He felt Ada stiffen as she read the words, and he turned, taking her hands in his before she could walk away.
“Ada,” he said firmly. “You know that none of this is true. That they are the ones at fault. You have done nothing wrong.”
“I know,” she said, although her face said she believed otherwise.
“All you did was choose for yourself and not the life they wanted for you,” he said. “Your father was the one who worked with Blackwood, who was going to sacrifice you to gain the legitimacy that he lost himself. They are sour because you didn’t go along with what they wanted, because they lost their own wishes. What they should truly be upset about is losing you, for you are the greatest prize of all. Trust me. I should know.”
When she looked down at him, she was rapidly blinking away the tears in her eyes.
“That is kind of you to say.”
“It’s the truth,” he said, standing and wrapping his arms around her, pulling her in close.
“Anyone would be lucky to have you in their lives.”
“Even you?” she said, her voice slightly muffled from being smushed against his shirt.
“Most especially me,” he said, placing a kiss on her hair, longing to say the words she needed to hear — that what he felt for her had become stronger than he had ever imagined could be possible. But he couldn’t say them now, for if he ended up being beholden to Sharpe or taken to jail, she wouldbe left without him, and he would only be hurting her all the more.
For the truth was, he was more than willing to sacrifice himself to save her.
He had tried to do so already. Finch had come to him at the shipping office, and while Jonny had initially thought he was coming to take him in, it had been, in fact, the opposite. Finch had seen through his ruse and told him that all would be forgiven — he only needed to help him bring down Sharpe and his operations.
Jonny was more than happy to oblige.
“You need to get to work,” Ada said, and Jonny nodded, wishing he could stay here and hold her all day but knowing that wasn’t an option if he wanted to provide for him — for them — in any way.
He walked Ada to the blacksmith shop, stopping in to greet Minnie and Tommy before continuing on to the shipping office. He greeted Fawkes and a few other workers, getting on with his day despite everything on his mind. He was just a few minutes away from leaving at the end of the day when the door opened and someone walked in who instantly gave Jonny a feeling that he wasn’t here to book a shipment.
“Jonny Tate?”
“Yes,” he said, looking at the grizzled man, who was staring at him with a look in his eye that was altogethertoohappy with himself.
“Heard you’ve been seeing a bit more of your brother lately.”
“More than I’d like,” Jonny bluffed.
“Well,we’veheard it’s a bit different than the two of you have let on. He’s still with Sharpe — but not quite under the same circumstances as before,” he said, his eyes glistening. “Sharpe found what you left, a little note that was supposed to place him under suspicion, hmm? And then your brother letyou go so easily. Well, your plan’s foiled, Tate. And if you’d like to see your brother again — alive — bring what you stole the other night. You know where to find us. We’ll be waiting after dark.”
With a chuckle, he left, leaving Jonny standing, frozen but for his hands, which had clenched into fists that made him want to go after the man and show him what happened when you messed with the Tates. But he would do this the smart way this time. Not by himself. Not just with Ada.
He would be going in at full strength. Sharpe wouldn’t know what hit him.
Jonny cringed when he heard the cry of pain.
Will.
Jonny had to fight every instinct within himself to keep from charging into the warehouse and demanding that Sharpe release his brother, but that was exactly what Sharpe wanted and would only hurt all of them in the process if he went too soon.
Still, hearing Will, feeling Ada shudder beside him… it was nearly more than he could bear.
All he could do was wrap his arm around Ada, trying to provide her comfort even as she provided it back to him in turn by simply being there with him.
“It’s nearly time,” she murmured, as they waited, watching Jonny’s pocket watch. It all had to be timed perfectly.
“A few more minutes,” Jonny said grimly, even as Sharpe opened the warehouse door, calling out into the night.
“Oh, Jonny, are you out there? We’re having a grand time in here and can’t wait for you to join us. Isn’t that right, Will?”
