God, he was incredible.
“Since I met you, you fought that horrid Hammond to save my reputation, you saved me after I was thrown from a horse, and yesterday you saved me again, from the hangman’s noose, risking your own life in the process. You did all these wonderful things for me, and…and I was lying to you the entire time. Keeping a secret from you.” Tears were streaming down her face now.
“And what was that secret?” he said softly as he took a step closer to her.
“I was the Lace Bandit…I-I am the Lace Bandit.” she said in a broken whisper, unable to look him in the eye.
He gently lifted her chin, and she looked into his eyes. Did she seea glimmer of a smile in those gorgeous blue orbs, or was it just wishful thinking?
“Ah, at last we get to the crux of it,” he said. “Were you in Epping Forest to rob Basil and me again?”
“No. I swear.”
“What, then, in God’s name were you doing there wearing that blasted mask?”
“I came to find you.”
“Why? Was stealing our coin once not enough?”
“No. Basil had told me the two of you rode on Fridays, and I was hoping to find you. I thought you might find it amusing if I revealed myself to you in such a manner. I had intended to apologize and return the money I took from you and Basil. I never expected to encounter that hired militia.”
“Hammond bragged about hiring them at the Lyon’s Den.”
“What a dreadful man he is.”
“That he is, and I expect it’s not the last time we’ll hear from the bugger.”
“It seems I’ve made a mess of things,” she said before taking a deep, shuddering breath.
“I need to know why. Why would you risk your life in such a dangerous way? For what purpose?”
This was it, the moment she had dreaded. The outcome was in her hands. Only complete honesty was acceptable.
Her confession poured from her like a swollen river after a storm, a rushing turbulence that swept the cobwebs of her doubts away. She could no longer hold back the tide of her emotions. Passionately, she spoke of the orphans and those who were forgotten. Everything she’d done was for them, and any future must include making their lives better. When her outpouring of feelings finally came to an end, the relief of no longer living a lie felt rejuvenating. “I understand if you cannot forgive me,” she said, her voice wobbly as she wiped her tearsaway, “but I can’t tell you how good it feels to not carry this weight in me any longer. And I completely understand if you don’t love me anymore and wish to take back your proposal.”
Winnie turned away from him, unable to bear the sight of his leaving. Her spine straight and her body still, she would bear the pain that was sure to come after he’d gone.
Lex’s arms encircled her waist, pulling her against his chest. The hardness of his body made hers go limp. His lips pressed against her ear, he whispered, “Oh, my darling, you can’t know how I’ve longed to hear the truth from you. Even when I realized that you and the Lace Bandit were one and the same. Yes, I was angry, but I could never stop loving you. All I wanted was for you to tell me.”
Winnie turned in his arms to face him, and damned if she wasn’t crying again. “Oh, Lex, forgive me. I don’t know how you figured it out, but I’m glad you didn’t give up on me.” It dawned on her that she was as dirty as a stable rat and he was as sparkling as a newly minted coin. She tried to pull away from his embrace. “I’m not presentable, and I’m embarrassed to have you see me like this. I’m a mess and will soil your fine attire.”
He stared into her eyes adoringly. “Do you think I care? Waking or sleeping, all I think about is you. No amount of mud is going to keep me from holding you and, for that matter, kissing you.”
“Before you do, I must know how you figured it out.”
A smile danced across his lips. “Figured what out?”
“That I was the Lace Bandit, of course.”
Lex’s touch made her shiver, and she held her breath in suspense as he unbuttoned the top buttons of her dress. Then he bent and kissed the swell of her breast, and it was all she could do to remain standing. He murmured against her skin, “You see, my dear, right here where my lips press resides the most delightful heart-shaped beauty mark. Never in a million years could there be two.” He laved the mark with his tongue, making her sigh with pleasure.
“Oh, Lord, you are the cleverest man I have ever known. So, you’re not angry?”
Lex lifted his head from her breast and gave her a wicked smile that nearly made her knees buckle. “Oh, yes, I’m angry, and I have a few ideas in mind for your punishment.”
She swallowed at the thought of what that punishment would entail. “But you still want me?”
“I wanted you from the first moment I laid eyes on you.”
