Chapter 26 #3
“Not to worry,” Mr. Howard said with a chuckle. “He will return, of course. But we are both very hopeful that this will bring him new readership in the States.”
Mr. Dorian had also been looking towards the back. Then he blinked and nodded. “Yes,” he said, distracted. “Yes. Thank you.”
Lady Burton came to the lectern then to announce that refreshments would be served in the next room, and everyone began to stand.
“I need to leave,” I muttered to Delia.
“Now?”
“Yes, now.” I did my best to stand up, while also keeping a low profile. Mr. Dorian was still at the front of the room, speaking with Lady Burton and Mr. Howard, but he kept casting furtive glances in my general direction. I had to get out of the room before he spotted me.
“But you haven’t even spoken to him yet,” Delia said.
“Some other time.” Then I urged her out of her seat and pulled her from the room.
I had just retrieved our coats and was throwing mine on when someone called out to us from down the hall.
“Wait.”
I pretended not to hear as I threaded my arm through Delia’s and made for the exit.
But she dug in her heels. “What are you doing?” she hissed and came to a stop.
“Traitor,” I whispered before I slowly turned around.
Mr. Dorian approached us, looking apprehensive. “Mrs. Harper.”
“Oh. Hello there,” I said, as if we had just crossed paths in the park and not at the man’s own literary event.
He raised an eyebrow, and Delia slipped out of my grasp. “I’ll just go talk to Lady Burton for a moment.” Then she hurried away before I could stop her.
He cleared his throat. “How … how have you been?”
I let out a sharp laugh at his overly formal tone. “Oh, very well,” I said dryly.
Mr. Dorian must have been quite out of sorts because he did not pick up on my sarcasm, which was unlike him. “Truly?”
This only irritated me further. “In fact,” I continued, narrowing my eyes, “just the other day I found out my husband had been a spy for our entire marriage.”
Mr. Dorian finally caught on and looked ashen. “My God. Who told you this?”
I glanced away. “I met with the viscount, and he confirmed everything. Apparently, instead of colluding with Lord Linden, Oliver was actually working to bring the entire black-market ring down until the powers that be decided there was too much at stake and suggested he retire instead.”
Mr. Dorian let out a low whistle. “But that’s good news, no?”
I met his uncertain gaze. “It’s better than the alternative, yes. But I still wish he had been more honest with me. About any of it.”
“That is entirely understandable,” he said, as his eyes filled with sympathy, but just as he began to say more, there was the sound of multiple footsteps behind us and someone loudly whispered, “I think he went this way.” It sounded very much like the young lady I had been seated next to.
Mr. Dorian subtly rolled his eyes and took my hand.
“Come with me,” he said, as he led me through the nearest door into a receiving room and then through another door.
This appeared to be a small sitting room, and a fire crackled happily in the hearth.
Mr. Dorian firmly shut the door behind him and let out a breath.
Then he fixed his dark gaze upon me and let out a breath.
It was only then that I noticed just how out of sorts he seemed.
“I didn’t expect you to be here,” he murmured after a moment.
“Neither did I,” I admitted. “That is … Delia didn’t tell me you were speaking tonight.”
Disappointment flashed in his eyes. “Ah.”
“I liked it, though,” I said quickly. “Very much.”
“I’m glad,” he said, looking relieved. “I wanted to see you before I left.”
I arched a brow. “You mean you didn’t intend to leave the country again without speaking to me first?”
He grimaced. “I deserved that.”
“Yes, you did,” I snapped, as all the confusion of the past week suddenly burst through me. “I woke up the next morning to Jack saying some rubbish about you agreeing to stay away from me.”
“It isn’t rubbish, Minnie,” he murmured and looked at me with such remorse that my anger was nearly snuffed out.
I crossed my arms in an attempt to at least look cross. “What are you talking about?”
He stepped towards me. “Your brother suggested that my reputation could negatively affect you—”
“Well, that’s ridiculous,” I insisted.
“—and I happen to agree with him.”
“Oh.” My arms fell by my sides. “But … you said yourself it’s only gossip to sell papers.”
“Yes. And it’s true.” He came to a stop just before me, as close as he had been the other night, and once again my heart thundered in my ears, though it wasn’t loud enough to drown out what he said next: “But that doesn’t change the fact that right now I am something of a target for tawdriness.
I don’t want to bring you into that. Nor your children. You’ve all been through quite enough.”
My chest pinched at the clear regret in his eyes, and I looked down. “I see.”
Then I felt his warm fingers slide under my chin as he tilted my face up. “I’m trying to be better. I’m trying to deserve you. That’s what this book and this tour is about. I need to change who I am and what people associate with me.”
I blinked rapidly as I tried to understand his reasoning. “And to do that, you need to leave me?”
His dark gaze bore into mine as he slowly nodded. “I wish there was a better way—”
“There is,” I insisted. “Ignore them.”
The corner of his mouth lifted for a moment, and his eyes flickered to my lips. “It isn’t that simple.”
“All I care about is that you are honest with me. Not what some bloody newspapers say.”
He raised his eyebrows in surprise at my curse, then shook his head again, more firmly this time.
“I’m sorry, but I would regret it if I didn’t at least even try.
” Then he slowly dragged his fingertips along my jaw and cupped my face.
“For nearly two years, my life was mired in nothing but darkness. And rather than fight for myself, I chose to wallow. To be dragged down into the muck. Because I didn’t have a reason to care.
Then I met you. And it was the best thing that had happened to me in a very long time. ”
My heart began to swell in my chest, and I glanced away from the emotion in his gaze. “Well, maybe not so much the meeting part,” I quipped.
He chuckled. “As I’ve told you, I was an ass that night. But you were wonderful. You’ve always been wonderful. And that gave me something to wish for. That one day I might be worthy of you. Be the kind of man you deserve. So, will you let me do that?”
I let out a huff as I leaned into his touch. “How on earth am I supposed to say no.”
“It’s only two months,” he murmured as he nuzzled my neck.
“And if Howard’s right, I will come back a sensation.
And no one will say a word about my blasted divorce ever again.
” I shivered as he tilted my head back and leaned in.
“Will you wait for me?” he asked, his breath fanning out against my lips.
“Of course,” I rasped. “Of course I will, Stephen.”
He suddenly pressed his mouth to mine in a desperate, heated kiss.
My hands snaked around his strong shoulders, and I slid my fingers into his thick hair, tugging him even closer to me.
His warm hands circled my waist, and he bent me back, deepening the kiss further.
It felt like someone was shooting electricity through my veins.
I couldn’t exactly say how long this went on for, only that, at some point, when he finally pulled back, we were both breathing hard, and his dark eyes were filled with a mixture of heat and wonder that was, frankly, very gratifying.
“Two months,” he said.
“Two months,” I repeated breathlessly. “And then …”
He gave me a wicked smile as he leaned in close again. “Everything, Minnie Harper,” he murmured against my lips. “Everything.”