She took a step backward. “You don’t care that I go to Harry?”
“I don’t try to live other people’s lives for them. If you make up your mind, I will be here for…” He looked toward the house. “I will remain here for another few days. Good night, Miss Willoughby.”
Chapter Twenty-two
Claire cried herself to sleep that night, not falling into a deep sleep until early morning. She probably would have slept the morning away if Harry hadn’t come into her room. What with Miss Rogers confined downstairs with her uninjured leg still in a cast and no one inclined to tell her that her leg wasn’t broken, Claire was left alone. Even Brat, who often came to her room, didn’t. She was probably with Nyssa and Trevelyan and Oman, Claire thought with bitterness. Claire put the pillow over her head and tried to go back to sleep.
At ten, a furious knocking at her door brought her out of her half sleep, but she didn’t bother to answer the door. She didn’t care who was there or who wanted to see her.
When she didn’t get out of bed to answer the door, it was opened. Listlessly, Claire watched Harry enter her room. His arms were full of flowers and a large leather portfolio.
The sight of the handsome young man did nothing to cheer Claire. She lay in the bed, blinking up at him, not smiling, feeling no happiness at seeing the man she was supposed to be in love with.
Harry looked down at her for a moment then put his armload on the foot of the bed and went to open the curtains. Claire blinked at the bright light coming into the room and sat up, not bothering to pull the sheet about her.
Harry took a seat by the bed and looked at her. It wasn’t difficult to see that she’d been crying. She looked much older than her nineteen years.
“I owe you an apology,” he said.
Claire waved her hand in dismissal. She opened her mouth to speak but as her eyes filled with tears again, she closed it.
Harry started to hand her a handkerchief, but the one on the table by the bed was wet so he went to a tall chest of drawers and began frantically opening drawers until he found a clean stack of handkerchiefs. He handed her a wad of them an
d Claire blew her nose loudly.
“I came to apologize,” Harry repeated, then put up his hand when Claire again tried to speak.
Harry put his hands behind his back and began to pace the room. “I don’t think I appreciated you until I had some time away from you. Claire, my love, I’m going to be honest with you. When I first met you, my mother had sent me to London to get you. She’d heard that an American heiress was to be had and, well, there was the roof and all the people in my family who had to be supported and, to be honest, we need the money.”
He stopped pacing and looked at her. “It was rather easy to win you.”
Claire started crying at that. She was indeed easy to win. It seemed that she fell in love with every man she met.
Harry went to sit on the side of the bed and took her hand in his. “I started this because of your money but somewhere along the way I fell in love with you.”
This made Claire cry harder and Harry kissed her palm.
“I was so angry when I left here last week. I realized that you hadn’t enjoyed hunting with me, that you’d only gone with me to…I couldn’t figure out why you’d gone with me. And I guess I’d known that you hated it. You always looked so unhappy and so…wet when we returned.”
Harry smiled at her. “Do you know where I’ve been these last few days?”
Claire shook her head and blew her nose again. Of course Trevelyan had told her where Harry had been but she didn’t know if she believed him.
Harry grinned. “I’ve been saying good-bye to my mistress.”
At that Claire’s head came up and she looked at him.
“Yes,” Harry said. “I was so angry at you that I thought I’d spend some time with a woman who was honest and true, one who didn’t lie to me and say that she liked something when she didn’t. I was furious with you. When I got to Edinburgh, I went to Olivia and told her everything.”
Harry gave a little chuckle. “I thought Livie would hug me and tell me what a dreadful woman you were, but you know what she did?”
Claire shook her head.
“She started laughing. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone laugh as hard as Livie did. I thought she was going to burst her dress. At first she made me so angry I nearly left, but then Livie said, ‘She must love you very much.’”
Claire’s eyes widened as she looked at Harry.
“Yes, that’s what she said. Livie said that any woman who would spend days sitting in the rain in a butt with me had to be in love with me.” He gave a sigh. “Livie has never gone hunting with me. Anyway, Livie said that if she had your money and could buy herself any man she wanted she wouldn’t sit in the rain for the Prince of Wales.”