“Yes, he is a lovely little lad. I held him briefly. Ella will be delighted, I am sure, when I take her to visit him tomorrow. As yet he is unnamed.”
Silence settled between them, but his eyes still held hers.
“I know I learned things tonight I can never repeat and want to assure you I will not. But can I ask you about the women the man Nix spoke of?”
His hand came to her shoulder, his thumb stroking the skin of her neck.
“Women have been arriving on ships and going missing. They have also been taken from the streets. It’s our belief they are being put to work in brothels. The Merchant is behind that.”
“Dear Lord.”
“I know. We must find this man.”
Now two large hands were on her shoulders, and he nudged her back a few steps into the room. He shut the door behind him.
“I just want to talk, Ruby.”
“We can talk with the door open, Mr. Howarth.”
“Forrest. I want to hear my name on your lovely lips, Ruby.”
“I can’t call you that. You are my employer.”
He walked to the fire and dropped to his haunches to stoke it to life. Almost as if he needed to put distance between them. Ruby understood that need. He muddled her thoughts; distance gave them clarity again.
“I married a woman I respected but did not love, Ruby.”
She was drawn to him with those words. Moving closer she took the seat beside the fire.
“Our marriage was a good one. We respected and grew fond of each other.”
She could not see all of his face, just the side. The fire cast his handsome features in a golden glow.
“What was her name?”
He turned to look at her. “Helen.”
“What happened to her?” She knew the woman had to have died; he would not be here in London without her.
“It is a long and painful story, but the brief version is that her mind became twisted with the birth of Ella. She went mad, and her heart eventually gave out.”
“I’m so sorry, that must have been terrible.” She wanted to touch him. Stroke the worry line down his forehead and make him forget.
“When she died, her parents, who loved her very much, blamed Ella and me. Coming here was really our only option. I needed to have a clean start.”
“I’m so pleased you had your cousins to come to. They are good and honorable men. They helped me, and yet owed me nothing.”
He moved closer, now on his knees before her chair.
“They are the very best of men and know that something lies between us, Ruby.”
“What do they know?” It came out a whisper.
“I never wanted to care for a woman. Didn’t believe myself capable of passion or love. Then you walked into my life and all my preconceived notions were blown apart.”
“Mr. Howarth—”
“Forrest, Ruby. This is not the time for Mr. Howarth.” He pulled her to the edge of the seat, their eyes now level.
