Free A Christmas Secret (Scandals & Secrets 4.5) by Janelle Daniels Page B

slammed into Harry’s back as he abruptly stopped at a corner. She hadn’t been paying enough attention.
    He turned quickly, reaching out to steady her. The hairs on her arms stood on end at the contact.
    “Are you all right?” he whispered.
    She nodded, not trusting her voice in that moment.
    “All right. I see Lady Tisdale in the library.”
    Rosalie’s eyebrows crinkled. “Can she still read? I thought her eyesight was poor.”
    “Her companion is reading to her.”
    “Ah.” That made a lot more sense. The woman was old, to be sure, but she still had the mental acuity of a twenty-year-old.
    Harry glanced at the box in his hands. “Are you sure she’ll like this?”
    Her lips turned up ruefully. “It’s chocolate, Harry. All women like chocolate.”
    “I know you do,” he said so quietly she almost didn’t hear him.
    Her eyes slowly met his, and for the first time, she saw something deeper there. Something that sent a hot surge down her spine.
    Her breath caught. Could he possibly be attracted to her?
    He’d never shown any indication of that before. But then again, when had she huddled in a dim hall, practically pressed up against his side, as they whispered quietly like lovers?
    It had to be the atmosphere. A trick of the light. Nothing had changed between them for him to want her after all this time.
    She was being foolish, seeing things that weren’t really there just because she wanted them to be. “How do you want to deliver it?” she asked, hoping to distract herself.
    His gaze slid over her face one last time, and she could feel each sweeping caress as if it were his fingers instead of his eyes.
    He looked around the corner again. “There’s no way to sneak in there unseen. And if she catches us, we won’t be able to do anything else before our time is up.”
    She chewed her bottom lip. “It’s not as exciting, but shall we ask a maid to deliver it? I’d like to do something else before our time is up.”
    “Agreed.”
    Harry flagged down a passing maid, and gave her instructions on delivering the chocolates. The fresh-faced young woman bubbled with excitement about playing a part in the Christmas tradition before she was off on her new errand.
    “Follow me,” he whispered again, taking her hand in his as he led her to the conservatory.
    The air was ripe with blossoming plants that mingled together in one earthy scent. It was warmer in here, the winter sun’s rays trapped by thick panes of glass, but that only helped their cause. No others would want to be in here this time of day when sunset was two hours away and the room was at its warmest.
    They listened for a moment making sure they were alone.
    Harry rubbed his hands together. “Now what should we do? Any ideas?”
    A dark lock of hair rested on his forehead. He looked younger, more carefree. Was it the festive atmosphere that had done that?
    She wanted to reach forward and caress that unruly section of hair.
    He was so handsome. Why was it in moments like this, when the lighting hit his features just right, when he said something, or did something, that she saw him as if seeing him for the first time? As if all the times they’d spent together, she’d never truly looked at him.
    She looked away from him. It hurt too much. She needed to get this activity over with as soon as possible so she could spend time with others and possibly find a match. Wanting Harry this much couldn’t be good for her. “Why don’t I ask Miss Smith for ideas? I’m sure Lady Tisdale’s companion would know much more about what she’d like than we would.”
    “Let’s go together.”
    She shook her head, hoping the movement didn’t appear as frantic as she felt inside. She couldn’t be with him right now. She needed a moment away. A moment to settle herself and her feelings. “If we go together, Lady Tisdale would know. If it’s just me asking to speak with Miss Smith, then it’s nothing. That isn’t suspicious.”
    “You’re right. Why