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Chapter Sixteen
Henry itched the entire way home. Getting his hair cut had never gone so poorly. He supposed that’s what he got when he allowed the barber’s apprentice to do his hair. He’d been loath to get his hair cut at all, but now that there was no chance he’d be infiltrating another smuggling ring as a spy, there was no reason to keep it so very long.
“How is that, my lord?” his valet asked, indicating the water in the bathtub before him.
“Deep enough,” Henry said, scratching at the back of his neck and then trying to reach down farther toward the top of his back. “Help me disrobe.” The sooner he could get in the tub and wash away the last bits of hair, the better.
The moment he got into the tub, he splashed water over his shoulders and down the back of his neck. The relief was instant and soothing. Henry closed his eyes and finally relaxed.
“Better, my lord?” his valet asked with a bit of a smirk.
“Much.” He peeked an eye open. “Leave my robe where I can reach it, and then you can go. I think I’ll soak for a bit.”
“Very good, my lord.”
Henry shut his eyes and rested against the back of the tub. He needed to decide on the best next course for him to take. He’d been quite angry when he’d first learned that all his carefully cultivated connections were no longer any good. But even since his anger had calmed, he had yet to decide what was to be done now.
Like every time he shut his eyes, his mind immediately went to Dinah.
He squeezed his eyes shut and willed the image of her blonde curls and intoxicating smile to leave him be.
Thoughts of her were exactly why he hadn’t made any progress these past several weeks.
She’d pushed her way yet further into his life, this time by filling his mind to the point of excess.
Henry shifted about in the tub and placed a wet hand over his eyes. Drops of water ran down his cheeks and dripped off his chin. He would not think of her now. Or of how she was constantly throwing off his plans. He’d planned to meet with his man of business the other morning, only to have Dinah declare over breakfast that she wished to take Emily and the children to the Royal Menagerie, and would he please join them? He’d planned to wear his dark green jacket day before last, only to have his valet inform him that Dinah had it in her possession—something about needing to show it to a modiste who was coming that day. Why she needed his jacket, he still had no idea. He’d planned to eat chicken last night for dinner only to learn, much to his surprise and Aunt Beatrice’s frustration, that Dinah had spoken with the chef and changed the meal to beef.
And here he was, yet again, thinking only of her, when he truly ought to be making plans.
Plans that Dinah would undoubtedly overthrow.
How did a man deal with a wife who was determined to leave everything in upheaval? Henry had always lived his life by a plan. He thought things through, he considered all the angles, he determined the best course to take, he followed through on the plan. It was a characteristic of his that had only led to good things. The farms at his various holdings had never been so profitable. His connections here in Town never so beneficial.
And then came along Dinah.
With her curls and smiles and laughter and whims and...
Blast! Henry dug his fingers into his forehead. He wasstillonly thinking of her.
A knock sounded from the door. It would seem his valet believed he’d had enough time in the tub. But he hadn’t. Not by half. Not if he was going to make any progress with his thoughts.
“What is it?” he called, not wanting to grant the man entry unless he had to.
The door opened regardless.
“Henry?”
Gads, that wasnothis valet. Henry grabbed his robe and tugged it on first one arm and then the other. He got it wrapped around his middle just as Dinah came into view. She stopped the minute she saw him, her hand going to her mouth. She took in the sight before her...and burst out laughing.
Henry scowled. He secured the tie of his robe around himself and stood abruptly. A small wave splashed over the edge of the tub at his sudden movement and the hem of his robe smacked against his leg, a most soggy sound. Henry became acutely aware of the way water dripped down his face, and there were dozens of what felt like tiny rivers coursing down his legs.
“You wished to see me?” he asked, keeping his voice level.
Dinah’s eyes only grew wider. “I certainly accomplished that, didn’t I?”
Henry ground his jaw.Thiswas exactly what he’d been thinking about before. The woman had no ability to stay out of another’s business. Everything he tried to do, she changed for him. It was exasperating.
He lifted a foot, but then stopped. If he stepped out of the tub, he’d only leave a far larger puddle on the floor. So he remained standing where he was, gentle waves slapping against his shins.
