Henry looked down, studying the reins in his hands. “I misread your intentions. It was wrong to presume.”
“Yes, it was,” I said, my anger so riled that I leapt out of the shay, ready to be away.
“Oh, not again!” Henry sprang from his own seat to come after me. “You’ll not be running away until we’re finished speaking.” He grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the carriage house, putting my back against the rough stone wall to keep me from escaping.
“Let me go!” I demanded.
His grip held fast as he loomed over me like a furious titan. “Just as soon as you tell me what I’ve done to earn your contempt.”
My swollen emotions fought for room against the extra-tight stays. “You are quite mistaken,” I said, struggling to control my breath. “I hold you in the highest esteem, and am most grateful for your assistance.”
Henry gave a curt, mirthless laugh. “It’s not your esteem and gratitude that I want.” He let go of my arm and strode away to gaze down at the pond in the distance. Moonlight illuminated his wide stance and the fists planted on either hip. “Do you still wonder why I stayed to help with Nathan, even after my contract was terminated?”
“To appease your honor,” I said tartly.
“Ben and William would have gladly accepted the responsibility. With two men so willing to protect you, my honor would not have suffered.”
“Then why did you stay?”
I hadn’t moved, and he turned back around to face me. “Have I not made my feelings plain enough?” he asked, his voice cracking with emotion. “I stayed because I love you, Selah. So much that it feels like my heart is being torn out every time you pull away from me. At least in England, I won’t have to see you every day, and spend my life wishing for something I can never have.”
His words shot through me like a sudden flash of lightning, and I gaped at him in stunned silence.
“My confession was unwarranted,” he said brusquely, misinterpreting my reaction. “I should never have told you. I’ll leave Brighmor in the morning.”
That was not at all what I wanted. “No,” I whispered, shaking my head. “Please, don’t leave me.”
“I can’t keep living under the same roof, pretending to be your husband. I’ll go mad from the effort.”
He couldn’t go. In a panic, I went to him and grabbed his arm. “You can’t leave,” I said, nearly choking on the words.
“And why not? Nathan is no longer a threat.”
“This isn’t about Nathan!” I cried. “I love you and I won’t let you go!”
For several seconds he resisted, but then I was in his arms, and he was kissing me, his mouth hard against mine, demanding the truth. My body responded immediately to his passion, and the warmth came pouring out. He held me tighter, his arms shaking as it washed over him.
“Oh, Selah,” he breathed once the moment had passed. “Can you truly love me?”
“Yes,” I laughed, tears coming to my eyes. “I love you more than anything in this world—even more than my stupid gift. That’s why I keep pulling away. Every time you touch me, it’s like my power is trying to break free.”
He raised a brow. “So, I’m causing this?”
“I’ve always been able to control it, but not with you.”
He kissed me again, long and tender until every nerve in my body began to tremble, drawing even more power to the surface. It clearly pleased him to have such an effect on me. “You should not have tried to hide it. I already knew you were different. It was one of the reasons I loved you.”
“I feared you would despise me. That you would think I was evil.”
“I could do neither. This is hard to explain, but when it happens, it’s like I can feel your soul. Not just on my skin, but deep inside.”
I liked that image very much.
“Tell me what it is. I’ll not rest until I know the truth.”
There could be no more secrets between us, no matter the outcome. “It won’t be easy to believe,” I warned him. “You might think I’m insane and leave me all the same.”
He shook his head. “Never. Now come in the house, and tell me. I promise to believe every word.”
Sitting beneath the starry sky seemed more appealing than a closed room. I could speak freely into the darkness, unrestrained by every look that may cross his face from the strangeness of my story. “It’s a beautiful night. Why don’t we stay outside?”
“All right,” he agreed. “Wait here, and I’ll go fetch a blanket for us to sit on.” Reluctant to leave, he kissed me once more before turning to go.
With a sigh, I leaned back against the carriage house. When he returned I would tell him everything, and hope his love was strong enough to endure.
Chapter Seventeen
A Time to Hate and a Time to Love