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“Well, good night, Ellen,” he said, flashing her a broad smile. She nodded and opened her door.
“Good night, Simon.”
He backed away down the hall toward his door. He opened his and waited for her to disappear inside her bedchamber before he entered his. Once her door was safely shut, and he heard the lock click, he went in and started changing out of his formal attire.
However, he was only halfway undressed when he heard a knock on the small door that adjoined his room to Ellen’s. He cocked his head to the side and padded over in his bare feet. It had remained locked since the day after their wedding, to the best of his knowledge.
Ellen’s voice sounded on the other side of the door, and he leaned closer. “Simon? Are you still awake?” came her plaintive voice. He tried to open the door handle, and it opened without a hitch. Ellen peeked around the door, and he smiled.
“Did you miss me?” he asked.
She gave a short laugh, but she was shivering even more than she had been in the hall. She opened the door wide to reveal her room. A blast of cold air hit him in the face, and he grew chilly as well, even though he usually had no problem with the temperature being a bit on the chilly side. “Is something amiss?” he asked.
“I would not usually bother you with this, but it seems that someone forgot to light the fire in my room. Regardless, I did not want to wake the servants since it was so late. Would you be able to help me light it?” she asked.
Simon straightened. “Of course,” he said. Pride swelled in his chest at her asking him for help. He did not always feel very useful now that he was home from university and had an army of servants to do all the work for him.
She invited him into the room, wrapping her thin shawl tighter around her shoulders. She had already changed into her nightgown, and he could not help casting a glance at her lovely form. She closed the door behind her, and she glanced at him briefly.
However, she soon darted her eyes away and motioned to the cold hearth as if nervous to look at him directly. He looked down and realised he had nothing on but his breeches. How awkward it must be for her to see him in such a state. But there was no helping it now. Best to get the fire lit and back to his own room before he could embarrass her anymore.
“I’ll just need a bit of kindling. Do you have a few scraps of paper handy?” he asked.
She went to her writing desk and took up a bundle of crumpled papers.
“Here. You may use these,” she said and came to the hearth to stand beside him. He arranged the crumpled paper in the centre of the fireplace and then arranged smaller pieces of wood in the shape of a teepee. He lit a match and held the flame to the papers. Within a few minutes, a large fire was burning, and Ellen held her hands out toward the warmth, her teeth chattering even still.
“Well, that should have the room warm in no time,” Simon said. He straightened beside her, and she bounded her eyes away from his bare chest. He bit his lower lip, trying to cover a smile. “I will say goodnight.”
He started to walk away, but she stopped him with a hand on his arm. His heart skipped a beat. Her touch sent tingles up his arm. “Wait,” she said in a breathless tone. “I wanted to speak to you about something.”
Simon turned to her, but she walked away from the fire and began to pace a few yards off. “It is about Lady Genevieve.”
Simon’s stomach fell. “What did she say to you? Was she unkind? She has been known to have a razor-sharp tongue.”
Ellen shook her head, and his heart nearly stopped as her blonde curls fell loose over her shoulders. “I do not pay attention to what she said about me—nor about you. However, I do think it needs to be said that—well, I think she is in love with you.”
Simon was taken aback. “In love with me? No, that cannot be. We have been friends for years—”
“I may not know much about love, but I can tell that she is wildly jealous.” She looked away. “I would not blame you if you had feelings for her. You have known her much longer than you have known me….” She was barely able to eke out the last words.
Simon approached her, and she seemed to grow more tense as he did. He stopped a few feet short of where she stood. The firelight made dancing shadows over her face, but even in the dim light, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. His heart constricted. How he longed to hold her in his arms. “What did Lady Genevieve say?”
Ellen sighed heavily, turning her back on him for a moment. When she turned back around, she was biting her lower lip, looking unsure. “She said that you always wanted to travel before you settled down but that your father essentially forced you to come home and marry me.”
Simon could have throttled Lady Genevieve. “It is true that I want to travel someday. But my father did not force me into this marriage. He strongly advised in favour of it, but he did not force me to marry you, Ellen. I wanted to come home.”
She met his gaze, and he could see that her breathing was faster than usual. He stepped closer, gazing into her eyes. “You do not believe me?” he asked.
“No, I do. It is just….” She halted, and when she did not go on, he closed the last remaining distance between them.
“There is nothing for you to worry about, Ellen. I do not love Lady Genevieve. I have never even thought of her in that light.” He reached up and touched her cheek tenderly. She caught her breath, and he tilted her chin so that she had to look up at him. “I love you, Ellen,” he said softly.
Her eyes darted from side to side as if she could not decide which of his eyes to focus on. He laughed softly before he bent his head toward hers. Out of impulse, he wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her closer. He touched his lips to hers, and a lightning bolt seemed to course through him.
Her lips were so soft and warm that he deepened the kiss, loving the feel of her caught in his arms. She seemed surprised at first, tensing in his arms. However, as he deepened the kiss, she relaxed into him. She ran her hands up his arms and wrapped them around his neck.
A few seconds later, he ended the kiss, leaning his forehead against hers. They were both breathless. He closed his eyes, not wanting to leave, but knowing he should. “Good night,” he whispered, releasing her.
