Lady Amelia's Secret Lover Read Free Page A

become lost in all that contentment and comfort between you. She needs to know that you are more than merely content. That you cannot live without her.”
    Robert stared. “I thought that was obvious.”
    Harry shrugged. “Women who are confident of their husband’s affections rarely announce that that are seeking a lover.”
    “What if she’s discovered she can live without me?” A cold hand squeezed his heart at the very thought of his life without Amelia in it. “I can’t live without her, Harry. She’s part of my life, part of me. Of what makes me who I am.”
    “Tell her, not me.”
    “I’ve never been good at telling her of my feelings. It’s always been easier to talk to her about politics or the current state of affairs or art or music. But this…” He shook his head. “What if telling her isn’t enough?” Robert paced the width of the office and tried to ignore a sense of panic that had threatened since Amelia’s announcement this morning. He drew a calming breath.All was not yet lost. “It does seem to me, however, the first thing I need to tell her, again, is that I do not have a mistress. I must convince her of that.”
    Harry scoffed. “It’s too late.”
    “Too late?” Robert glared at his brother. “How can it possibly be too late?”
    “If she didn’t believe you the first time, the more you try to convince her now, the less likely she will be to believe you.”
    “But it’s the truth.”
    “Nonetheless, when you’re dealing with a woman, truth is rarely the best defense.”
    “Amelia has always been a sensible, rational sort. Surely I can make her see that whatever has led her to doubt my fidelity is nothing more than a simple misunderstanding.” Even as Robert said the words, he knew Harry was right. Amelia would never believe him. Regardless of the fact that his transgressions were only momentary and consisted of nothing more significant than the wandering of his eye and perhaps his mind.
    “So what am I to do now?”
    Harry’s brow furrowed thoughtfully. “Nothing.”
    “Don’t be absurd. I can’t do nothing .”
    “No, of course you can’t,” Harry said slowly, and Robert could almost see the wheels and gears of Harry’s mind working. Harry had always been good at working out puzzles. “Still—”
    “What?”
    “The more I think about it, the more I wonder if Amelia does indeed plan to acquire a lover.”
    “She said—”
    “Women who intend to take a lover hardly ever tell their husbands, particularly before the fact.”
    “Then you think this is a ruse?” Robert’s spirits lifted. “She’s trying to make me—I don’t know—take notice perhaps?”
    “I could be wrong,” Harry said quickly.
    “But you could be right.” Robert resumed pacing, his thoughts racing in front of his words. “It’s just the sort of thing she’d do too, if indeed she thought I had lost interest in her or, worse, had a mistress.”
    “I’m wrong a great deal of the time you know.” A warning sounded in Harry’s voice.
    Robert ignored him. “That’s it, obviously. Amelia would never…” Wouldn’t she? “She’s entirely too…” Was she? “She would, wouldn’t she?”
    “You know her better than I,” Harry said in a noncommittal manner.
    “This is bad, Harry, this is very bad. I don’t know if she would really take a lover or not. How could I not know that about my own wife?”
    “You’re right, that is bad.”
    “Not that I would allow it.”
    “Nor should you,” Harry said firmly.
    “Still.” Robert folded his arms across his chest and tried to sort out his wife’s intentions. “Regardless of her true purpose, it’s obvious that I have to do something to convince her of my affection. And regain hers. The question is what to do.”
    “Perhaps you need to start at the beginning?”
    “The beginning? What do you mean, the beginning?”
    “Court her, Robert. Flirt with her. Win her heart all over again.” Harry shrugged. “You did it once,