Chapter 39
Bridget sat in the drawing room, book in hand, but she had not read a single word.
Her thoughts kept wandering away from her, making it impossible to focus.
After days of anxiety, hurried steps, and raised voices, the townhouse was suddenly quiet.
The household had adjusted to the arrival of Alexander, the future Duke of Greenway.
Dorothy slept in her bedchamber.
Catherine had returned to her husband.
Elias and Gerard had taken refuge in the latter’s study.
Bridget was left alone for the first time in days. It was a blessing, for she had felt herself stretched too thin in the chaotic arrival of Dorothy’s son. It was a curse, for it left her with too much time to think.
“Your Grace, you have a visitor.”
Bridget glanced up from the book. Gerard’s butler stood at the room’s entrance. At Bridget’s look, he dropped into a stiff bow.
“Who is it?” she asked.
“The Duke of Wheelton.”
Bridget froze. He had finally come for her.
“Oh,” she whispered.
“Shall I show him to you?”
Bridget had spent days longing for him, imagining Lewis coming to the townhouse and sweeping her into his arms like some romantic hero. That would probably not happen. It had taken Lewis so long to come to her; he had probably spent all those days thinking of the best way to be rid of her.
But what would he do? Would Lewis want to annul the marriage, or would he simply insist that she spend her time in the countryside, largely apart from him? Bridget bit her lip. “I will see him.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
As Halls went to fetch her husband, Bridget set her book aside and clasped her hands together in her lap. She steeled herself for the encounter, determined to appear poised and confident, even if this might be the last time Lewis ever spoke to her.
When he entered the drawing room, anything Bridget might have said left her at once.
Her eyes hungrily took in his massive form, his broad shoulders and trim waist emphasized by his blue jacket.
Bridget’s eyes drifted to his handsome face, his strong jaw and his intense eyes.
Lewis was just as attractive as she remembered.
Once, she had thought it unfair that such a handsome man could be so infuriating.
An ache of longing twisted in her chest, as she looked at her husband for the first time in weeks.
He was such a handsome man, and she wanted to be everything for him.
“Bridget,” he said.
She stood with all the grace she could muster and squared her shoulders. Bridget would be brave and firm. She would not beg for another chance but would, instead, accept his decision—even if it broke her own heart. “Lewis.”
“I want to apologize for how I have treated you,” Lewis said.
Bridget blinked. “Why would you…” She trailed off, uncertain if she had heard him properly.
What would he need to apologize for? She was the one who had upset him.
Maybe Lewis was going to apologize for marrying her; he would tell her that he was wrong to think their marriage could work.
“I have some things that I would like to say,” Lewis continued. “Please, let me.”
Bridget took a shuddering breath and nodded.
Lewis sat on the sofa, keeping a respectable distance between himself and Bridget. She sat, resisting the impulse to move nearer to him.
“When we married, I knew that you were a young, romantic girl,” Lewis said. “You wanted a marriage built on a foundation of love and mutual respect, and I married you fully believing that I would never give that to you. I should not have done that.”
It was her worst fears realized. Bridget forced down the lump in her throat, trying not to let her thoughts run away from her.
“I was selfish, and I did not open myself up to you, like you wanted—no, like you deserved. I should have given you everything you wanted. The truth is that you deserve someone who loves you, Bridget.”
She stared at him in disbelief. How was that confession meant to make her feel? Bridget’s body was cold and hot all at once.
“I want to be that man. If you just give me another chance, I promise I can be. I will never deny your needs again,” Lewis said, shifting closer to her.
“You have changed my life for the best. And not just my life! My staff adores you. My grandmother left her house for the first time in decades because of you.”
Bridget’s throat was heavy and thick. “You—did you assume that I was angry with you?”
“Of course,” he said. “Why else would you have left without sending me any word of where you had gone?”
Bridget’s eyes widened. “But I did!” she exclaimed. “I wrote a letter for you, explaining everything. My sister had her baby, and she needed my help.”
“I never received a letter,” Lewis said, his face uncharacteristically hesitant. “I assumed that you had gone to be away from me.”
Bridget gasped and shook her head. “No, I would never. I just—is that why you did not come to me?”
“Of course. I thought you needed time to yourself,” Lewis said. “And I had no notion of where you might be. When I read in the papers that your sister had a baby, I assumed you would be here.”
Bridget let out a small, anxious laugh. “No, no…the entire family was here for Dorothy’s birth, everyone except for you.”
“I am sorry.”
At his apology, something within Bridget broke.
Her eyes burned with newly formed tears, and when she inhaled, her breath ached inside her chest. “I wish you had been here,” she said.
“You would have been so proud of me. I did so well with everything. When Dorothy’s baby was coming, I sent for the physician and took charge.
I sent you a letter telling you what was happening.
And I helped Catherine and Elias look after Dorothy every day. ”
The weight of it all suddenly fell upon her shoulders, so crushing that she found it difficult to breathe.
