Henry stood there a long moment, just trying to soak in the essence of her that she might have left behind. The evening had gone far better than he’d dared hope—except for his agreeing to keep their relationship a secret. But he had renewed reason to believe that his future would be bright and that Amala would be a very real part of it.

* * * *

Amala could hardly sleep when her mind was consumed with reviewing every moment of her time with Henry. Her temptation to ignore her own edicts and give Henry a chance had been clinched when she’d asked for Everett’s advice and he’d told her that she’d never know whether or not she could trust her own heart if she didn’t allow herself to open it up enough to really hear what it was telling her. Unable to argue with such a point, Amala had forced away her fears and realized that if she and Henry could get to know each other better without anyone around them being aware of it, she could feel comfortable exploring the possibilities of changing her mind. A very big part of her still felt doubtful that—in the end—she wouldn’t still firmly believe that remaining unmarried was a better course. The practical part of her that feared bringing any difficulty into the lives of anyone she cared for believed that such a marriage could never take place and be worth the sacrifices. The same part of her believed that this experiment would eventually show Henry the harsh truth of how bad it could be for them. But for now, she chose to push all such thoughts away and do as Everett had challenged her to do: listen to what her heart was telling her and give it a fair chance to be heard.

Amala trembled with a delight she’d never felt before as she recalled her time with Henry. His kiss was as intriguing to her as the way they were able to share candid and respectful conversation. She was inexplicably grateful to know he would be visiting tomorrow, and she hoped they might be able to steal at least a few minutes alone together.