Henry brushed my cheek with a kiss. “Will you trust me completely or only in parts?”
Our future could not be based on parts. “Completely,” I said with newfound conviction. “You deserve the truth. I’ll tell you everything so long as you promise not to interrupt or chastise my judgment.”
He nodded. “I promise. No interruptions.”
With a long, steadying breath, I started by recounting my first meeting with Julian in its entirety. True to his word, Henry remained silent as I spoke, and I soon found myself telling him about Cate and the events of this evening, from the hound that had tried to kill me to the little wretch stalking the orphans.
At the end of my narrative, Henry released a low whistle under his breath. “Both Cate and Julian,” he said. “I would never have guessed.”
I bobbed my head in agreement. “I know. Before coming to England, it hadn’t occurred to me that I might not recognize another of my kind, yet I’ve stayed under Cate’s roof for a full week without the slightest inclination.”
Henry shifted, allowing me to snuggle deeper into his arms. “In hindsight, it makes perfect sense why she risked the king’s wrath by opening her home to you. I’ve plenty of friends in London, but she was the only one brave enough to extend an invitation.” He fell silent, and I again listened to the rhythm of his heartbeat. The knot had released its hold on my brain, coaxed away, I assumed, by the contentment I now felt from sharing so many burdens. Sure, I still had cartful of problems, but I no longer had to shoulder it alone.
“What surprises me most,” Henry said after a minute, “is how she let her mother die. I’ve known Cate for years and never suspected her capable of harboring such a grudge. I wonder if it’s wise for you to continue residing here.”
A strange sensation stirred in my chest, an impulse to defend Cate’s actions despite having had similar thoughts just a few short hours ago. “Mr. Larken might have been mistaken about Cate’s indifference to her mother’s illness.” My own father came to mind and his refusal to be healed. “Maybe her mother wanted to die and forbade Cate from healing her. Whatever the case, there’s no denying that she has already saved my life twice. Heaven knows, if she meant me harm, I wouldn’t be sitting here right now.”
Henry stared into the fire, his brow heavy with thought. “Concern for your safety has clouded my better judgment. Cate has proven herself time and again, and I’ve no right to question her loyalty to either of us. There must be more to the story than even Mr. Larken knows.” Henry nestled his head against me and inhaled deeply. “So, is that all, or is there anything else you need to tell me?”
A flicker of guilt warmed my conscience. From his playful tone, he didn’t really think there could be anything more after what I had already told him.
To be fair, I had divulged everything of importance in regards to Julian, and saw no need to relate verbatim our entire conversation from the palace garden. Considering Henry’s jealous nature and apparent fondness for duels, only a simpleton would throw oil on that fire by needlessly reciting Julian’s various insults and attempts to win me over. The details of his sad past had sufficed to explain his ardent stance against my betrothal to a human rather than a leath’dhia, and due to some selective editing, Henry had taken the news of Julian’s proposal in stride. My limited version of events had been in the best interest of both men. So why did I feel so blasted guilty?
Henry encased both of my hands in one of his own. “Why are you fidgeting?”
I stared at the back of his hand, only now realizing that I had been twisting one of my rings. Unsure what to say, I remained silent, and let him draw his own conclusion.
“No more secrets, Selah. I’ll not be left in the dark wherever our future is concerned.” He nibbled my ear. “To be clear, I mean anything that may threaten your life or interfere with our relationship.”
Unfortunately, those parameters seemed to include just about everything from the past week. “Well,” I started, keeping my gaze fixed on Henry’s hand. “When Julian and I were in the garden...” The remaining words stuck like dry bread in my throat.
Henry lifted his head and gave me a piercing look. “By any chance did Julian do more than proclaim his love tonight?” he asked with deadly calm.
Drat!
“What did he do?” Henry prodded me.
“He may have done one other thing,” I said, rather vaguely. “But it’s of little consequence.”
“I’ll be the judge of that.”
So I feared. “You have to understand that it all happened very fast, and I don’t have the clearest memory of everything—”
“Selah,” Henry warned.
Fine! But don’t blame me if the truth isn’t to your liking!
“Julian kissed me,” I blurted out. And I think I may have kissed him back.