Page 124 of Three Weeks with a Princess
“I don’t,” Chloe said wryly. “Now, do you think you could rest a bit before I bring you a cup of tea?”
“I’ll try, but I don’t really think I’ll be able to sleep until I see Jack.”
With every moment that passed, Lia grew more restless to be with him. She still didn’t know precisely what would happen between them, but she needed to feel his arms around her. And she needed another chance to tell him that she loved him. Whether they married or not, she would never view his presence in her life as anything less than the most precious of gifts.
Chloe cocked her head. “Your wait is over, I believe.” She glided to the door and opened it. “Ah, Lord Lendale. Lia has been waiting for you.”
Jack stuck his head into the room. “Good evening, Lady Hunter. Are you sure she’s not too tired to see me?”
“Of course I’m not,” Lia said. “Please come in.”
He strode quickly to the bed, obviously as eager to see her as she was to see him.
“How are you, love?” His gruff tone—which she knew stemmed from emotion—was offset by how gently he stroked her hair.
“I’m fine,” she said, gazing up at him, knowing she looked like a love-besotted fool.
He smiled back, but his gaze was somber and weariness had scored deep lines around his mouth.
“I’m not sure about you, though,” she added. “You look exhausted.”
He grimaced. “Bow Street is a taxing environment at the best of times, and there was a great deal to be sorted out.”
“I suppose my husband is still down there,” Chloe said with good-humored resignation.
Jack glanced over his shoulder. “Yes. He expects to finish up there shortly, but then he intends to go on to Carlton House. He asked me to tell you not to wait up for him.”
Chloe made an exasperated noise. “He always says that.”
“And you always wait up for him, don’t you?” Lia said.
“Of course. That’s what wives do.” She winked. “As I expect you’ll find out.”
Lia glanced at Jack and could feel herself blushing. “Yes, well, we’ll see,” she said vaguely.
He narrowed his gaze. “We’ll see?”
She wrinkled her nose at him.
“I must check on my son and then I’ll wait for Dominic in his study,” Chloe said, clearly trying to suppress a smile. “Just ring if you need anything.”
“I will,” Lia said.
“And do not keep my niece up till all hours, Lord Lendale,” Chloe added. “She needs her rest.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Jack said dryly.
When the door closed, they silently regarded each other. Lia’s heart throbbed with a yearning she knew would last a lifetime if she walked away from Jack. But now that he stood before her, she couldn’t muster up the right words to navigate through the unresolved issues still looming between them.
“Are you sure you’re all right?” he finally said, taking her hand. “God, Lia, you scared the hell out of me when you fainted.”
She squeezed his fingers. “It was so silly of me. Even Amy didn’t faint, and she was in much worse shape than I.”
“Perhaps you were feeling a little woozy from hunger,” he said with a gleam of humor. “Perfectly understandable because you missed tea.”
She let out a reluctant chuckle. “Wretch. But Jack, are you sureyou’reall right? You look rather battered.”
He sighed and rubbed a hand back through his hair. Although still somewhat disheveled, he’d set his clothing to rights as best he could. “I’m fine, although I’ll admit that dealing with Prudhoe and his thugs—not to mention Mrs. Grace, who shrieked all the way to Bow Street—did try my patience. Thank God Dominic showed up to take charge of it all.”
