As soon as he heard himself and realized that it sounded like an invitation to tryst with him, rather than an offer to spend her life with him. She straightened, pulling away from him. “Rose.” He reached for her. She brushed his hand away. “Don’t. Please don’t.” “Rose. I’m sorry. It was a joke.” “I know it was a joke.” Her voice shook. “Of course it was a joke. It’s always a joke to you.” She grabbed her cloak from the floor, found her gloves in the growing darkness. “Rose.” Had he not been able to decipher her voice before? He’d not been listening hard enough. Now, now that he’d opened his mouth a moment too soon and spoken just a little too much… Now, he could hear the hurt in her tone. “Rose. Sweetheart. I never meant to hurt you. You know that. You must know that.” She pulled on her gloves. “I know that. Stephen, I…” Her voice dropped. “You must know how I feel about you. But I don’t think you understand. This isn’t easy for me, and you aren’t making it any easier.
