do exactly that was at fault here.
“This will do, Louise.” She patted her fingers over her skin, smoothing away bits of loose powder.
Louise stood behind her. Her eyes were wide, her expression sincere. “He won’t notice anything amiss.”
“Yet he will know not all is well.”
“Maybe so,” the maid said sympathetically. “But he’ll know you’re on the mend, my lady.”
Jessica raised a disbelieving brow. She wasn’t so sure of that.
“That’s not to say you aren’t faring better now than when he saw you last,” Mrs. Harper corrected the maid.
“He’ll see that I’m the same as before.” Jessica stood from the small velvet stool and pressed her hands down the front of her dress. “Nothing fits right.”
“It’ll take time to heal,” Mrs. Harper said. “Marie will be sure to put some weight on you before the fall months arrive.”
Marie was the household cook and favored creamy French foods. Jessica probably would be cursing her weight gain before long.
Jessica smoothed her hands over the few loose hairs at the back of her head. Her appearance would have to do. “I had better make haste. Hayden hates to be kept waiting.”
On entering the parlor, Jessica said, “I’m sorry I took so long, darling. I overslept this morning and found myself rushing to throw together an ensemble.”
Hayden wasn’t sitting patiently; in fact, he looked as though he contemplated heading toward her bedchamber just as she entered the parlor. His hat was tossed carelessly on the sofa and his cane leaned up against a small, round side table. He approached her, his gaze assessing her from head to toe, lingering on her face as he wrapped his hands around her upper arms and held her at arm’s length to further inspect her.
“You look well,” he said, surprised.
She rolled her eyes, leaned in and kissed his cheek, and pulled away from him to fall gracefully to the sofa. “Of course I’m well. I’ve done nothing but rest for what feels like forever.”
“It was needed. Though I wish you would have let me come by sooner.”
“I needed time to myself, to think about my future.” To heal without your ever-watchful eye. She would much rather have been able to throw herself into the bustle of society and forget everything that had happened. Instead, in her weakened state, she’d been confined to her house.
“Sit with me, Hayden.” She indicated the seat available beside her.
He took the chair across from her, perched himself on the edge, and placed his elbows on his knees. He was still assessing her and Jessica had to fight the urge to check that her makeup was still in place.
“I can’t stay long,” he said. “I just needed to see you, make sure you were well.”
“You should have come another time, then.” Or better yet, he should have waited until she was ready to see him again. It was difficult to face him after everything she’d been through. After everything he’d seen and done for her. They hadn’t talked about that night. And she hoped he never mentioned it, for she needed no reminders. But it would always stand between them.
“Jess…”
She raised one brow at the shortened form of her true name. He often called her Jess when he was displeased with her. “What could I have possibly done to disappoint you, Hayden?”
“I’m worried, not disappointed.”
“I’m feeling much more myself.”
“And that’s what scares me half to death about you.”
She furrowed her brows. “Why should it? Have I always been a great disappointment to you?”
“Stop putting words in my mouth. You know that’s not true. We wouldn’t be friends if I didn’t have the highest regard and respect for you.” He sat back in the chair, his dark eyes narrowing. “I should have stopped by sooner.”
“And I can’t thank you enough for respecting my wishes by not doing so. You’re not my keeper, Hayden.”
“Someone needs to be.”
“Someone like my husband?” she asked, suddenly
“This will do, Louise.” She patted her fingers over her skin, smoothing away bits of loose powder.
Louise stood behind her. Her eyes were wide, her expression sincere. “He won’t notice anything amiss.”
“Yet he will know not all is well.”
“Maybe so,” the maid said sympathetically. “But he’ll know you’re on the mend, my lady.”
Jessica raised a disbelieving brow. She wasn’t so sure of that.
“That’s not to say you aren’t faring better now than when he saw you last,” Mrs. Harper corrected the maid.
“He’ll see that I’m the same as before.” Jessica stood from the small velvet stool and pressed her hands down the front of her dress. “Nothing fits right.”
“It’ll take time to heal,” Mrs. Harper said. “Marie will be sure to put some weight on you before the fall months arrive.”
Marie was the household cook and favored creamy French foods. Jessica probably would be cursing her weight gain before long.
Jessica smoothed her hands over the few loose hairs at the back of her head. Her appearance would have to do. “I had better make haste. Hayden hates to be kept waiting.”
On entering the parlor, Jessica said, “I’m sorry I took so long, darling. I overslept this morning and found myself rushing to throw together an ensemble.”
Hayden wasn’t sitting patiently; in fact, he looked as though he contemplated heading toward her bedchamber just as she entered the parlor. His hat was tossed carelessly on the sofa and his cane leaned up against a small, round side table. He approached her, his gaze assessing her from head to toe, lingering on her face as he wrapped his hands around her upper arms and held her at arm’s length to further inspect her.
“You look well,” he said, surprised.
She rolled her eyes, leaned in and kissed his cheek, and pulled away from him to fall gracefully to the sofa. “Of course I’m well. I’ve done nothing but rest for what feels like forever.”
“It was needed. Though I wish you would have let me come by sooner.”
“I needed time to myself, to think about my future.” To heal without your ever-watchful eye. She would much rather have been able to throw herself into the bustle of society and forget everything that had happened. Instead, in her weakened state, she’d been confined to her house.
“Sit with me, Hayden.” She indicated the seat available beside her.
He took the chair across from her, perched himself on the edge, and placed his elbows on his knees. He was still assessing her and Jessica had to fight the urge to check that her makeup was still in place.
“I can’t stay long,” he said. “I just needed to see you, make sure you were well.”
“You should have come another time, then.” Or better yet, he should have waited until she was ready to see him again. It was difficult to face him after everything she’d been through. After everything he’d seen and done for her. They hadn’t talked about that night. And she hoped he never mentioned it, for she needed no reminders. But it would always stand between them.
“Jess…”
She raised one brow at the shortened form of her true name. He often called her Jess when he was displeased with her. “What could I have possibly done to disappoint you, Hayden?”
“I’m worried, not disappointed.”
“I’m feeling much more myself.”
“And that’s what scares me half to death about you.”
She furrowed her brows. “Why should it? Have I always been a great disappointment to you?”
“Stop putting words in my mouth. You know that’s not true. We wouldn’t be friends if I didn’t have the highest regard and respect for you.” He sat back in the chair, his dark eyes narrowing. “I should have stopped by sooner.”
“And I can’t thank you enough for respecting my wishes by not doing so. You’re not my keeper, Hayden.”
“Someone needs to be.”
“Someone like my husband?” she asked, suddenly
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