buildings to serve as specialized branches. I even made a list of the physicians and surgeons I’d like to hire, but they’re all the finest at what they do so they won’t come cheap. ”
Henry pondered that for a moment. “Aren’t Florian and Juliette helping you with funds?”
“Well yes. Florian has donated an impressive sum, and Juliette’s charity events have, as you probably know, become incredibly popular, what with all the imaginative prizes she continues to auction off. But it isn’t sustainable and it won’t be enough for what I have in mind. Besides, I don’t want to always rely on donations or for me to have to ask Florian for help when required.”
“I know he’s happy to offer. The hospital means a great deal to him.”
“Yes, but it’s time for St. Agatha’s to become self-sufficient.” She expelled a weary breath. “And depending on how things turn out with Robert, I believe having an extra supply of money at the ready will be wise. I won’t ask Florian or anyone else to pay back the sum of my inheritance.”
She was proud and unwilling to be a burden to others. Henry admired her for that—for choosing the harder path instead of falling on her friends’ good graces. “That’s only if you lose, which I doubt you will with Mr. Steadford by your side.”
“I hope you’re right.” Her voice wavered.
Henry strolled toward her until they were only a foot apart. “Then let us plan a party.” Her breath quivered upon her lips as she exhaled, and he couldn’t stop from taking her hand in his to offer reassurance. “I have a wonderful social network. If you agree, I will be happy to send out additional invitations on your behalf if you give me a list of the people you’ve already invited.”
“But there’s so little time left. I cannot possibly ask you to take on such an enormous task.”
He let her hand go. “Of course you can. We are friends, are we not? And friends help each other.” He grinned to ease the tightness inside his chest. “Besides, it is my duty to look after my brother’s best interests while he is away.”
Her face lit with tremendous appreciation and for a second, he believed she might throw herself into his arms to convey her gratitude.Please do. He held his breath and the moment passed. She turned away and went to the door, opening it wide.
Pausing there, she glanced back at him. “Thank you for all your help, Mr. Lowell. Returning to Society after all this time is really rather nerve-wracking.”
“You needn’t—”
“I know what people think of me.” She raised her chin a notch. A gesture he’d come to recognize as a valiant effort to hide any lack of confidence. “It is not so different from what Robert believes, and having to face that is not something I look forward to.”
“Then don’t.” He could think of no other way in which to help but to offer her a way out. “Let Gabriella and Amelia do the hosting if you don’t want to.”
She dropped her gaze for a moment before meeting his once again. “No. This is my project. Mine and Florian’s.” Her eyes shone with determination. “Without him here, I must put in an appearance. It means a lot, knowing you’ll be there to support me.”
A flare of heat darted through Henry’s body. His skin tightened around his muscles. “I care for you a great deal, Viola. You should know that by now.”
“Yes,” she murmured, her lips slightly parted on that final word, and for some bizarre reason he sensed that she was agreeing to something else entirely—like the need to surrender to their mutual attraction.
But before he could analyze her response further, she spun away and disappeared into the hallway beyond, leaving him to wonder how much longer it was going to take before Viola Cartwright would finally be his.
Viola’s heart pounded hard against her chest as she fled the room. There was really no other way to describe the haste with which she hurried back downstairs and frantically searched for her foreman. She needed to look busy—too busy to keep on talking with a man whose shoulders and back would be forever imprinted in the tips of her fingers.
Breathing heavily, she leaned against a doorway to steady herself. He tempted her in ways that were making her lose her mind.
“Your Grace,” her foreman said, startling her so much she flinched. Good heavens, what was happening to her? “We’re doing well with the schedule.” He came a bit closer. “The artists should be done in another couple of days and then we’ll just need one more day to clean up.”
“That’s wonderful news. Thank you!” He grinned and returned to his work, allowing Viola to take a moment for herself. She closed her eyes and inhaled the strong scent of plaster, paint and wood shavings.
