Page 67 of The Lady Tempts an Heir
The simple act of being near Max made her feel lighter, and she was genuinely able to smile for the first time that morning. Leading him into the corridor outside the room, she closed the door behind her.
“We were never able to talk last night. Might you be free to take a few minutes this afternoon?”
Max shook his head, and his smile softened as he drew his thumb over her bottom lip. “I wish, but no. August has managed to cajole Papa into sharing the contracts he’s written with firms in India, and we are spending the day going over them. I leave tomorrow and couldn’t in good conscience abandon August to face them alone. They’re horrendously skewed to the disfavor of the builders and laborers. She’ll have a devil of a time getting them changed without someone here to back her up.” He shook his head in disgust. “Perhaps it’s because I was left in the dark over much of the negotiations before, or perhaps it’s because Papa’s changed for the worse, but they’re so much harsher than I expected.”
She took his hand, wanting to take the anxiety and grief away from him. “I’m sorry you have to face this part of your father.”
“I want him to pull out of India completely. We have no business there, especially when moving in will cause so much harm.”
She couldn’t believe that she was going to have to give up this very good man. “I agree. You’re doing the right thing.”
He gave a gentle shake of his head, that half smile she loved so much returning to hover around his lips. His gaze settled on her mouth, and she knew he wanted to kiss her. Her lips tingled with the anticipation, so she dropped her head to force herself to ignore the impulse.
“See to that and we can talk tonight. We must talk, Max, before you leave.”
For the first time, concern for her shone in his eyes. “I promise.”
He placed a kiss to her forehead. She closed her eyes at the warm press of his lips and fought to keep herself from leaning into the reassuring comfort he offered.
•••
The rest of the day passed in a fog. Helena moved around the estate like a corporal ghost, accomplishing small tasks but never truly present in any of them. Even dinner would remain a blur that she could hardly remember taking part of. The only portion that would stand out for her in the months ahead was that Mr. Crenshaw had made another toast to their happiness and future children. It wasn’t the toast she would remember, but the way Max had looked at her after. As if she was all he had ever wanted. And now she had to break his heart.
“Helena, dear, why don’t you take some time with your Maxwell before joining us in the drawing room?” Mama came up behind her and put a gentle hand on her arm as they walked from the dining room. A knowing smile touched her features.
“Are you certain?” Helena had planned to sneak away before bed like they had last time.
Mama nodded and leaned closer. “The man is leaving tomorrow. I am not so rigid that I cannot understand you might want a moment of privacy to say goodbye. Only a moment, mind you. Take a stroll through the gallery before joining us.”
Max was already standing, clearly having no intention of staying to smoke and drink with the men. Mama patted Helena’s hand and followed the other women out. A moment later, Max had replaced her at Helena’s side.
“Is now a good time for you?” he asked.
No. She didn’t want to have this discussion with him, but there was no hope for it. She put her hand on his arm and gave him a tight smile. Without realizing that she was taking them there, she led him toward the room where she had found him last night. Along the way, she asked, “How did the rest of your meeting go?”
“Not well.” His jaw was tight as he studied the paintings they passed. “All this talk of legacy has made me think very hard about the reputation I want to leave behind, for myself, the Crenshaw name, and the ironworks. It doesn’t involve dishonorable contracts and exploitative labor.”
“What can you do about it? I assume your father still has a large stake in the company?”
He was silent for a moment as they walked, as if weighing the burden of what he meant to say. “August and I talked before dinner. We’re thinking about calling for a vote if we can’t make him see reason.”
“A vote to unseat him?”
“Yes, potentially. I don’t want any part of the India expansion if it can’t be done with some sense of fairness. I believe that if we invest, we must be only that, investors. We have to allow local leaders the autonomy to manage the project; otherwise, we’re simply exploiting resources, negating the good our railroad might do.”
They had come to a stop as he spoke, his words weighing down their steps.
“That’s...” She took in a breath as she considered the real impact of that. “I’m in agreement, but you could very well break your family.”
He nodded, pain evident on his face as he looked at her. “I know. But it’s a break that started when my parents believed marrying off my sisters to be more important than their wishes and what was truly best for them.” He studied her face as if attempting to read her thoughts. “It may very well anger your father.”
She knew he was asking for her agreement in light ofthat fact. The weight of the betrothal ring sat heavy on her finger. “I think you must do what you feel to be right. I’ll support you.”
His lips twitched in a smile as the lines on his forehead relaxed. She quickly continued walking, leading them into the room. The sky was a bit clearer tonight, so pale moonlight filtered in through the leaded glass windows, casting a pleasant glow over the cozy space. It was rather romantic.
She let go of his arm and walked to the windows. The moon was high above them with only wisps of clouds floating around it. Oh, to be anywhere beneath that moon but here. She took in a deep breath and said, “I am sorry I didn’t tell you this earlier, but I wanted you to know before you left.”
She turned to him only to see him smiling at her. It wasn’t a joyous smile. It was the smile that said he was going to eat her up and make her enjoy it. The same devious grin he had given her last night before he had done just that and buried his face between her thighs. Blushing profusely at the memory, she held a hand up between them even as heat tumbled through her stomach. “That’s not why I brought you here.”
