Ellie stood with a dramatic huff, pulling the sheet from the bed and wrapping it around herself. “We arrive in London tomorrow afternoon, and I plan to take advantage of every moment we have together until then.”
Because when they returned to London, everything would change.
She did not know when Miss Brightling would arrive, but as soon as she did, they would marry. Ellie would not be a man’s mistress; she saw the pain her mother experienced when her father took lovers outside their marriage. Despite having never met the woman, Ellie would never cause Henry’s wife pain.
Henry’s wife. Her thumb absently stroked the gold band on her ring finger. She would have to return it soon. The ring—and Henry—did not belong to her.
“I’d like to see the port as we’re departing,” Ellie said, her voice far jollier than she felt. “I’ll freshen up and we can go on deck.”
“Brilliant idea, as always,” he said, although his eyes remained shuttered.
We’re not even back, and everything has already changed.
Ellie closed the ensuite door behind her, dropping the sheet and staring at her reflection in the mirror. She looked different; her hair was wild and tousled, her cheeks flushed with a light smattering of freckles from the Italian sun. Would people see her and know she was completely transformed on the inside? That she had fallen in love with this remarkable man, and he might carry affection for her in return?
Not love, at least not the romantic sort. Henry cared for her deeply, loved her on a platonic level, and even felt enough arousal in her presence to bring them both pleasure. Butlove, as she experienced it?
Ellie squared her shoulders and pulled a brush through her curls. She had borrowed Henry for an adventure, but the time had come to give him back.
Chapter 26
Elliepressedherglovedpalms against the rail of the ship, the faint taste of the salty spray on her lips as she watched the waves lap against the steel below her. The distinct outlines of Lisbon’s structures had faded into a patchwork of white-washed cubes, topped with russet terracotta roofs, the bells from the cathedral’s spire tolling the noon hour audible from even this far out at sea.
Nothing stopped the progress of time or their ship. No more destinations, no more delays.
Next stop, Cardiff. Then London. Then what?
Henry would prepare for his exhibition, painting all the landmarks he had captured in his sketches, and earn the accolades he deserved for his talent. He would marry, start a family, and eventually inherit an earldom.
Ellie would return home to watch her mother forget her.
The handful of passengers who boarded in Lisbon had settled into their staterooms and now strolled along on the deck, enjoying the sunny but temperate day. Ellie needed time to think, away from Henry’s intoxicating presence.
Ellie felt like a stubborn child refusing to relinquish a favorite toy. She wanted to keep Henry all for herself. But keeping him wasn’t possible. Even if he wanted to be with her, breaking off his engagement would ruin Miss Brightling, not to mention Henry’s father’s business concerns and his financial security.
Her throat tightened. Henry owed her nothing, and they had been clear about their arrangement from the outset. He promised a future for them when they were still in Rome, but since then Henry had been distant. Perhaps their relationship was to be a temporary adventure, nothing more.
If only her heart remembered that.
But she couldn’t deny the look in his eyes when he’d watched her that morning, nor the passion when he made love to her—and what they did could have been nothing besidesmaking love. If she just told him how she felt, perhaps they could find a solution.
“Lost in thought?” Henry stepped behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and surrounding her in a warmth that would make the sun jealous.
“A bit.” Her pulse skittered as he placed a kiss on her neck. “Henry,” she admonished, “there are people about.”
He chuckled. “I’m not shy.”
She pushed back from the rail and paced away from him, putting herself at a respectable distance before glancing around. Seeing someone they knew on the ship was unlikely, but not impossible. “But I am, if you recall.” She lowered her voice. “Discretion, remember?”
“I don’t want to hide you.”
The stubborn hope in her chest bloomed, and Ellie fought the urge to nurture it until it bore fruit. “There will be consequences if we’re seen.”
He was not looking at her as she spoke, his focus trained on something behind her before he met her gaze again, his brow furrowed and eyes dark. “To hell with consequences,” he said, leaning in and capturing her lips.
The kiss was eager and desperate, as though he were drowning and she was the shore. She put her hands to his chest to resist. “Not here,” she hissed against his lips.
“Yes, here.” He paused only long enough to pull her closer in his arms.
