He was damned tempted to rush up the stairs and pound on the door of every bedchamber until he found his wife. He’d sat on the hard steps of his own stairs until dawn—waiting for her return. When the sunlight had begun filtering in through the windows, it had brought a darkness to his soul, the likes of which he’d never known. He’d been hit with the realization that he didn’t want to lose Kate. And not because of the funds that she’d brought with her, but because of the smiles and laughter she brought with her and even her damned notion that he should earn her affection. But it appeared he was in danger of losing her, because he’d yet to determine how to gain her affection. So he’d begun considering his options. He’d purchase her a dozen bouquets of forget-me-nots. Two dozen boxes of chocolates. A hundred, no a thousand books. And as he thought of each item, he dismissed it. He didn’t have the power to earn her love, but perhaps he could earn her understanding. He heard light footsteps coming down the hallway.
