At any other time I would have been mortified, but under the circumstances, it seemed a perfectly normal request. Keeping an eye on his back lest he be tempted to turn too soon, I kicked off my shoe and reached up beneath my skirts to untie the garter that held my white cotton stocking in place. With the tension released, I neatly rolled it down, spying a nice spot of blood on the toe. Fortunately, there were no snags or rips to be seen. “Ready,” I said, once I had smoothed my dress back into place.
Henry turned back around and sat down in the chair. “Let’s see what you’ve done.” He lifted my foot just below eye level to better evaluate the damage. “The nail of your big toe is split partway down the middle. There’s a fair chance you’ll lose it.”
“Brilliant,” I said, my voice laced with sarcasm.
He began to carefully feel for broken bones, starting at my toes and slowly moving his hands along my foot to my ankle. He was so focused on his work, I thought he might continue right up my calf, but he stopped and looked up at me. “Can you move your toe?” he asked.
“I think so.” I wiggled it the best I could, though its usual range was severely limited.
“It’s been sprained and is beginning to swell, but there are no broken bones so far as I can tell.” Having made an official diagnosis, he set to tending my wounds accordingly, asking me to pass the necessary items.
My toe felt much better under his care, the throbbing turned into more of a dull ache, and I began to relax as he rubbed my foot with the salve. It was really only needed on the broken nail and around my toe, but he very gently rubbed it into my arch and heel, causing me to sigh contentedly. His fingers felt so good I wanted to remove my other stocking and have that foot rubbed as well. Before I could work up the courage to ask, he tied the bandage and wiped his hands clean.
“All done,” he said, standing up. “How does it feel?”
“Wonderful. I don’t think I could have done a better job myself.”
“Let’s see how you do with a little weight.” He took me by the waist and lifted me from the table.
Back on the ground, I put some pressure on my foot. Finding it tolerable, I tried standing with equal measure. When a good deal of the former pain returned, I shifted back to the one foot. “I’m sure it will be greatly improved by morning,” I assured him. “There’s a crutch over by the door that I can use for tonight.”
He stood very near with his hands still on my waist to keep me steady. “I’ll carry you upstairs so you don’t cause any more damage,” he said, his voice suddenly husky. “Though I don’t believe we’re finished here yet.”
Surprised by his change of tone, I glanced up at his face to find him staring at me with unguarded desire. Meeting my eyes, his grip tightened and a small tremor passed through my body as he bent his head, drawing so close our lips nearly touched.
There were a million reasons why we needed to stop before things progressed any further, but for the life of me I couldn’t recall even one. My body began to tremble for want of him, and the only thing I knew with certainty was how much I needed him to kiss me. Responding to my wishes, he moved one hand to my back, pressing me against him, and I closed my eyes ready to yield.
The moment his lips brushed mine, a fire burst to life inside me, making my blood burn and my skin prickle excitedly. Having never experienced this level of intimacy, I was ill prepared for such an intense physical response. A warm tide spread through my body, starting in my core and moving unbidden along a familiar pathway to my hands. His desire flowed into me, a desire so intense it took hold of my senses. Somewhere in the far depths of my mind, a voice cried out to stop. I ignored it, wrapped my arms around his neck, heedless of what secrets were about to be revealed.
Henry deepened the kiss, and my body turned molten. Fire played on my fingertips, begging to move forward. Brushing one hand along the back of his neck, my last strand of reason began to unravel when he drew back his head and snuffed the candle.
“Someone’s awake,” he said, his voice unsteady.
I held onto him, unconcerned if all of Hopewell was awake so long as they left us alone. Footsteps passed through the hallway, followed by the soft click of the servants’ door.
“Well, whoever it is, they’ve just left the house,” I said, not yet grasping the significance of the situation.
We listened for another minute when Henry reached up and took my hands from his neck. “It could be the servant who betrayed you. I’m going to see. Wait here until I get back.” He moved like a cat in the dark and left the room before I had a chance to fully register what he was doing.
Left alone, the last few minutes hit me with the force of an iron shovel. My knees gave out and I sank into the chair, dangerously close to losing my breath. The roving servant played little in my thoughts, except how the interruption had saved me from disaster at the last possible moment. As the warmth slowly receded from my arms and legs and moved back to my core, a sudden dizziness swept over me, and I dropped my head between my knees to keep from fainting.