Before their lips could meet, however, they heard a squeak from the doorway behind them. “I beg your pardon!” Miss Helen squeaked. “I’ll just leave.”
Owen opened his eyes. Reality came crashing down around him harder than it had in a long time.
“What was that?” Georgiana looked over her shoulder.
“Mrs. Helen!” He nudged her off him, pushing her to the ground so he could sit up. “Mrs. Helen, it wasn’t…”
Though he hurriedly pushed himself to his feet, the housekeeper was already gone, and the library doors were open just a crack. He ran his hands through his hair as he mumbled in irritation.
Behind him, Georgiana fumbled with her skirts. “What was that?” she asked. Her brow furrowed when they glanced at each other again.
“What was what?” he asked.
Nothing. That’s what Owen was already telling himself. Nothing had happened, and nothing would happen in the future. Why he had let himself almost get carried away made no sense.
I don’t have time for this. For her.
“I don’t… Well, I’m not…” She scrambled up to her feet.
Belatedly, Owen realized he should have helped her up all the way, but he feared touching her now. Even as she took a step closer, he took one step back.
“Don’t you want to talk about what just happened?”
He frowned. “You mean about your fall?”
Georgiana stared at him before folding her arms across her chest. “I was not talking about my fall. Besides, it was hardly a fall, and I was fine.”
“I nearly wasn’t. You could have crushed me,” Owen found himself saying.
Opening her mouth, his wife stared at him for a minute. He replayed their conversation to see where he had gone wrong. His gut told him he could do better than this. But his stubbornness sank low inside of him, refusing to give up his position.
“I’m not that heavy. Already you said you were fine,” she noted. “Besides, you didn’t have to save me. I wasn’t expecting you to show up.”
“If I hadn’t, you could have broken your neck.”
“I already gave you my gratitude, what more do you want of me?” she asked in exasperation.
He grunted, stepping back at her attitude. It couldn’t very well be his fault that she was in such a mood.
Squaring his shoulders, Owen said, “I don’t want my wife to break her neck because she did something foolish. If you need something you cannot reach, you ask a servant to do the work for you. You don’t need to risk yourself like that.”
“Thank you so kindly for your advice,” Georgiana returned drily. “Do you have any other wonderful words of wisdom before you disappear again?”
“I’m not disappearing. I have work that requires my attention.”
“No, you’re avoiding me,” she responded.
Irritation flared within him. Owen sucked in a sharp breath, not appreciating being called out like this. How had she noticed? He wondered if one of the servants had told her what he was doing.
But it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t. She should be glad I’m giving her space and freedom. Georgiana has nothing to complain about.
“You…”
“Yes?” Georgiana prompted when he didn’t continue. Her bright eyes flashed with indignation. She lifted her chin, waiting for him to continue.
What more could he say?
Owen huffed and shook his head, trying to find the right words. But being around his wife was too much. There was a reason he tried to stay out of her way. It was the best-case situation for them both.
