“I know I already said as much, but I am really terribly glad you came by,” she breathed, her eyes misting again.
Henry could only squeeze her hand. At least until she let his go.
Without a word, she scooted closer on the loveseat, throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him to her in a hug.
It was unexpected. And uncomfortable, but Henry wrapped his arms around her all the same, hoping to provide the comfort and reassurance she had so obviously needed that he had failed to provide previously.
He couldn’t help thinking that maybe if he had, the whole disastrous situation might never have happened beyond just that one scene at Martha’s grave.
“I really can’t tell you how much it means to me,” Catherine whispered, hugging him tighter as she buried her face in his neck.
Henry patted her back awkwardly, trying to find a way to scoot back without offending her.
“I should have been there for you before, Catherine. I can only attempt to make up for that error by being there now–” he cut off as something warm pressed against his neck, his whole body stiffening as Catherine wormed her way further into his arms.
Her lips.
She was kissing his neck!
“Catherine!”
He didn’t bother with trying to extricate himself gently then, jumping up from where he had been sitting and stepping several steps back in quick succession as he quickly put as much distance as he could between them.
“Henry, you just said–”
“You are married, Catherine!”
Her expression shifted, the hurt and surprise morphing into something ugly and fierce. Her eyes narrowed, her nostrils flaring as she huffed. “And?” she demanded angrily. “So is he? Does that stop him from having his dalliances and indulging his desires?”
Henry didn’t have an answer for that.
He knew far too many couples among the ton chose to turn a blind eye to such things.
“I am engaged,” he reminded her tartly, trying to curtail his anger before it could overtake him.
“And we just discussed that,” Catherine snapped. “You told me to think of it no longer!”
“I told you that you didn’t need to feel guilty concerning it any longer,” Henry argued, confusion filling him. “When you went to apologize–”
“Apologize?” Catherine laughed. “Ah, the girl complained to you, did she? I wasn’t going to apologize. You were the one who was apologizing!”
Henry took a quick step back as Catherine stood, wary of her in a way he had never imagined possible.
“What would I have to apologize for, Catherine?”
“Becoming engaged to that Josephine girl,” Catherine murmured, her mask of frailty and charm falling back into place once more. “Henry, please. Surely you realize that I would be a better match for you?”
“You’re married,” Henry reminded her again, coming up short of anything else to dissuade her. “There is no match to be made with a married woman.”
That seemed to stop her, her expression growing thoughtful as she moved slowly forward. “A mistress then,” Catherine whispered. “People do it all the time, Henry. Youand I– our connection transcends mortal laws and convention. Marry that Josephine girl. I’ll stay in my marriage. But we can still be together. I can still carry your children and–”
“Catherine!”
Henry back-pedalled as she moved forward again, a sultry sway of her hips making her intentions clear.
“I don’t know what gave you any indication that I would be party to such a thing,” he said stiffly, opening the sitting room door with a flourish as he backed up to it so as to remove any pretence of privacy. Or at least try to. “I can appreciate your grief. I can appreciate your situation. But I cannot stand for you insulting both me and my future wife. Josephine is to be my bride. You will not approach her again. You will not threaten her.”
Catherine’s mask almost slipped again, her lips thinning out as she stared at Henry as if she couldn’t grasp what he was saying.
