Page 76 of A Naughty Proposal for His Winter Countess
After sharing breakfast, and the table was cleared, Ben left, “I'll be in the library if you need me.”
Harriet offered, “Shall we go to the drawing room then?”
Nodding, Daniel stood and took her hand, and helped her from her seat. “You're stunning, Darling,” with his other hand he touched a fingertip to the diamond resting on her chest, “I know you wore this for me.”
A pale red tinted her cheekbones, “You're right, I did.”
He brushed a kiss over her cheek before they walked off. “Thank you.”
The drawing room already had a dimming fire, and seated near to the grate, Harriet slid her fingers into his.
“I dreamed of you,” Harriet said quietly. “You were standing in a chapel with shredded roses at your feet. I didn't know what it meant, until I remembered how you were left at the altar. Is a part of you still broken from it?”
A tic jumped in his jaw, and his lips flattened. “I'd like to tell you no, but a part of my soul still thinks I'm not worthy of love. It's why I'd given up on marriage altogether and found myself in ill-reputable houses.”
Sorrow bled into Harriet's heart as she heard that. Her grip tightened on his, “And now, how do you feel now?”
His expression softened and his thumb rubbed circles on the back of her hand, “I'd think you already know. Affection didn't come to me easily; I'd thought that love was a sentiment only for story books and dreams. But now that I have tasted both, it doesn't seem like such a far-fetched ideal. I'm changing, if the warmth in my chest when I think of you is any indication, I'm healing.”
Finding and holding Daniel's eyes, she vowed, “I won't betray you, Daniel.”
Kissing her knuckles, Daniel replied, “I know you won't. I'm looking forward to our wedding day.”
“Me too.”
“I've been meaning to tell you, I sent off the letter to my Mother. I don't know if she'll receive it, or if she will reply. I'm not sure she's alive, but at least I tried,” Daniel replied.
“If she does reply, what do you think you'll do?” Harriet asked. “If she gives you the answers you're looking for?”
A flash of hesitancy ran over Daniel's face, “I'd be afraid to read it, but at least I wouldn't find myself thinking outrageous theories and have some resolution.”
“And if she gives you an answer you can't live with?” Harriet prodded lightly. “I hate to ask, if she hadn’t been seduced, but had designed the affair herself, how would you feel?”
Slowly retracting his hands from hers, Daniel said, “I don't know, Harriet. I'd be more accepting if the Devil himself had stolen her away, but to know that she betrayed and destroyed a good man, I might never forgive her.”
Sliding closer, Harriet embraced him, “I'm sorry that you feel that way.”
Pressing a hand to the top of her back, Daniel pulled her close, “I know, but some transgressions are unforgivable.”
Craning his head, Daniel requested, “Harriet, if at any time you feel overlooked, unloved or uncherished, promise you'll come to me first. I'll do all I can to mend it.”
“I promise,” Harriet murmured in his neck.
Curled into his side, Harriet felt the rigidity in his body begin to lessen. It seemed that he was taking comfort from her presence, and she loved it.
Tracing her fingertips over the back of Daniel’s hand, Harriet asked, “I hope she gives you an answer you can live with.”
“If you wouldn't mind, I'd rather not speak about my Mother anymore,” Daniel replied. “I think what I've planned at the park to be a lovely activity for us; we're going sledding. I've already told Ben about it and he approves.”
A soft cry of delight left Harriet, “Wonderful! I haven't been sledding in ages. Which reminds me, have you skated before? It's such a lovely activity. Come skating with me.”
Slanting a humored gaze to her, Daniel said, “I'll happily watch from the sidelines, but I will not be strapping a blade, quarter of an inch thick to my feet and loll around on a frozen lake.”
She rolled her eyes, “You're no fun.”
“There's an enormous gap between having fun and putting one's self in peril. I choose to hedge on the side of caution.”
Pulling away from his warmth, Harriet asked, “When do we leave?”
