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His sister was upset with him. She tugged at her skirt in sharp movements. She only did that was she was truly vexed. Henry didn’t have to guess at what it was that ruffled her feathers. He had spent the entire game watching Lady Woolard from across the room. That meant his focus wasn’t where it should be, on the game they were playing.
“We came close to losing tonight.” His sister hissed as the two other players left the table.
“Close doesn’t mean anything as long as you win.” He attempted to calm her.
“I don’t like it.”
The list of things she didn’t like was long. Henry shrugged.
“I can’t help it if the woman fascinates me. There is something about her that is puzzling and you know I love puzzles.”
“What could that be? She is a widow, formerly married to a little-known gentleman. There is nothing exciting about any of that.”
There was truth to what Rory said, but Henry knew there was something more. His instincts about people were never wrong. That sweet and pretty widow was hiding something and he itched to find out what. He let his mind wander to thinking about the various ways he could try to get the information from her, and he didn’t hear Rory saying his name until she was almost shouting it.
“You do realize that they won their game as well. That means that we might be playing against them tomorrow.” Rachel said. “Are you going to be able to control your desire long enough to win against her?”
“You have no idea about desire.”
“I’m unmarried, not in the school room.”
Rory was only a few years younger than Henry, but he always imagined her as his innocent baby sister. The fact that she was over twenty did nothing to change that.
“I will be sure not to embarrass you while we play.”
They were closer than most siblings were. The two of them shared a house in London and had since their parents passed away. Although they often irritated each other, there was nothing one wouldn’t do for the other.
“I don’t mind if you choose to have a dalliance while we are here, as long as you don’t let it distract you from our purpose. I need you to be sharp at the table.”
“Aren’t I usually?”
She laughed, letting the glare slip away. He was glad to see her in a better mood as they went into the parlor where the rest of the players who were finished had gathered.
He knew that Katherine and her partner had finished, yet he didn’t see her. Patrick entertained a small group of people with a story that involved grand hand gestures. They were enjoying it and so was he. His sister went in that direction, so he felt safe in escaping from the room altogether.
This was not the first time Henry had been to this house. He knew his way around the rooms, even in the dark and knew where he would find the best place to relax. There was a small library tucked away on the ground floor, close to the gardens where he would often hide. It didn’t hold a large collection, but enough to pass the time. It also had a lovely view and comfortable places to sit. Everything a person needed to retire from an overcrowded house party.
Henry entered the room, expecting it to be empty. Instead he found Kate had already claimed his favorite chair, blanket and possibly book. He couldn’t read the cover from the doorway.
“What are you doing here?” Henry asked.
“I suffered from a headache, so I decided to retire for the night and came looking for something to read. What are you doing here?”
“I was tired of talking to people.” Henry didn’t see a reason to lie about an ailment. “I often come here to relax in the evenings. I don’t suppose that is Dickens you are holding?”
She blushed as she slid the book behind her back. “There was a limited selection of fiction.”
“I know. I keep telling Andrews that he needs to get more novels in here, but he insists that no one read them anyhow.”
He watched as she tried to hide her embarrassment. It was adorable the way she would fidget under his gaze. He had watched her at the card table and she showed no nerves. It was only him that she found unsettling. That was good, she knocked him off kilter as well.
“Are you here alone?” he asked, not moving any closer to her chair, but standing in the doorway like a servant waiting for orders.
“Do you see anyone else?”
She pinched her lips together.
“No, but at these kinds of events it is always better to ask.” He gave her a naughty smile. “You could have a lover hiding behind the curtains.”
She snorted.
“I have no lovers, hiding or out in the open.”
“That’s something you should fix.”
The pick color in her cheeks turned a bright red and he chuckled. Her eyes followed him as he moved into the room. The chair across from her was empty so he took it, letting his body gracefully unfold in it. Women had often remarked about how his height was attractive, so he used it to his best advantage and stretched his long legs out in front of him. In comparison, Kitty looked so small with her feet tucked up under her in the chair. He could see her shoes peeking out from under the chair, which made him think of her legs in soft stockings. His smile widened.
“What are you thinking about?” Kitty asked, eyeing him with suspicion. “I don’t like that look on your face.”
“I’m wondering if you realize how enchanting you are.”
Her lips parted but no sound came out.
“I haven’t been able to take my eyes off you since we arrived and I’m not the only one. Most of the men here have been watching you closely.”
“That’s only because they want to beat me at the table. Simple strategy.”
She was able to find her words again.
“No, I know the way a player watches an opponent. This is something different. Are you saying you are unaware of the affect you have on men?”
He found it difficult to believe, considering how pretty she was. Her husband would have mentioned it many times if he wasn’t a fool. Still, the way her gaze dropped, Henry could tell the topic made her uncomfortable. Perhaps she had been raised to be modest and that was why she was so captivating.
“I’m aware, but I don’t encourage it. I am not yet out of mourning and to attract their attention would be disrespectful to my dear husband.”
Her eyes kept flickering towards the door as the tension between them thickened. She was trying to plan her escape. A gentleman would make it easier for her, but Henry never claimed to be a gentleman.
“I think you might have dropped something.”
Ignoring her protests, Henry got down on his hands and knees, moving slowly towards her chair. She squirmed with every inch he got close. Henry pretended to look under her chair thoroughly, before popping his head back up. He was close enough to almost be in her lap and she gasped.
“I guess it was a trick of the light. Nothing under there at all.”
As he straightened himself up on his knees, he placed his hands on the arms of the chair, trapping her in place.
“Without a book, I’m going to need to find another way to relax.” He lowered his voice
“The library is full of books. Pick another.”
“Once I set my mind on something, nothing else will do. I’m relentless that way.”
He watched the lovely bloom of color in her cheeks turn bright pink and her lips parted. Those hazel eyes narrowed on his mouth and he knew she thought he was going to kiss her. He certainly wanted to.
“Take the damned book.” Kitty pulled Dickens from its hiding spot and thrust it into his chest. “I was going to leave anyway.”
With a shove, Kitty knocked him over and while he was laid out on the floor, stepped over his body towards the door. He laughed so hard he had tears in his eye as she left.