She nodded, but concern still emanated from both of them.
Alice and Jeremy appeared at the bottom of the stairs. “Miss Ashby doesn’t feel well, but we are ready.”
Lisbeth smiled. The letters were probably nothing, she told herself. She glanced at Thomas. “Ready?”
“I was going to see Devons.”
She looped her arm through his. “You can do that later. I’m sure you are correct, and it is some young fan.”
*
Later that night,Thomas sat with Lisbeth enjoying an after-dinner drink. He frowned, thinking about the letter she’d received. It seemed like an escalation of the other ones sent to him.
“Why have you turned so serious?” Lisbeth asked.
“I’m worried about the letter. The author, while I was in Syria, sent me multiple missives, always explaining that when I returned to London, we’d marry. I never thought much of it because I never planned on setting foot in the country again.”
She took a sip of her wine. “I can’t imagine it is more than a young woman who is upset.”
“I hope so. I plan to make it a priority though.”
“Thank you,” Lisbeth said and then added, “You never explained why you came back?”
Thomas looked at his beautiful Lizzie, lifting a brow. “Isn’t it obvious?”
A blush streaked across her cheeks.
“I came for you. After we spent that night together, I told myself that was all the closure I needed, but the further I was from you and Latakia, the more I realized one night wasn’t enough.”
“I’m glad you came back,” she admitted.
He glanced at her, skeptical, but she nodded. “I am. Even though the revelation of all these secrets has been difficult, it was for the best.”
“Is Alice why you didn’t want me to come to London?”
Pain flashed across her face. “I’d already hurt you so much, I was terrified to do it again. The moment I returned, I regretted not telling you. I planned to write you a letter explaining everything.”
“Then I showed up.”
She nodded. “And now we are married.”
He frowned. “I hate the way it all happened. I’ve wanted you as my wife since I was a boy.”
Lisbeth laughed. “I doubt you’ve wanted me since we were children.”
It was true, though. “Almost from the moment we found the spear, I knew I wanted you to be my wife. It felt as if our lives would be full of excitement. At that time, I hadn’t grasped that the daughter of an earl couldn’t marry the son of a housekeeper.”
“But we would have if everything with my father’s debt hadn’t happened,” Lisbeth said, her voice filled with sadness.
Their eyes connected, and Thomas said, “Come here, Lizzie. Let me hold you for a moment. Nothing more than that, I promise.”
He was hungry to wrap his arms around her, to feel her head rest along his chest. Thomas held his breath, wondering what she would do. Shocking him, she rose, and he pulled her onto his lap. She laid her head on his chest. They sat there quietly for a moment. Eventually, she said, “It is fine to be angry about everything.”
He wasn’t. His mind whispered,liar.Still, he pushed it away. More than anything, he wanted to be with this woman. She lifted her head and looked at him. “If you keep it all bottled in, it won’t help.”
“You had no choice,” he said before brushing a gentle kiss across her lips. It wasn’t one meant to ignite passion, but rather to offer comfort.
She frowned but went back to lying her head on his chest. He stroked her back. Thomas would endure any internal pain to have nights like this. “Mr. Martin and Lord Harston visited me today.”
