Page 56 of Playing the Scoundrel

Henry shook his head. “Completely independent of it.”

“What would that be?”

“From now on, I would ask that you call me Henry.”

His request did not seem to surprise her, for there was no shift in her countenance. She simply held his gaze until her lips settled into a smile.

“And I suppose you’ll want to call me by my Christian name as well?”

“Only if you wish me to.”

Henry hoped he wasn’t pushing too much, but he felt bonded to her over this moment with the telescope, and to use such formalities seemed insincere. She knew him, maybe even better than he knew himself, after all they’d gone through together, even in the short time since they’d met. And after all she’d confided in him about her sister and her passion for the stars, he wanted to believe there was more between them than society’s conventions.

Eventually, she nodded. “Very well, Henry. Though not while in public, mind you.”

“Of course. Thank you, Emma.”

She gave him a smile before returning to the eyepiece, resting her hand on the tube.

“What are you looking for now?” he asked.

“Something with a little more definition. I don’t think Mrs. Dunn will be impressed with a fuzzy circle. She’ll likely say it’s something she can see with her own two eyes.”

“That she would.” Henry chuckled.

Emma used her hand to adjust the direction of the lens ever so slowly, making Henry ask, “Will you teach me?”

She stepped back, standing on the opposite side of the telescope. “Place your hand here.”

Henry did as instructed, leaning over to the eyepiece again.

“Now move it just ever so slightly, until you see something you’d like to linger on.”

He felt the additional pressure of her hand on the telescope, and when he adjusted his fingers slightly to compensate, his skin met with hers. In their haste from the dining room, they each seemingly had forgotten their gloves, which meant the touch of her fingers increased the beating of his heart with such a simple intimate gesture. Neither one spoke, but neither did they pull away. The grandfather clock in the corridor ticked seconds by, each touch gaining more courage by the moment, until their fingers were completely intertwined, resting on the telescope.

“Do you see anything?” she asked, her voice tight.

“Not yet.” Henry had to swallow hard in order to keep his tone normal. “I might need you to keep guiding me.”

There was a smile in her tone when she said, “As long as it takes. This is a game of patience.”

But Henry wasn’t really looking anymore. He was entranced by Emma’s touch, the way their fingers felt together, his thumb caressing the back of her hand. Should Mrs. Dunn interrupt them, she would demand they separate, and he’d lose the moment completely, so he lingered as long as he could. While he was grateful Emma had enjoyed his gift so much, sharing the moment of holding her hand was perhaps even more dear to him.

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