The flash of anger in his eyes reflected her own. “You have given me yet another reason to despise him. He misled you deliberately. It shows that he was cruel as well as misguided.”
He reached out and took both her hands, gazing intently into her eyes.
“Believe me when I say I would never have put you through that. If I had known—.” He shook his head. “But that does not excuse me in any way. I asked you not to interfere because we – Matlock and I—knew there would be a moment when I could have been in danger, and you would have wanted to protect me, but the only way the plan could work was for me to reach that point.”
“There you are, saying ‘we’ again. I think your uncle owes me an apology as well.”
He nodded. “I know. I am aware of it. And I know now it was wrong. My unclewillapologize. I have already told him that throwing you into the cell with de Riquer was unacceptable. He panicked, and the cellar was the only place he could think of where you would not be able to use your magic. If you had Bonded with me, the whole plan would have unraveled.”
She had not known how important this was to her until now. Darcy had taken his uncle to task already. She had not even needed to mention it.
“All this could have been avoided if you had told me what you intended.”
“It was a terrible mistake not to, in so many ways. I can only offer my humblest apologies and promise that it will never happen again. I have grown too accustomed to relying on my own judgement, but you are part of my life now, and I must learn that I cannot act alone. You are my Twin, as well as my wife, and you deserve honesty and loyalty more than anyone else in the world. You are my comrade-in-arms. I will never keep a secret from you.”
“Or conspire again with your uncle without my knowledge.”
“Never. You have my word.”
“Even if you think it is for my own protection.”
“Even so. You deserve to know the truth.”
The passion in his voice swayed her. He was so sincere, so genuinely contrite, that the love she had been holding back bubbled up inside her. It would take time, but the future was already much brighter.
“I will hold you to that promise, Darcy. We will have to speak more about this.”
He pressed her hands then let them go with a rueful smile.
“I had the feeling you would say that. I thought we could go to the conservatory tonight so we could spend time together and talk, away from everyone else.”
His smile lit up her heart. She had missed him terribly. She smiled back, feeling at peace for the first time for weeks. She was prepared to fight the world, as long as she did not have to fight Darcy as well. Then she noticed for the first time that he was holding her shawl on his arm.
“I hope you do not mind that I asked your sister for the shawl.”
“I do not. I am sure I will need it.”
She was strangely nervous. It had been so long since they had spent time alone, she had forgotten what it felt like. Not that the conservatory, with its dead plants and dirty windows was a very pleasant place to be, but beggars could not be choosers.
He offered her his arm. She slipped her hand under his elbow, and they began to walk together, stiffly at first, then, slowly, she began to lean into him, drawn by the warmth of his body and lured by the scent of him, the mix of bergamot soap and the unique aroma of his skin. Soon they were walking shoulder to shoulder, and his arm snaked its way slowly around her waist.
As they drew closer to the conservatory, it was completely dark. She hoped Darcy had a candle there and he did not plan to have them sitting in the darkness. It was a moonless night. She thought of that night long ago when he had surprised her with a trip on the river on a moonless night. It had been an uncomfortable outing. She had worried constantly about being attacked, but it had served the purpose of having him talk to her. Maybe Darcy found it easier to talk about himself in the quiet folds of darkness.
She had a distinct image of herself stumbling over dead plants as the two of them made their way to the enclave where they had sat the last time they were here. She chuckled. It was an adventure, at least. Perhaps that was what they needed. Something unexpected.
Darcy held the door open for her and as she stepped in, she was enveloped by the thick heavy aroma of a greenhouse. It was warm inside, toasty enough that she would not need the shawl he was carrying. He must have had arranged for the furnaces to be started up.
Darcy steadied her as she tripped over a root in the pitch darkness.
“I am beginning to wonder if this is another nefarious plot to be rid of me. Must we wander around in the dark?”
“I am sure there must be a candle somewhere,” said Darcy, gravely. “I just have to find it.”
As her eyes grew accustomed to the night, she thought she spotted shadows moving about. Her senses immediately alert, she searched for magic ahead of her. It was everywhere.
Her heart beating fast, she drew away from Darcy and prepared for an attack.
“Darcy, I think—"
