It was crushing.
“I…well, I thought you’d want to know, I’m, um…not pregnant.”
Crap!
That wasn’t what I wanted to say!
“Excellent,” he returned, his voice cold and he again moved as if he was going to leave.
“Wait!” I cried, taking a step toward him but I halted when he again turned to me.
When I got his eyes, the words clogged in my throat and he finally gave me something.
Remote impatience.
“Madeleine, as I told you, I need to leave immediately.” He swept me top to toe with a glance and finished, “If you have concerns about my absence, you’ve nothing to fear while I’m away. You’ll be protected. Most of my men have returned and the property is heavily guarded. And Lavinia is en route. She will ensure that the witch I’ve engaged has made certain no enchantments can be cast on the house or the grounds.”
“I…that’s good,” I stammered. “Thank you. But, Apollo,—I took a tentative step toward him— “we have to talk.”
“If you have something to discuss with me, you can do it when I return in three weeks.”
Three weeks! He was going to be gone for three weeks?
“Now I must go,” he finished.
He gave me his back and started to the door.
Without even a good-bye.
I closed my eyes and looked to the floor, my throat closing.
I was right, I was too late.
“Are you going to come with me, or are you going to stand in my bedchamber staring at the floor?” he asked and my head shot up. His first words were a ray of hope that he meant to take me with him. But when I caught his eyes, his next words smothered that ray. “I’ll escort you to the front door and have a man take you to the dower house.”
Yes.
Too late.
“You’re in a hurry. You don’t need to trouble yourself with me. I can get to the house, don’t worry,” I said quietly.
“Madeleine, it’s snowing and now doing it heavily,” he replied with clearly strained patience.
I looked to the windows and saw he was right. The snow was coming down a lot harder now.
I kept my eyes to the window and told him, “I’ll be okay.”
“You’ll be more okay escorted by one of my men.”
I looked to him and he was wavy through the tears that had formed in my eyes but I swallowed and pushed out, “I’ll be fine.”
He didn’t move so I did.
Dipping my chin to stare at my feet, I walked his way and when I got close, I murmured, “Be safe on your journey, Apollo.”
I didn’t get by him. He caught my bicep in his hand and brought me up short.
I drew in a deep breath and tipped my head back to look at him.