held only a few crumbs. His grin when he glanced up again was almost boyishly wicked. “D’you reckon cook’ll be angry to discover her larder’s been raided?”
Aiming for the same casual tone, Katherine replied, “She’s used to it, I imagine. Frederick frequently sneaks into the kitchen between meals.”
With another short laugh, Hale cleared their dishes and set them into an empty washtub. “Growing boys tend to have inexhaustible appetites.”
“Well, that’s certainly proving to be true in his case,” Katherine agreed.
Securing Claire in her arms, she carefully maneuvered her legs out from under the table, but before she could stand, Hale was there in front of her.
“I’ll take her,” he said roughly.
At Katherine’s nod, he gently eased the little girl from her lap. Claire breathed a soft protest, but once she was settled against Hale’s broad chest, she curled her hand around his thick neck and sighed. The sight of it filled Katherine with warmth. Though Claire was timid and often uncertain when awake, in sleep, her instinct to find comfort and safety in her father’s arms was evident and sweet. As evident as the quiet hope and barely perceptible vulnerability in her indomitable father’s eyes as he gently stroked her pale curls.
Katherine’s breath caught.
There was so much emotion swirling in his gaze. More, she suspected, than he knew what to do with. More than she knew what to do with in that moment.
She glanced aside. “I’ll lead the way.”
The candle Hale had brought down had died out a bit ago, so there was just the one she’d brought from the study.
Rising to her feet, she preceded them from the kitchen to the back stairway that would take them up to the third floor and Claire’s bedroom. Her insides were still stirring in reaction to what Hale had revealed to her and those strange moments of intimacy they’d shared across the kitchen table. It was all she could do to keep her spine straight and her steps sure as they made their way in a silent procession to the second-floor landing. There, Hale stopped Katherine with a short sound.
“No need for you to go any farther. I’m sure you’d like to find your own bed. We can manage the rest of the way on our own.”
“Nonsense,” she replied simply as she continued to light the way up the next flight of stairs.
They were met at the door to Claire’s bedroom by her nurse, who stood wringing her hands as she gave a flustered curtsy. “My lady, I didn’t expect you to be...I mean, I’m so sorry you’ve been disturbed...I would’ve managed the child, but Mr. Hale insists I fetch him whenever she wakes.”
“It’s quite all right,” Katherine assured as Hale swept past them into the room.
He gently lowered the sleeping child to her bed before placing a kiss to her blonde curls and tucking the bedcovers up beneath her chin. It should have appeared odd to see the large brute of a man taking such care with the small child, but it didn’t. It looked right and lovely.
Passing by the nurse on his way out, he instructed firmly, “If she wakes again, let me know.”
The woman glanced nervously to Katherine before giving a nod. “Yes, sir.”
Hale and Katherine made their way back downstairs in silence. Stopping at his bedroom door, Hale turned to face her. Katherine stopped as well and lifted her candle. Unfortunately, the small movement caused a twinge of pain through her shoulder. It wasn’t much, but due to the tightness and soreness that had settled into her muscles while spending so many hours bent over her desk, her entire body tensed in reaction.
“What’s the matter?” A note of concern lowered his voice.
“Nothing.” She lifted a hand to rub at the back of her neck. “I’m fine.”
A heavy frown of displeasure darkened his face. “I know the look of pain in a body when I see it. You’re not bloody fine. And where the hell is your sling?”
“I left it in my room. It’s been nearly two weeks since the injury. I need to start moving my arm more if I’m ever going to use it again.”
“It’s too soon.”
“It’s not,” she argued, tipping her head back to glare up at him as he towered over her.
The simple cotton of his shirt did nothing to keep his heat and scent from surrounding her, soaking into her. And why did she find the smell of him so enticing? Purely male. She breathed deep on instinct, taking more of him into her