“Stay,” Pippa said.
“Leave,” Glory said simultaneously.
Fi looked at Livy. “What do you think?”
“I think you should do what feels right to you,” Livy replied. “What do your instincts say?”
As Fi tried to listen to her intuition, Hawk’s voice surfaced instead.
I know that what makes you truly beautiful isn’t on the outside. It is your boldness and strength and even your willful streak. The way you aren’t afraid to carve your own path… It is even your insecurities, the way you have no idea how extraordinary you are.
She blinked. How could she have forgotten? Hawkhadseen who she was…and loved her for it. For most of her life, she’d fought to prove her worth. But Hawk had made her realize that she didn’t have to fight. His love had made her feel accepted and special.
The dreadful ultimatum he’d given her had been the product of fear. He’d lost Caroline due to brutal circumstances beyond his control; with aching remorse, Fi realized that she must have triggered those same feelings of powerlessness with her behavior which, admittedly, did involve danger and risk. Hawk’s concern was not unfounded. And whilesheknew she was a well-trained investigator who could handle anything, he would not have that same confidence in her abilities…because she’d never been fully honest with him. She had been too afraid of his rejection to tell him the truth.
How can I expect him to accept me when I’ve been hiding from him?
“I have to find Hawk,” she said with sudden clarity. “I won’t give up the Angels, but I cannot sneak around any longer. I have to be honest with my husband, tell him everything, and explain things from my point of view.”
“What if he doesn’t understand?” Glory asked.
“We’ll come to a compromise, if necessary,” Fi said.
She realized now that her heart and will did not have to fight one another because they were aligned. They wanted the same thing: Hawk.
Livy’s smile was knowing. “Your husband will come around.”
Fi would do everything in her power to make that happen. To fix her marriage and win back her husband’s love.
“I know what I need to do,” she said determinedly. “Now, what are the plans for finding Lillian?”
“Because of the urgent situation, Charlie has enlisted Cull’s assistance,” Pippa said. “The mudlarks are helping us look for Lillian and Wilkes. For Lillian’s safety, we need to get to her before the police do.”
“Once we locate the pair, we will extract Lillian for her safety,” Livy declared. “Then we’ll leave Wilkes to the police.”
“Separating Lillian from Wilkes may be more difficult than you think.” Fi chewed on her lip. “She is afraid of him. Of what he might do to her and her mama.”
“Charlie sent word to Mrs. O’Malley, alerting her to the situation,” Glory said. “She is asking Mrs. O’Malley to stay put in Yorkshire until the business is concluded. Charlie thinks Wilkes is full of hot air, but better safe than sorry.”
“We’ll be aiding in the search as well,” Pippa added. “We’re organizing our shifts from Charlie’s.”
“I’ll join you there,” Fi promised. “As soon as I’ve spoken with Hawk.”
After her friends left, Fi took out her trollop’s earrings and put them on—a reminder that she was no longer going to hide anything from Hawk. Then she tackled the task of finding her husband. She had no idea where he might be. Marriages of convenience turned out to be highly inconvenient when one needed to track down one’s spouse. She wasn’t an investigator for nothing, however.
She began by questioning Weatherby and Livingston. All they could tell her was that Hawk had left before eight o’clock this morning and hadn’t said when he would return. The groom and carriage were still out, so no help there. Desperate times called for desperate measures. Fiona entered Hawk’s study to search for clues.
His woodsy scent lingered in his private domain, stirring her longing. Going to his cluttered desk, she sifted through the rubble with wifely exasperation and located his appointment book. He had nothing scheduled for today; then again, no spy worth his salt would record his covert missions. She contemplated contacting Sir Charles Swinburne, whom she recognized from Society affairs and had seen Hawk conferring with last night. She’d also observed policemen taking Wilkes’s gang into custody. Might Hawk be questioning Wilkes’s accomplices right now? Would he be at Scotland Yard?
As if on cue, Weatherby came in to tell her that a policeman had arrived.
Fiona hurried to the drawing room. She was greeted by a lanky, sandy-haired man whose clothes looked as if he’d slept in them. She recalled seeing him with Hawk last eve.
“My lady.” The fellow bowed. “I am Inspector Sterling. We have not been introduced, but I am an associate of Lord Hawksmoor.”
At the other’s grim expression, Fi’s heart knocked against her ribs. “Has…has something happened to my husband?”
“I’m afraid so, my lady,” Sterling said in somber tones. “We tracked down the Sherwood villains, and in the ensuing battle, his lordship was injured.”
