Page 29 of The Baron Takes a Wife

“No!” His voice was a harsh rasp. “There is no hope. She married someone else anyway.”

David had never seen Henry like this. He had never been a bitter man, given to moping. He did not know what to say. He could not conceive of betraying Elena, having her leave him. Just imagining it made him feel empty and cold.

They sat silent for several moments when Henry finally spoke.

“My apologies for insulting your wife,” Henry began softly. “I…haven’t been myself lately. For quite some time, in fact. I have seen her a few times, your wife. She is quite striking. You say she has solid character as well? ”

David relaxed for the first time since he arrived and nodded fondly.

“The best.” They still felt oddly formal.

“And a man could never say no to those breasts.”

“Don’t make me hit you.”

Henry laughed, finally cracking a real expression that lit his eyes.

“I suppose I have been rather cross with you.”

“Is that so?”

“Without you, Michael and I had nothing to talk about. I imagined you off like Byron, dying in the Near East in some unmarked grave, and here, Michael and I would just keep drifting apart from the lodestone that brought us together.”

“Byron died in Greece. And at least he died for something.”

Henry raised his eyebrows. David had not meant the last part to come out so bitterly.

“I know you think me an indolent aristocrat, but I did keep up with the Times and William Howard Russell. I didn’t envy you, old friend. What level of hell would you rate warfare?”

David remembered his inability to walk down the street just then. “Indescribable,” he said sharply.

Henry gave a brief nod, acknowledging that he would take the subject no further.

“Still, it sounds like you found a veritable angel on this earth. Those are quite rare, so take care of that one.”

David couldn’t tell if Henry was being serious or not. He hated that they had been apart so long. He couldn’t read him like he used to.

“I did try to watch out for her at first as you asked us to. I visited the hospital several times and looked for her at events.”

David hadn’t known this. He had assumed only Michael had listened to his request to watch out for Elena and Irene, as he received no correspondence from Henry on the subject. He was moved that Henry had taken his request to heart, and he put his hand on Henry’s shoulder. As Henry stared at David’s hand for a moment, there was that flicker of depth to his blue eyes again, and he covered David’s hand with his own. Then, the moment passed, and he went back to his drink. They did not talk about that moment but spent the remainder of the hour discussing the news of the day.

As David gripped his cane to rise to leave, he suddenly remembered. “Lord Gaius wants to have a dinner with the old Round Table soon.”

“We really do have too many nicknames amongst us, don’t we?” Henry grimaced comically.

David shrugged. “I suppose we do. Hard to keep track of, isn’t it?”

Henry saluted with his drink.

“Will you attend?” David needed him to come to keep an eye on this new version of his friend.

“I suppose. If I’m free.”

“Since you’re always free, that settles it.”

Henry rolled his eyes and bid David good day. He found walking home easier, as the streets were less crowded at this time of day. Or maybe it was his renewed friendship and the promise of his wife at home that added a spring and lightness to his step.

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