“Unless someone was paid not to notice,” Georgina murmured.
There was a brief silence. The only sound was the crackling of the fire.
Alex looked at her, not the folio. She stood with her arms crossed. She was determined, brilliant, and unshaken. And for the first time, he didn’t fear losing her heart, but rather the sharp, hollow fear of losing her entirely.
He’d spent years guarding what was left of his world, his estate, his name, the ghosts of men who had trusted him. But this was different. Georgina wasn’t something to preserve. She was someone to stand beside, someone who turned quiet deduction into revelation, someonewho made him believe that not all was lost. And suddenly, what he wanted most wasn’t the protection of what remained. He wanted to protect what could possibly be their future together.
“We start with the ships,” Alex said.
She nodded. “If Rowland saw this, he knew it was bigger than one mine.”
Alex met her gaze. “Then we follow the shipments. And we find out who’s been profiting.”
He didn’t move right away. The room had settled and become quiet once again, but his pulse had not. Slowly, he reached across the desk and drew the folio closer, brushing her fingers as he did. Her hand remained where it was, steady and unflinching, the faintest warmth lingering between them.
Barrington cleared his throat, but the sound was not entirely necessary.
“Kenworth can be ready within the hour,” he said, his voice dry. “He’ll ride for Portsmouth with a sealed message for Seaton. We’ll ask for shipping records from the past six months, flagged for any coal-related entries and anything markedR.T.S.”
Georgina withdrew her hand and turned to Barrington with a nod. “And if he finds nothing?”
“Then we dig deeper,” Alex said. “This time, we know where to look.”
Barrington moved toward the door, calling for Kenworth to prepare the dispatch. Georgina remained where she was for a moment longer, her eyes still on the folio.
“You’ll tell me the moment you hear from Seaton?” she asked.
Alex nodded. “You’ll be the first.”
The fire popped in the grate. She reached forward and turned one of the documents slightly, aligning it just so. It wasn’t nerves, more like precision. Or ownership. She was part of this now. No less than either of them.
Barrington paused at the door and glanced back. “My men used to say the ones with the questions were the most dangerous.” He offered her a smile, the kind that left you feeling uplifted and appreciated. “You ask the right ones, Lady Ravenstock.”
She met his gaze, neither flattered nor dismissive. “I was married to a man who trusted quietly and died anyway. I’d rather ask questions.”
A flicker of approval crossed Barrington’s face.
Minutes later, Kenworth returned in full riding gear, the sealed letter in hand. “Any message for Seaton besides what’s written?” he asked Alex.
Alex handed him the folded folio copy. “Tell him this one’s not forged. And take the fast route. But not the obvious one.”
Kenworth gave a half-bow and a wink. “Always do. Back before dawn if the wind’s in our favor.”
They watched him go in silence, the door closing softly behind him. The only sound was the fire, and the quiet rustle of paper as Georgina turned another page.
“Rowland used to keep a list,” she said softly, almost to herself. “Not of partners. It was a list of names he wouldn’t do business with. He said it wasn’t worth the coin if he couldn’t trust the weight.”
Alex turned back toward her. “Do you still have it?”
“It might still be in his desk,” she said. “Or the safe. I haven’t gone through everything yet.”
Barrington crossed to the fire and nudged the logs. “Then you’ll look. Carefully. We’ll follow the manifests, and you chase the names.”
She nodded once. “Agreed.”
Alex moved to her side. “I’ll walk you out.”
They crossed the hall in silence, the shadows longer now, but less heavy. Outside, her carriage stood, lamps lit, the horses shifting gently in the cool night air.
