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‘They do indeed. She seems to have broken through Ellice’s reserve and stolen his heart.’

Harriet chuckled softly. ‘I think she has. He never struck me as the type to lose his heart or his head.’

‘How the mighty have fallen,’ Granville said, making her laugh again. ‘When are you leaving for Chatsworth?’

‘Probably in a few days. There are a few goodbyes to make before I leave. Gee has already gone to Castle Howard.’

‘Ah, I thought I had not seen her.’

They ambled out of the ballroom, and Granville steered her down a corridor.

‘Why, Lord Granville. Where are you taking me? I’m sure that this is most inappropriate behaviour,’ she said in a faux outraged tone.

‘Completely,’ he growled in her ear as he led her to what looked like a charming parlour and shut the door behind them. The fact that there were candles already lit in the room told her he had planned this.

Harriet’s heart ached. She knew what he was going to do. She knew she had to take firm control of her emotions when tears threatened.

He turned to face her in the soft light. ‘Dearest Harriet,’ he said, taking hold of her hands. ‘You have avoided me at every turn, but I think it is time we stopped dancing about each other.’

Harriet swallowed and licked her dry lips. ‘Please don’t,’ she murmured.

He kissed the backs of her hands with a fevered intensity that sent shivers through every inch of her body.

‘We are so good together,’ he said, running his thumbs over her knuckles. ‘We can laugh together, fight together, and you would be in your absolute element as a diplomat’s wife. You would charm the entire world and have them at your feet.’

She closed her eyes.

‘If that wasn’t enough,’ he whispered, ‘I want you so very badly and if you desire me as I think you do, I know we could be magical together.’

He hesitated, and something in his demeanour made her look at him carefully. He swallowed.

‘But before I ask you the question that I want to ask, there is something you should know. Something important.’

Harriet closed her eyes. ‘Granville…’

‘As you know, Bess and I…’

‘Stop.’ She put shaking fingers on his lips. ‘Whatever secret you are about to divulge, don’t.’

He kissed her fingers, so she removed them. ‘Why?’ There was an indescribable sadness in his beautiful blue eyes.

‘Because after you disclose this, you are then going to ask me to marry you and my answer will be no, so you will have told your secrets for nothing.’

‘Why will the answer be no?’

It took her more than a moment to gather her composure. ‘Do you love me?’

He frowned.

‘As I thought,’ she whispered, then straightened her shoulders and looked him in the eye.

‘I can’t marry you because you love someone else and always will.’ She nodded, as if confirming to herself what she believed was true. ‘And I have loved you my entire life.’

Shock registered on his face, and she carried on before he could compose himself enough to speak.

‘I cannot marry a man that I love, knowing that he is in love with another. It would break me.’

‘Harriet, darling…’