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“What?” Leticia nearly choked on the word.
“I love you, Letty. I do. You know it. Richard knows it.” He gave her shoulders another gentle shake. “After that fight at the Garden Party yesterday, I would not be surprised if the whole of London knew it, too. I have loved you for years, and I have waited patiently for you to decide that you were ready to be married.”
“Love doesn’t work that way,” Leticia responded quietly. I cannot just wake up one day and decide that I want to be someone’s wife. I had to fall in love first. I had to see past all of Richard’s ridiculous rules and glimpse the man he is inside.”
Harry’s nostrils flared and his eyes narrowed. “How can you say such things when you know he does not love you as I do?”
Leticia shook her head. “It does not matter because I love him.”
“No,” Harry moaned as his fingers slipped down to the crooks of her elbows. “You cannot.”
“I adore you, Harry. You have always been like my older brother, and I will forever be grateful to you and your family for taking me in when my parents passed, but that is as far as our relationship will ever go.”
He shook his head furiously, and his grip tightened on her soft flesh. “I must make you see reason.”
He leaned forward then and smashed his lips against hers. She had not been at all prepared for him to do such a thing, so she backed away from him. But once more, his fingers flexed on her arms, and he tried to tow her toward him.
“No,” she said, turning her head so that their lips could no longer meet. He released her then at once, and she scrambled backward a few paces. “Why do men think women want to be kissed that way?”
Harry dropped his head in shame. “I’m sorry, Letty. I didn’t see any other way to go about it.”
“You could have waited for me to ask you to kiss me. Or you could have allowed me to take the initiative,” she huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest protectively.
“I cannot apologize enough,” Harry mumbled. “I am heartily ashamed of my behavior. You’re right—as usual. I was overzealous, and I allowed my heart to do my thinking rather than my brain.”
Leticia felt incredibly sorry for her cousin, and even though she was still annoyed that he tried to force his kisses on her, she nodded. “I understand.”
“You do?” Harry whispered, and when he lifted his head to look at her now, she could see a streak of hope flash through his eyes.
“Yes, of course. We all say and do things we do not mean when we are in love.”
At that, Harry crossed the space between them and reached for her once more. She was caught off guard, but not so much so that she could not put up her hand to stop him.
“What?” he asked. “I thought you said you understood the way I feel for you.”
Leticia shook her head dismally. “I am sorry to bring you any pain, but I do not wish to continue on this course with you. I have told you how I feel about Richard, and as I have made myself perfectly clear, I see no reason to stand here and continue to discuss the matter.”
“Stop saying his name,” Harry commanded. “You may have sentimental feelings for him now, but what will you think tomorrow? How will things change between the two of you in the coming weeks? You cannot ask me to stand idly by while Richard ruins you and then leaves you for someone more suitable.”
“I am not asking you to do anything,” Leticia responded stiffly.
“He will not have you,” Harry ground out. “I will see to that.” He stomped past her and marched straight out of the drawing room door, slamming it so thoroughly as he left that it rattled on its hinges.
What will he do? How can he possibly prevent Richard and I from being together?
CHAPTERTHIRTY-FOUR
The next two weeks passed in a haze for Richard. He found it difficult to focus on anything or anyone other than Leticia. Twice during the fortnight, he snuck into her chamber after everyone else went to sleep, but other than that he had to satisfy himself by going through the motions of courting her properly in the daylight hours where plenty of chaperones could keep an eye on them. His euphoria did not even dissipate when she told him of her encounter with Harry. While she feared that her cousin might try to do something to come between them, Richard did not allow himself to fret. He knew Harry all too well. His friend might be put out at present, but he would soon return to his winsome ways, for he never could stand to be cross with anyone for very long.
On the evening of Lord and Lady Redbourne’s Masquerade Ball, Richard and Leticia wore complimentary costumes. When she suggested they fashion scales onto their masks, so they might look like fish, his mother and her aunt chortled at what they thought might be a foolish notion, but he took delight in accommodating her. And when he donned the mask for the occasion, he pursed his lips, making a fish face just to make Leticia smile.
They were on the dance floor, and as this happened to be one of the waltzes, he had the pleasure of holding his hand at the small of her back. She beamed at him. While his mask was made of blue scales, hers were green, and the color made her eyes seem bigger and more beautiful than usual. She wore a dress of emerald green. It was trimmed in white lace and every few seconds, his hand fluttered upward so that he might caress the soft skin that lay beneath that fringe.
“Stop,” she insisted. “Someone might see what you are doing.”
“No one will see,” he returned, moving his hand back to the place where the top button on her dress rested. “No one cares one way or the other if we flirt with each other a very little.”
“Yes,” she sighed, “but only a very little.” She wriggled in his arms as his fingers stroked the button. “And don’t you even think about taking it any further. While no one is looking at us now, I should hate to draw any attention our way.”
