“O...of course, Your Grace.”
They worked together for a time, making sure the mother was settled in and the puppies were nursing like they were supposed to, but when there was no reason to delay any longer, praying that Miss Welton was already in bed, he decided it was time to go. “Don’t stay up too late, Henry.”
With that, he headed for the townhouse and walked inside.
The butler wasn’t at the door to greet him, but since this was merely someplace that he had rented out for his “mistress,” he didn’t employ a full staff and he allowed for the rules to be a bit more relaxed.
Still feeling restless, he decided that a brandy and a treatise on philosophy should be enough to put him to sleep, so he headed for the sitting room next to his bedchamber. However, as he passed by Persephone’s room, he noticed that there was a still a light shining under the door.
Instantly, his cock stirred with renewed interest.
He blew out a heavy breath and told himself to keep moving, but his feet refused to obey the command. She’s your mistress. There is nothing wrong with enjoying each other’s company, his mind reasoned. But then his conscience intruded at nearly the same time. Remember your vow and what happened to Louisa when men refused to control their animalistic urges.
And yet…
He found himself walking toward the door against his better judgment. He knocked lightly on the hard wood, but when there was no reply, he decided it was his duty as her protector to at least check to make sure she was all right.
Thus, he gently eased open the door and peeked inside. What he saw caused a tightness to bloom in his chest. The lamp was still burning on her bedside table, but she was fast asleep in the bed, a paper clutched in her hand.
Without warning, he found himself drawn closer to her side. It didn’t escape his notice that the jade elephant he’d sent for her birthday from India was sitting next to the lamp. A smile touched his lips when he pictured her gazing at it and thinking of him as she fell into slumber each night.
He glanced at her form and was comforted by her easy breathing. Her brilliant red hair was fixed into a braid and laid innocently over her white nightdress. The counterpane just covered her full breasts, which he thought was a dreadful shame, but it was the paper that had slipped from her limp fingers that he reached for.
He picked it up and stilled for the third time that night.
She had fallen asleep reading one of the letters that he’d sent to her. He glanced at the side table and reached out to open the drawer. There he found the rest of them, a neat little pile of correspondence tied together with twine.
As if he’d run a great distance, he began to breathe heavily. He quickly tossed the letter inside and shut the drawer. Afterward, he left her room and walked briskly down the hall until he was safely ensconced inside of his sitting room. Surrounded by a masculine interior, he closed his eyes, but all he could see was Persephone and that damned letter. If that wasn’t enough of a warning to keep his distance, then he didn’t know what was.
The last thing he needed was for her to fall in love with him. He didn’t want to marry and have his son succumb to the sort of lifestyle that Lord Gregory enjoyed, nor did he want a daughter to fall prey to someone of similar desires. He had told Darwood that he might never marry, and he’d meant it.
His mouth set in a grim line; he realized what he must do. In order to save Miss Welton from the hope of him ever returning her affections, he would have to let her go. He’d saved her from a dark fate all those years ago, but it was time to look to the future.
She could no longer be his mistress if he intended to safeguard his heart.
***
A knock at her bedchamber door the next morning had Sephy quickly shoving the letter she’d been reading back into the drawer with the others. While she hadn’t remembered returning it to the pile the night before, she thought it must have been so.
She quickly smoothed her hair and clasped her hands in her lap, making sure she looked appealing before she spoke up for the caller to enter. The door opened and her heart thrilled at the sight of Hunter. Five years of waiting for him to return had proven that her memory of him had faded over time. He was infinitely more handsome than she remembered with his dark hair and intent brown eyes. And now that his skin had a golden bronze tint to it from the desert sun, he was even more breathtaking. Combined with the fact she’d just been pouring over his gentle descriptions of life in India, she realized that this was a man she could easily fall in love with.
Of course, allowing her heart to become engaged would be foolhardy in the extreme, as such girlish fantasies had never been in the cards for her. But perhaps she could finally convince him to treat her as the mistress she yearned to be before he cast her aside.
“Your Grace.” She offered a bright, encouraging smile. “What a pleasant surprise.”
However, instead of moving forward and taking her in his arms, he hovered by the doorframe, his hands set on his hips. The look on his face didn’t bode well either. “We need to talk about our current association.”
Some of her excitement diminished, but she refused to lose hope. “What did you have in mind?”
He glanced away, as if what he had to say was too difficult to impart directly. “I wish to sever my tie as your protector. Of course, I will send you
