Page 107 of A Deal with the Broken Duke
Juliet was speechless. She gazed up into his eyes, struggling to find words for everything she was feeling.
“I just consider myself lucky you’re willing to forgive me for the things I put you through,” Harry said.
“The things you put me through? What do you mean?”
“I’m talking about the horrible names I called you when we were younger,” he explained.
“Oh.”
In truth, Juliet hadn’t thought about that since she’d grown angry with him for calling her a Chipmunk the other night. Too much else had happened, and it had all driven that conversation right out of her mind.
“I’m surprised you’re still thinking about that, Harry.”
“I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it,” he said. “I feel like an idiot for not having realized sooner that my words would be hurtful. Of course, you wouldn’t have wanted to be called a nickname like that. Of course, you wouldn’t want to think that I was paying attention to your looks.”
“You couldn’t have known that I was so insecure. And I believe you when you say that you never thought of me as ugly.”
“Truly, I never did. It never even occurred to me to think of you that way. You were always Daniel’s little sister, first and foremost. When you came into my life again, I was surprised to find you beautiful, not because you hadn’t been lovely before, but because I was never looking.”
“I suppose I neverreallylooked at you that way either.” Juliet laughed. “Matilda and I used to say you were handsome, but I never really thought about what that meant. You were just… older than I was. Just enough older to be out of reach.”
He smiled. “It charms me to think that you said those things, even though they didn’t matter because you were too young.”
“I suppose I am grateful for the curse,” Juliet said. “I’m sorry it caused you so much pain, but I’m very glad that you’re still here for me. It would have been such a sad thing if you’d married someone else, someone you didn’t really love, just because that’s what you thought you needed to do.”
“And it might well have happened.” Harry shook his head. “I only resisted out of concern that I might cause someone to lose their life. Had I known there was no risk of it, I would have probably married a long time ago just to put an end to the gossip and stop the ladies from trying to catch my eye. You know as well as I do how maddening it is to have someone persist in following you around when you have no interest in them.”
“I do,” Juliet agreed, thinking of the fact that at least Lord Stickland had never become deliberately violent.
The worst she had to show for his attentions was a few bruises that had long since faded from her arm, and now, having seen what Lady Annie had been capable of in an attempt to garner affection and a match she desired, she knew just how fortunate she had been. Lord Stickland could have been worse, much worse than he had proven to be.
But I’ll never have to worry about him again.
“I think we ought to leave the past behind us,” Juliet said. “I think we ought to be grateful that we’re able to do that. None of these things, not your curse, not the people who sought to possess us can touch us anymore. We’re going to be married, and everything is going to be all right.”
Harry smiled. “It’s a little difficult to believe, isn’t it? That all our worries are over.”
“I suspect there will be new worries before long. I’ll have to move into your estate, and we’ll have to learn the ways of marriage and starting a family. That will all be very complicated, and I’m sure there will be difficulties.”
“That’s true,” Harry agreed. “But I’d say those are the sorts of problems I’m happy to have. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Yes.” Juliet smiled. “I’m very excited to have problems of that nature.”
His hand cupped the back of her neck. “I don’t think your sister’s watching us,” he murmured.
“No, I don’t think so either. We were lucky to have a co-conspirator like her in all of this.”
“Do you think she would intervene if I kissed you now?”
“I know she wouldn’t.”
“And what about you? Would you stop me?”
“I don’t think I would ever stop you,” Juliet whispered. “You’re going to have to be the one to stop us.”
He nodded. “I suppose I’m just going to have to try to find the strength.”
And then, his lips were on hers once more, and Juliet felt as if all the breath had left her body in this moment of stolen bliss.
