They walked the rest of the way back to the house in silence.
They were nearly at the door when George finally spoke.
“Kit,” he said.
Kit turned to him. “Yes?”
“I’m glad Papa has you. He’s much happier now.” George smiled and there it was, that rare sweetness. “I used to worry about him so,” he said.
The sudden lump in Kit’s throat took him by surprise, and then he was blinking back tears, feeling like a perfect idiot.
George clapped him awkwardly on the shoulder and stepped ahead of him, heading for the door.
“I’ll speak to him,” he said. “Thank you, Kit.”
Later that evening, Kit was reading in bed when his bedchamber door opened.
Flustered, he pulled off the spectacles he’d only recently begun to wear, causing Henry to chuckle.
“Why do you take them off as soon as I arrive?” Henry said as he began to remove his clothes.
Kit wrinkled his nose. “They’re ugly.”
“Nonsense,” Henry said. “Actually, I rather like how strict they make you look.” He grinned. “I keep hoping you’ll threaten to give me six of the best.”
Kit chuckled. “That can be arranged.”
Henry began undressing again, and after a moment, Kit said tentatively, “How was George?”
Henry’s expression grew pensive. “Sad,” he said. He sat down on the mattress, clad only in his drawers now. “I feel as though he has been sad for a long time, Kit. Sometimes I wonder if it is events, or his nature.” He paused. “Or both.”
“This Oliver,” Kit said. “He is the one whose father caught them when they were boys?”
Henry nodded. “He’s marrying. An arranged match. The estate needs money, and the father of the bride wants her married to a titled gentleman.” He shrugged. “It’s common enough.”
That was certainly true.
“Perhaps George should expand his horizons,” Kit said gently. “A stint in town might do him good. Or a trip abroad.”
“He avoids London like the plague—he voluntarily exiled himself here as soon as he respectably could after university, and it’s nigh on impossible to get him to leave.” Henry sighed. “He hides it well, Kit, but he’s very shy.”
Kit nodded. He’d guessed as much.
Getting up on his knees, he shuffled closer, pressing his front to Henry’s back and kissing the nape of his neck.
“It’ll be all right,” he said soothingly. “He has you—and there’s no better father in all England.”
Henry huffed a laugh. “Hardly,” he said drily.
“The best,” Kit repeated, insistent, pressing more kisses to Henry’s neck, and all the way around the shell of his ear. “Kindest, most affectionate, and tender.”
“Tender, eh?” Henry said, squirming a little with pleasure. He twisted, catching Kit up in his arms, making him shriek as he rolled them both till Kit ended up lying on top of him, giggling hysterically.
“Lout,” he accused breathlessly.
“What?” Henry exclaimed, feigning offence. “But you said I was the kindest, most tender—”
“All right, I spoke too soon!” Kit gasped. His stomach hurt from laughing, and his cheeks ached from smiling so hard. His heart felt good.
They gazed at one another, smiling like lovesick fools, and as the bubbling mirth melted away, Kit felt the warmth of a deeper, quieter joy.
“Kiss me, Henry,” Kit said.
And Henry obliged.
The End
Thank you, dear reader
Thank you for reading this book!
I hope you enjoyed Kit and Henry’s story.
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Joanna Chambers
Acknowledgments
Enormous thanks to Sally Malcolm, Annika Martin and Amy Koetel for beta-reading this book and providing such valuable insights.
Also by Joanna Chambers
Capital Wolves duet
Gentleman Wolf
Master Wolf
Enlightenment series
Provoked
Beguiled
Enlightened
Seasons Pass *
The Bequest *
Unnatural
Restored
* exclusive bonus stories for newsletter subscribers
Winterbourne series
Introducing Mr Winterbourne
Mr Winterbourne’s Christmas
With Annika Martin
Enemies Like You
Porthkennack series (Riptide)
A Gathering Storm
Tribute Act
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The Dream Alchemist
Unforgivable
Novellas
Merry & Bright (festive anthology)
Humbug
Rest and Be Thankful
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