Page 19 of The Reckless Love of an Heir
Alethea turned and said something to him. But before he turned to reply, he said to Susan, in a louder voice, ‘Are we friends again then?’
‘Henry! Alethea asked for your opinion,’ his fatherinterrupted before Susan could answer. They had lost track of the greater conversation about the table.
Henry responded.
When they finished eating, everyone stood. Susan would have walked on ahead to return to the library, but Henry touched her arm.
‘Wait a moment. I have not yet secured your agreement on our pact.’
He had not forgotten his desire for a truce.
Alethea walked on with Aunt Jane, and his father walked with Christine and Sarah.
‘I would like to think of you as my friend, Susan. I do not think we have really been friends for years.’
She hated the way he said her name, his enunciation made her stomach twist about with strange sensations, as though it was a knot of grass snakes.
He held out his left, good, hand, which was gloveless. She accepted the gesture.
She wore no glove either. The warmth and the softness of his skin surprised her as his hand surrounded hers. Yet he had not held her hand in the way he held Alethea’s hand. He held Susan’s in a firm gesture, his whole hand gripping her whole hand, not merely pressing her fingers. He shook on the agreement, then released her.
The queasy feeling in her stomach tumbled over. She had only ever held her father’s naked hand.
‘May I escort you to the library? I wouldn’t mind another look at your painting, we might even persuade Alethea to stop by…’ His good arm had lifted as he spoke. He was offering it to her, encouraging her to lay her hand on his arm.
She glanced at his forearm, before self-consciously restingher hand on his shirt sleeve. The cotton was so fine she could feel the hairs on his skin.
Her tummy squirmed and coiled.
‘How many flowers have you attempted so far?’
Susan swallowed before answering. Her throat had dried. ‘I am only on my second.’
‘And how many are in the book? I seem to recall about fifty. You will be here for a year.’
She smiled at him. ‘Or two.’
This was Henry at his most persuasive, he could turn this side of himself on and off so easily. She usually found his charm annoying, but it was never solely directed at her.
It felt… complimentary… and he was surely doing it to make her feel at ease with him again after her embarrassment, which was kind. Although it must be embarrassing for him if she was blushing at every moment.
His charm was working, though, she did feel more at ease.
For the second time in her life, she felt wholly in charity with him.
Perhaps he would not make such a bad brother-in-law after all.
6
An odd atmosphere accompanied the Forths when they arrived. Henry could sense it even as he looked down into the hall. Uncle Casper’s shoulders were stiff and Aunt Julie’s manner was much more restrained than normal; she far too calmly kissed his mother’s cheek.
Henry walked down the last flight of stairs to the hall as Alethea entered.
She was wearing a light bright blue again so that the material of her evening dress brought out the colour of her eyes. Susan entered behind her sister, wrapped up in a large paisley shawl, but he could see the hem of her dress. It was a pale, dove grey.
He had dressed fully for dinner, as the Forths were officially invited guests rather than arriving simply as callers, and so he wore his grey waistcoat and black evening coat over his shirt. His arm was still strung up in a sling. Yet it had been less painful to dress, and it was not agony to be clothed now the swelling had declined to some extent.
What remained of the pain, as long as he did not make any sudden movements, was a dull constant ache in his shoulder, asoreness in his wrist and stiffness in both. The rest of him was healing quite nicely.
