The pain of losing his wife haunted Harry everyday of his life; when he had proposed, he had thought he had found the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, that everyday he would see her when he woke up, that her eyes would the last thing in his gaze before he drifted off to sleep. It had started off as a cold, something innocuous, they didnât worry, but one week later she had passed, leaving him behind with a young child to raise. And he couldnât â he couldnât stay in the house he shared with her. So first he sent her to a ladies seminar to be educated, and when she was too old for it, to his sisterâs to be presented to society; everything she needed he gave her, letters that made sure she would be welcomed into any party, money for the best dresses; he wouldnât deny her a thing.
Except, his presence. And really, he had been right to do that. After years of irregular meetings, she had been back at the house, her sweet laughter and dark hair a mirror image of her motherâs, and one day, he kissed her with scotch filled lips; imagining she was her mother. A ghost haunting him, but he had been so overjoyed that he had grabbed her immediately, pressing her tightly against him, tongue plundering her mouth as his fingers started to reacquaint themselves with her body. It had only been after a few minutes, after her response was so different from the one in his memories, that he realized that this wasnât a kiss or a ghost, but his own flesh and blood.Â
The next morning he left.
When it became clear that his behavior of shunning his own daughter was affecting their reputations, did he make the decision to move back to the estate and officiate her return home. In a moment of incredible stupidity, he had told the footman to ready the Mistressâs old chambers for Grace. Isolated for a reason, it had two entranced, one in front and one through a hallway connected to his room. It would be a lie to deny he hadnât thought of that night many times after it, sometimes he would wake up from a vivid dream, where he had continued kissing her, had pushed her into the table and dragged the front of her dress down, with his hand on his cock and her name on his lips.Â
And now she was sleeping on the room next door.
âOf course.â he replied pleasantly. âYou can change whatever you want, its your room after all , I want you to be comfortable.â a beat passed, silence stretching between them before he added. âI know I havenât exactly been the most welcoming, but I do want you to be happy in this house, for however long you live here.â with her beauty and the handsome dowry he bestowed upon her, he doubted she would stay here long, a suitor would probably sweet her off her feet soon. The thought didnât fill him with as much calm as he thought it would.
He would be the master of his own emotions, put it past him and forget it ever happened. There as no need to dwell on that night.
His words were gentle, and not in the least bit hostile, yet it would still feel wrong to do as he said. It was her motherâs room after all-- someone her father had loved. The thought of her father and her mother always roused questions, but Grace never had a chance to ask. He was never around -- not that she blamed him. He was a very busy man, as her aunt had described many times in the past. âThank you.â is all she could say in response. Whether she was thanking him for the permission he had granted her, or the room, or just for the mere fact that he was still standing there -- she didnât know. But she felt content and a part of her truly hoped heâd stay for dinner.Â
âOh no, auntie had told me you had lots of work you needed to stay on top of, so I understand. You did receive my letters though, yes?â she asked. Granted, she didnât know how to pick up a pen after that kiss, she wouldnât stop speaking to her father. She just hoped he was able to read all of her letters.
Her letters-- gosh the times she wanted to tell him of her dreams, but her letters felt too secretive and she was afraid if anyone were to read them. She wished to tell her father of the nights she shamelessly sat in bed thinking about his lips and what more would have happened if he hadnât stopped. She wished to tell him of the way her fingers unraveled her, all while imagining her fatherâs touch, his voice, his smell as she came undone. It was all too wrong to say, yet she wished she could share those thoughts with him.Â
      For however long you live here those words had caught her off guard slightly. âAre you expecting me to leave so soon? I am looking for work, but not too far off from here where iâd have to leave .â she clarified. With her studies finished and out of the way, her goal was to search for work -- for someone whoâd hire her to teach. Her aunt had explained how she must be married soon, but Grace always shook that thought away. She didnât educate herself to be married to someone else, that didnât make sense.
--And sheâd be damned if her father mentioned the same thing. âCare for something to eat? Any special requests?â Gracie asked in hopes to change the subject before marriage did become the subject. âI had an idea, maybe we can make something together.â Again, this was just her way of hoping to spend more time with him before he hurried off to be some place else.