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She tried to rub off the stain with her fingers, but it had set in already. There was no salvaging it.

“I will buy you a hundred more,” said Gregory. “I will fill a room with them, please just don’t be upset over this.”

The concern in his voice was stronger than the one he had shown himself regarding his injury, and that made her feel both guilty and special at the same time.

“I do not want a hundred more, I wanted that one and to save it forever.”

He caught her hand, the one still pressed against the ruined silk, and held it there, over his own heart rather.

The gesture surprised her and she looked up at him. His eyes had gone very soft. Suddenly, time seemed to move very slow.

“Phillipa…” he started in a strained voice, “God, when you do things like this… do you even understand how… do you know that I love you?”

The words had come out in a jumble, as if he had let himself speak his mind for a moment without having his usual defenses in place. For a moment, she wondered if she had misheard.

He loves me?

It felt like the most significant thing that had happened all day, and that was a remarkable thing, considering the day that she had.

She blinked at him, unable to say another word and wondered if he was going to take his words back.

Seeing her reaction, something shifted in his face, a flicker of alarm at his own honesty. He drew breath to say something more, to soften it, perhaps, or take it back.

But she did not give him the chance.

She kissed him before he could say another word, her hands coming up to frame his face, careful of the bruise already purpling along his jaw.

There was only this, his mouth against hers, his good hand sliding into her hair, both of them breathing heavily.

When at last they drew apart, breathless, foreheads still touching, he let out a low laugh.

“I had meant to say that rather more gracefully…”

“I had been waiting for you to tell me that,” she admitted, blushing now. He loved her. God, he loved her. “Do you wish to take it back?”

His eyebrows knitted together. “Why would I fathom doing such a thing?”

“In case…” she stuttered her words and knotted her fingers in her hands. “In case you had made the statement in haste, and wish to detract it. I will pretend as you have not said it.”

“Phillipa.” He drew back enough to look at her properly, his thumb tracing along her cheekbone. “Why would I ever take it back? It’s taken me long enough to admit it, first to myself and then to you.”

She looked at his face, watching him articulate the words. Once again, she wished that she could somehow read his thoughts.

“How long…” she felt flustered, both because he was so close to her and because of his confession. “Have you known for long?”

“I’ve known for a fair amount of time, but certainly it took me longer to admit it,” he said. “You can imagine my surprise. I had never thought I’d be one to fall in love.”

“Does that make me an exception in your eyes? Or an annoyance?”

“Likely a mixture of the two,” he teased, but squeezed her hand gently to affirm the affection. “It’s dizzying being in love.”

“With your own wife even?”

“You’d be surprised for how many this is not a given,” he gave her a wry smile again. “I love you, I don’t want to keep it to myself anymore.”

It almost felt like the more he said the words, the more comfortable he became with expressing the emotion. But the intensity remained the same.

“I love you as well.” It came easily now, now that the first of it was said. “I think I have for some time. I was only afraid to say it, because I did not know if there was room in your heart for anything besides your family. I did not wish to ask for a place that was not mine to ask for.”