“I know it was difficult for you,” he said somewhat stiffly. “So thank you,” he said, finally. Then added, more amused, “for helping me out of my clothes.
“I would have done the same for you,” he added.
She gave a little shout of laughter. She had the pleasure of seeing his eyes light like fireworks.
Delilah was in her room searching for theproper color of thread to mend the hem on one of her gowns when her husband appeared, grim-faced and far wetter than the rain ought to have made him.
Her heart gave a jolt.
They briefly, silently stared at each other. He didn’t look well-rested. She certainly wasn’t.
“Tristan, are you all right? What happened?”
“We went down to the docks. St. Leger saved a child from drowning. He could have died. Heandthe child. Neither did.”
Delilah felt the blood leave her skin.
Her hand went over her heart. “Oh... my goodness. Are they... are you...”
“Child and St. Leger will both live to tell the tale. St. Leger is with his wife. I’m fine.”
Delilah sat down hard on her bed.
She watched her husband strip off his damp shirt.
The words were out of her before she realized she was even forming them.
“Tristan. Stop it.”
He turned to her. “Stop what?”
“The cold, short, curt answers. The not looking at me when you speak.Stop it.”
His eyes flared in shock. Her last words were pitched in near hysteria.
“The worst thing in the world I can imagine is to be without you. Worse than death.” Her voice was trembling now.
“Aye,” he said hoarsely, stunned. After a moment. “And that goes for me losing you, too.”
“When you go... cold and hard and remote...it feels like I’ve lost you, Tristan. Like you’ve died. Like you never loved me at all.”
And just like that Captain Hardy was breathing swiftly in horror.
“I can’t feelyouat all when you’re like that. I imagine it’s how it would feel if you ever stopped loving me. And if you do that, you’ll win every argument, because I’d do anything to make it stop. But do you want to win that way? Tristan, itterrifiesme.”
And she covered her face with her hands and burst into tears.
She might as well have run him through with a sword.
“Christ, Delilah. Oh God. My love. Sweetheart. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I’m so sorry, love.” He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tightly into his body. He fanned the back of his hand against her hair and buried his face in her throat. She was shaking with sobs.
“I never meant to... Delilah, I would die rather than hurt you.” His voice was a desperate rasp.
“Then why? Why do you do it?” she demanded. Her tears were both angry and heartbroken as she pulled her hands away from her face. “What iswrong?”
“I just...” His words clogged jaggedly in his throat.
“Tristan. Talk to me. Please.Please.”