“You worked for me, as you so rightly pointed out. It was one-sided, and you know it. I knew nothing about you, and I was so absorbed in my own life, I never thought to ask.” He released a bitter laugh and turned to look at me.
“That isn’t exactly true. No, you didn’t know about my desire to write books or my desire for you. But you were there when my father died, and my mother took ill. You gave her a pension that you didn’t have to give her. You allowed her to continue living on the estate and didn’t remove her like so many other people would.” His father was an awful person who had abused my father the same as his other servants. Lord Kendrick had promised to see to my mother’s welfare, and he had kept his word. At his core, he was a good man. It was another reason I loved him.
“You make me sound better than I am.” He leaned against the window sill. The dim light shadowed his eyes, casting theplanes and angles of his face in masculine lines. He was a stunning man whose very presence stole my breath.
“You’re better than you think you are. Your humbleness does you justice, but it is all right to brag a little.” I cuffed him on the chin, wishing I could do more. Lord Kendrick didn’t need passion. He needed compassion. “I think Byron would agree.”
“I think he might.” The rigidity in his frame lessened, and he exhaled. “You asked me why I came here.”
“I did.” From our discussion, he needed to talk. I was glad to see him. He was the light in my life every day, and it had dimmed the second I left his company.
“I want you to come home.” He stared at me with eyes luminous in the starkness of his visage. “It isn’t the same without you. I know you have a life here. I understand that. I also know that there is a hole in my heart that only you can fill. You’re right as usual. I’m madly in love with Lillian,andI’m madly in love with you.”
He loved me. I stood in place, stunned by the admission I had longed to hear those words since the first moment I laid eyes on him. A million thoughts rushed into my head, but one stood out. In two strides, I was in his arms. I linked mine behind his neck and brought my mouth to his receptive one. It was like coming home. The proper place he’d been referring to wasn’t a location or a building; it was a sense of self. “I love you, Kendrick. I always have. I always will.”
“Then you will come back to London? Or if that isn’t possible, Lillian and I’ll move here. If you can’t come to us, we will come to you. Please say yes.” The hoarseness in his voice and the pleading in his stare undid me.
“Yes.” I lifted onto my toes and brought our mouths together. The familiar taste of his lips and the slight earthy scent of clay that never left his person cemented my resolve.
Rain pelted the window, and I withdrew from the kiss. “I think it is time to go home.”
“Did you find a house to buy, or do you still live upstairs?” he asked, his humor much improved by my acquiescence.
“I have a room at a local inn. I have news of my own. I sold my business.” The admission came with immense relief. I had been approached by a rival soon after taking over, and I accepted his offer. “I’m not cut out for this life. I want to be a writer, like Lillian. With the money I earn from the sale, I can live a life of leisure wherever I wish.”
His smile bloomed brighter, and he gripped the back of my neck. He rested his forehead against mine. “You never thought to tell me this before I poured my heart out to you?”
“No. I know you better than you know yourself. You needed to talk this through, and you did. I’ll concede that I had no idea if I would return to London. It was difficult to leave you both behind, especially after Lillian was so upset at our last parting. I miss the quirky staff. I miss the smell of clay. I miss the sound of Lillian on the typewriter and the way she purrs when I kiss her.” I pressed another kiss to his mouth before I withdrew. “There isn’t anything keeping me here.”
“Then let’s go home. Let’s go home to Lillian, and I’ll tell her what she deserves to hear. That I love her.” He followed me out of the office, his familiar footsteps a comfort. I switched off the light switch and locked the door to my past.
Now to the future.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Lady Lillian, Duchess of Alton
Fingers moving over the keys, I dictated my thoughts through my hands. Kendrick was due home at any time, and I needed to keep myself occupied, lest I give in to my cowardliness and not tell him how I felt about him. I had commandeered Colt’s old office for my own. The machine under my fingertips was the same one I had used aboard the ship. The Q key stuck, but it wasn’t enough to stop me from using it.Lord Golden and the dark knight had returned to the scene of the crime. They—-
“Lord Kendrick isn’t home, Gavin. I must ask you to leave and leave now.” Henry’s shrill voice cut through the steady cadence of my typing.
Fury shot through me at the sound of his name. I truly hated that man. Whether or not he was Kendrick’s lover, he’d no right to keep pushing his way into my house uninvited.
“I’m not here to see Lord Kendrick. I’m here to see Lady Lillian, and I’ll not leave until I do.” The belligerence in his tone was intimidating. He was an actor and was used to projecting his voice. I had no idea if he were dangerous or not.
