Page 20 of The Reckless Love of an Heir
Papa’s valet, who had been shaving Henry since he came home, was urging Henry to exercise his bad arm. Henry had refused to attempt it for another week at least; he did not wish to send it into agony again.
‘Uncle Casper.’ Henry bowed in a swift informal movement. Even though there was no relationship via bloodlines he had always felt as though Lord and Lady Forth were his uncle and aunt – and Alethea like another of his cousins – and truly that was the level of his affection for her.
He swallowed, trying to moisten his dry mouth suddenly, as Uncle Casper’s lips lifted in a stiff smile.
Henry glanced at Alethea as his father came to welcome Uncle Casper more heartily.
He liked her considerably. She was amusing company, funny and entertaining, and she was polite and genteel; she would make the perfect Countess when he inherited his father’s title. She was good with people, confident and jolly. He knew full well she would manage a house admirably. She had all the qualities of a wife.
Buthewas not ready to marry. He was too young. Yet he could feel the nets being set about him.
Four times this week she had hinted at the fact she was not going to wait forever for him to ask, and Uncle Casper’s gaze stated that nor did he wish Alethea to be kept waiting. Clearly, they were becoming impatient with him.
Let them. He would not be forced. His father may call such an attitude careless. Henry would call it wise.
‘Good evening, Henry. I trust you are feeling better?’
Henry turned to face Aunt Julie. ‘I am, thank you.’
She gave him a somewhat anxious look, before tentativelytouching his shoulders and lifting to her toes to better reach to kiss his cheek. Normally, in the past, her arms would have wrapped around his neck and her exclamation would have been, ‘My darling boy!’ before she pressed a kiss on his cheek. She had no sons of her own, so Aunt Julie had treated him like a son since his birth. But perhaps her calmness was out of awareness for his injuries.
‘It is good to see you again,’ he said, before kissing her cheek in return.
A very abnormal half-hearted smile stirred her lips.
He realised they had hoped he would announce his and Alethea’s engagement tonight. That was it. They had received the invitation to dine and misconstrued its meaning.
Damn it. Alethea must have been waiting for him to ask all week and now told them he had not.
‘You are looking very well despite your accident.’
‘Thank you, Aunt.’
She was definitely restrained – unhappy with him.
He looked at Alethea. She smiled, but even her smile was not quite so full.
He would lay a bet that there had been a conversation about him in the carriage, one that criticised his lack of a proposal. But he would not be pushed into it. He would propose when he was ready to be settled, not before.
Yet he was not immune to a sense of guilt.
He turned to face Alethea, as she came to him, holding out her hands. He took hold of them, then kissed the back of them in turn, before leaning forward and kissing her cheek. ‘Hello, you look very beautiful,’ he whispered towards her ear before he straightened.
She blushed and smiled more naturally. ‘Hello.’
He smiled too, looking into her very blue eyes, then let her hands slip from his and turned to greet Susan.
He did not normally greet her in any way. They were too close for formalities, and they had no reason to greet each other with any special welcome. But tonight… He had welcomed her parents having not seen them for months and it would seem odd not to say a particular good evening to Susan too.
‘Susan.’
She blushed, not deeply, but there were very definite roses blooming in her cheeks. She had been blushing every time she saw him since their long conversation in the library, or rather since her visit to his room.
She did not offer her hand. He took it from where it hovered by her waist anyway, and kissed the back of her fingers. Her hand trembled and her grey eyes looked directly into his for a moment before she looked at his fingers holding hers.
She was a funny, irregular woman.
He released her and turned his attention back to Alethea, offering his arm.
