His lips twitched. “Perhaps...but stubborn for certain.”
She tilted her head and smiled. “I do believe it is determination, not stubbornness.”
“You’re headstrong.”
“Resolute,” she retorted.
“Impulsive.”
“Only where you are concerned. After all, three times, I arrived without a chaperone at your home.” Louisa stared at her plate. “There was not a tremendous amount of thought involved before making those decisions.”
“But I am quite pleased that you did pay me a visit.”
“You didn’t seem pleased any of the times.”
His smile made her heart pound in her chest. “I suppose, but I wouldn’t be having breakfast with you now if you hadn’t made that impulsive decision.”
HARRY TOOK A BITE OF pastry and wondered if he’d ever been as happy as he was at this moment. And yet even as he thought it, a slice of guilt cut through him. How could he think to allow himself to be so happy after all that he’d done?
“Why are you suddenly so quiet?”
“No reason,” he lied. “Just enjoying the moment.”
She sent him a quizzical look. “If you happened to look content or even happy, I might agree. But you appear quite miserable.” She reached over and clasped his hand. “You need to let go of your guilt.”
“I can’t seem to,” he muttered, looking away from her.
“I understand.”
“How can you possibly understand?” he asked in a rougher tone than he’d intended.
“I was there for Tessa. Before she learned of your father’s actions, she had tremendous guilt for each of her husbands’ deaths, believing she must be, at least in part, responsible. She felt she drove the first two back to their mistresses within a week of marriage. By the time she married Stanhope, she had prayed nothing would happen to him. He, unlike the other bastards, actually loved her. But she was afraid to let herself love him. Then a week after their marriage, he was dead too. She assumed she must have a curse over her head.”
“But those deaths were not her fault,” he said and then sighed. “I understand what you are saying, but there is more to it than just Sabita’s death. I treated her so poorly. I would never have acted in such a manner with an Englishwoman. I tried to convince myself that she was less than an Englishwoman and deserved what happened to her.”
“But you did eventually do the right thing, Harry. Many men of your rank would never have married an Indian woman.”
He didn’t want to talk about this or even think about this any longer. Thankfully, a knock on the adjoining room door interrupted their conversation. “Yes?”
“The bath is ready, Your Grace.”
“Come along, love. Your bath awaits.” He rose and then held out his hand to her.
She stood and then cupped his cheek. “The more you talk to me of your thoughts, the better you will feel. I helped Tessa, and I can help you.”
He closed his eyes and pressed his head to her warm hand. She was the only woman he had ever felt so close to and never wanted that to end. “Thank you.”
She reached up and kissed him softly. “Where is my bath? Did they put in it in the duchess’s room?”
“Not quite.” He led her to the door and then opened it wide. A small room made just for bathing awaited her.
“How luxurious,” she said with a touch of awe as she walked into the room. “And a fireplace to keep the room warm. I am starting to like this house better than Northwood Park.”
He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her drawing her close to him. “Perhaps you didn’t see the bathing room at Northwood Park,” he whispered in her ear.
“I don’t believe I did.”
He bunched up her night rail and then slipped it over her head. “You had best get in while the water’s warm.” His cock stirred as she eased herself into the water with a contented sigh. He couldn’t remember feeling this insatiable with any other woman. They had made love three times last night.