“I am always proud of you,” Lewis said.
“But it was so—I did so much!” Bridget exclaimed. “And I know it sounds silly, but I was beside myself with worry about you. I thought you might not want me anymore, even though I was trying so hard to be worthy of you.”
Then, his lips pressed against hers. All Bridget’s thoughts came to an abrupt halt, as he kissed her gently but persistently. He tasted of brandy and coffee. Bridget tentatively kissed him back.
Then, it was as if all her fears and anxieties over the past few days fell away.
She curled her fingers in his hair and drew him close.
Lewis grasped her upper arms and held her tightly, as if he feared that she might disappear.
Bridget kissed him, surrendering to all the longing and passion that had been building in her for so very long.
His cologne tingled in her nose, the scent so wonderfully familiar that it made her pulse quicken.
It was as if the world had stopped turning, and it was only Bridget and her husband, together once more.
When Lewis pulled back, Bridget followed him for just a heartbeat. Her husband stared at her, his breath coming as quickly and raggedly as her own. She affected him! A sense of victory washed over her.
“You are a good woman,” Lewis said. “And a good wife. I am so sorry that I ever let you think otherwise.”
“And I am sorry for the mistakes that I made,” Bridget said. “And for all my schemes. I wish that I had never tried to ruin our marriage.”
Lewis shook his head. “No. I like that you tried to ruin the marriage. My grandmother said that everyone needs a challenge, and you challenge me, Bridget. In the best way.”
Bridget’s face warmed. Did she really deserve a man like this, who cared so deeply for her? It seemed miraculous that she had found him so unexpectedly.
“I love you,” Lewis said. “So very much. My only regret is that I did not realize it sooner, or I might have spent all that time loving you.”
“There is no time like the present,” Bridget said. “You have the rest of your life to love me.”
He raised a hand and gently tucked a wayward curl behind Bridget’s ear. Her heart fluttered madly, and she leaned into his touch. “I do,” he said. “And I will not waste another moment. I will never take you for granted again, my dearest.”
She curled her hand over his. “I believe you.”
Lewis drew her in for another kiss, this time gentle and sweet, and Bridget felt like a flower opening to the sun after a month of rainy days. Her husband had returned to her, and he loved her.
Everything in the world was simply perfect.
Lewis pressed his lips against her cheek. “So,” he murmured, his breath hot against her skin. “When do I get to take you home, my beloved wife?”
Bridget laughed. Her mind conjured delicious images of being in bed with Lewis.
“Whenever you like.”
He tilted his head back and smirked, infuriating and handsome all at once. “What if I want you now?” Lewis murmured.
Bridget grinned. “You may have me. I will need to say farewell to my siblings first.”
“Of course.”
Bridget untangled herself from him, smiling brightly as she climbed to her feet. “Just a moment,” she said.
Lewis stretched over the sofa and smiled coyly. “Take your time.”
She nearly skipped from the room. Once Bridget was in the corridor, she pressed herself against the wall and smiled. Lewis had returned to her, and he loved her! An indescribable joy swept over her, and her face hurt from smiling so much.
She hurried upstairs, nearly breathless by the time she reached Gerard’s study. Her brother-in-law and Elias sat near the fire together, talking and looking over some text together, but seeing her, both men fell silent.
“Bridget?” Elias asked, rising to his feet.
“I am going home,” Bridget said. “My husband has come for me. I will return in the morning to help with Dorothy.”
“Or the day after tomorrow,” Elias offered. “You deserve rest, too.”
That might be true, but Bridget had no desire to go home and rest. Fortunately, she suspected that her husband was also not inclined to rest.
“The day after tomorrow,” Bridget said.
She had the impulse to stay and talk longer. That would be polite. However, Bridget found that she could wait no longer. Bridget hurried downstairs and into the drawing room. Her husband’s eyes gleamed, and he languidly stood. “Shall we?”
Lewis offered his arm, and Bridget placed her hand at the crook of his elbow. She pressed her cheek against his arm and sighed, inhaling the warmth and scent of him. “I missed you so much,” Bridget whispered.
“And I missed you.”
They walked across the foyer, Bridget giving a small wave to Halls as they passed him.
“Would you like a carriage?” Lewis asked. “In my haste to see you, I did not have one prepared for me.”
Bridget shook her head. “We should walk.”
Lewis inclined his head in agreement, and they set a quick pace through Mayfair. Energy hummed inside Bridget, and that familiar ache curled inside her core.
“I assume that I have earned a reward,” Bridget said slyly.
Lewis chuckled. “More than one, my dear wife. I hope you did not promise to return to your sister for some time.”
“The day after tomorrow,” Bridget said.
Bridget’s face grew hot at the lustful look her husband cast her. “That should be sufficient,” Lewis said.
“Are you certain?” she asked coyly.
“Of course,” Lewis said. “You will need time to recover, won’t you?”
She smiled at him, her eyes sparkling. “Find out.”