“He will sign them,” Julius responded with a lethal calm that any opponent would find rattling to their senses. “I am not giving you up, Gory. There will be a wedding, I promise you. But it won’t be you and Allendale standing at the church altar. It will be you and me. Just when it will be, I cannot tell you for certain. But it will not be more than another few days. I will marry you the moment he signs those papers.”
She rested her head against his shoulder and sighed. “I have created such problems for you.”
“No, love. I created the problem in not revealing my heart sooner.”
“Perhaps if I spoke to Allendale again and–”
“No, I do not want you anywhere near him or that girl,” he said with surprising vehemence.
She looked up him, confused by his tone. “Why not? And why are you referring to Sarah as that girl as though she is not as much a victim as I was? Why, Julius? Did you notice something else?”
He nodded. “Yes, but I’ll tell you later. We’re here.”
Gory scooted off his lap as the carriage drew to a halt in front of his solicitor’s building. “What did you notice?”
“I’ll tell you once we are home.” He cast her a soft look as he helped her down. “And it is our home…well, it is Ambrose’s to be accurate about it. But my point is that you belong with me now. The only way I give you up is if you truly do not love me. The choice is yours and only ever yours, Gory. No one else can break us up, for I will always fight for you.”
“I would do the same for you,” she acknowledged. “Your happiness matters most to me.”
He nodded. “I’ll only be happy if I have you as my wife.”
“Oh, Julius, do stop saying such wonderful things to me.” She placed a hand to her cheek because she was blushing again.
“I see you are awful at accepting compliments.” He shook his head. “Get used to it, Gory. I have lots more to heap on you.”
“I must be dreaming,” she muttered. “You do realize I am getting the better part of this bargain.”
“No, love. I am the fortunate one.” He tweaked her nose.
She laughed and then cast him a wincing smile. “Do not be so quick to admire me when I continue to be foolish. I was so incensed, I missed every obvious clue and jumped to the wrong conclusions. But it is a good thing my heart has sense, for I’ve loved you from the moment I set eyes on you, and that love never wavered, even as I made a terribly wrong decision in agreeing to marry Allendale.”
“That won’t be happening now. For many reasons, I’m glad your wedding to him will never go forward,” he said with a noticeable furrow of his brow.
A shiver ran through her as she stared back at him. “What reasons? What else did you notice that you haven’t told me?”
CHAPTER 11
JULIUS HAD HINTED at something about Allendale and Sarah.
Gory was now keen on pursuing his reasons for disliking them beyond Allendale’s keeping his attentions toward Sarah a secret from her. He was obviously troubled by the pair, or perhaps something one of them had said. But had not Havers ruled them out as suspects? And how could Sarah be in any way involved in the heinous crime when she was giving birth that night? A woman in the midst of labor pains does not blithely hop out of bed to ride across town and do someone in.
“What did you see that felt wrong, Julius? Besides Mayfield’s card on the salver, of course.”
“I’ll tell you later.”
She sighed and held him back. “Can you not give me a hint?”
“Let’s deal with my solicitor first, and then I’ll tell you once we are home. Do not press me, Gory. My answer will remain the same.”
“Really? You are going to make me wait? How can you dangle that lure in front of me and then leave me wriggling on the hook when I take the bait?”
“First of all, you are not a fish, and have you never heard the adage that patience is a virtue?”
She rolled her eyes.
He laughed. “Gad, you are a curious, little thing. Will you be as curious to learn about…never mind, it is not an appropriate topic to be discussing now.”
She blushed again. “Are you referring to the bedchamber?”
