He sat silently on the sofa, his feet tapping unconsciously as he awaited Gretchen's arrival in the parlor. He had told her at dinner to join him in the parlor after putting Elizabeth to sleep, but her delay and perceived refusal was beginning to fill him with anxiety —how long did it take to put a child to sleep? He frowned.

The sound of light footsteps approaching drew his attention, causing him to rise to his feet. One glance at his watch and he found that it was an hour to midnight; he had been waiting for two hours.

Gretchen's tired face appeared, and he almost felt sorry for insisting that she came down to the parlor that night especially considering the fact that she usually had late nights and early mornings. Her red hair was pulled up in a lazy bun atop her head. Her eyelids bore lines of tiredness, her eyes seemed weary, and her white nightdress hung lazily over her thin form. For a brief second, he wondered about the fact that Gretchen didn't seem to put much thought into her appearance. Then, he was reminded that she was American and hadn't been forced into attending Finishing School like many English women.

“I'm so sorry, Lord Williams, Ellie wasn't too keen on going to bed tonight. You'd think she had some coffee or whiskey but considering the fact that she has been in my custody all day, there's simply no explanation for her over-activeness.”

Ethan had to smile at Gretchen's tired attempt at humor. Motioning to the sofa, he waited for her to take a seat before settling on a matching sofa. The fact that they sat very close to the fireplace was lost on Ethan because he felt his hands trembling.

Heaving a breath, he focused his gaze on Gretchen whose eyes were fixed on the fireplace with the light of the fire illuminating her face.

“Miss Riverside,” he began, waiting for her gaze to shift to him. For a second, he sat there, staring into her eyes, convinced of the fact that he loved her.

“Yes, Lord Williams?” She whispered, seemingly unable to speak.

“There's something of great importance I must discuss with you.” She nodded to his words, her eyes fixed on him. Afraid he'd lose the confidence to speak if he waited a second longer, he decided to put his heart right there on the table and hope she'd accept it. “I know how cruel I was at the beginning of your stay here, and I'm sorry.” He paused, staring at her. She sat there, as if waiting for him to continue. “I was taking my anger out on you. I blamed you for trying to take the place of my wife and you didn't deserve any of that.”

“I can assure you, Lord Williams, that I hold no grudge against you. I understand your anger and your accusation isn't far from the truth.” She released a sigh. “I did try to break someone's marriage in the past. Of course I'm ashamed of it right now but perhaps I give off the impression to people that I intend to break their homes?”