Page 72 of The Lady’s Sweet Revenge

Chapter Twenty-Five

Sneaking around with Harlow was growing tedious and Reese wondered for the thousandth time why he’d ever written to his mother and asked her to come. For the countess was the greatest risk to Harlow’s reputation.

That very morning he’d nearly given them away when he’d come into the breakfast room and caught himself just shy of bending to kiss Harlow. And only a few moments ago, his mother had entered his study when he was helping Harlow put her hair to rights after an extremely zealous round of kissing. And touching.

If they were not careful, his mother would be the reason they would be forced to marry after all. Wouldn’t she just love that? Not only to see him married, but married to a friend’s—make that a duchess’s—daughter.

He couldn’t let the woman win.

“Are you well? You seem angry,” Harlow asked when she’d finished reading the last chapter.

“Apologies. I’m not angry with ye. It’s just my mother. I wish I would have realized how much of an impediment she would become. Perhaps I was hasty in asking her to come.”

“If I’m to understand correctly, it didn’t sound like you asked her at all. She said there were orders and threats, my lord.”

“My thoughts had been to protect your reputation. Had I known then how thoroughly I would end up ruining you myself, I wouldn’t have bothered.” He offered a smile, feeling the guilt seep all the way down to his feet. He’d wanted to protect her and now…

“It’s strange that it is called ruination, don’t you think?” she asked as she kissed him under the jaw. “When I feel anything but ruined. I feel free and powerful. Please don’t regret anything we’ve done and hopefully do in the future.”

“I should regret it, but I don’t. Instead, I feel only guilt for having taken something so precious from you.”

“You didn’t take anything from me. It was freely given.”

“A gift for your future husband. Not meant for me.” Mixed in with the guilt was an underlying jealousy of a man neither of them yet knew. The husband she would one day have.

Harlow shrugged. I feel like it was I who received a gift. I wanted to live. Or perhaps it was that I wanted to feel alive. And you gave that to me.” She chuckled. “I’m sure I’m not explaining it correctly, but I can assure you what I feel is far from ruined.”

“I’m glad you are enjoying yourself, but if my mother were to catch us, she would demand we wed and neither of us wanted marriage in that way.” He watched her closely to see her reaction. Had she considered it? Would she answer differently if he were to ask her again in this moment where they were sharing their souls?

He opened his mouth to ask, but the words got trapped in his throat. He’d promised himself he’d not utter the request again until he was certain of the answer he would receive. And he didn’t know what she might say.

Proposing would open him up to two possible outcomes. Endless happiness, or utter destruction.

*

All this talk of ruination had Harlow uneasy. After they’d shared a blissful moment in the garden, they’d gone back to their book. When it was his turn to read, she studied him closely. The way his lashes were darker then his hair as they brushed his cheeks when he blinked.

She loved the low rumble of his voice with the Scottish lilt to certain words. She could listen to him speak for hours. She watched his fingers as he turned the pages and knew how they felt when he touched her skin or even deep inside her body.

But as much as he roused her body to pleasure, he also had a way of rousing her heart to feel things she’d never felt before. She was growing more certain each day, the feeling was love.

She worried when she left Scotland she would miss him terribly and she didn’t think any other man would save her from wanting Reese.

Aboard Merrick’s ship she’d promised herself she would accept the next proposal of marriage she received. After the fear was gone, she’d amended that pledge somewhat. She would seriously consider marriage with a man who met her own criteria rather than that of her brothers. So long as the man was kind and his request was offered out of genuine interest, she would accept. And now she realized she only wanted to marry one man. Reese.

He’d tried to offer and she’d put him off. Now she wondered how she might encourage him to propose again.

Belle ran ahead of them as they walked back to the castle. They held hands up until they breached the trees where they could be seen by anyone in the house who cared enough to look.

The countess was likely in the drawing room which faced the grounds. And she would be looking. She seemed eager to catch them in some situation that would force their hand.

At the door Reese pulled her to the side quickly to steal a final kiss where no one could see them.

“I’ll see you soon,” he said as he turned for his study and she for the drawing room where she would spend the afternoon with his mother. Usually, Harlow lamented having to sit in near silence with the woman, while stabbing her fingers repeatedly in an effort to create a crude rendering of a flower. Especially when she would rather spend the day with Reese looking at real flowers in the garden while kissing.

But today she had something she wished to speak about with the countess.

Rather than launch into the topic immediately, Harlow started with easier discussion.