“Let us leave the Weasels out of this part of the investigation,” counseled Wrexford. “If even you and I are wrestling with the complexities of friendship and loyalty, imagine what Raven is feeling. We ought not to put him between a rock and a stone.”
It was an astute observation, and one that showed softer sentiments lay hidden beneath his outward show of snaps and snarls.
Holding back a smile—she didn’t wish to spoil the moment by making some teasing comment—Charlotte merely nodded. “Then you’ll simply have to trust that I know what I’m doing.”
She rose and began to reroll the mechanical drawings. “I have a dratted engagement to attend, an evening musical soiree at Lady Becton’s residence with Alison. I would consider crying off, but she feels it’s important for me to attend a few more social events to ensure my acceptance in the beau monde. And it may prove useful, as several of Lady Cordelia’s friends from Lady Thirkell’s Bluestocking salon will also be attending, which will allow me to probe as to her mechanical interests.”
The papers crackled. “But after that, I shall go to the dockyards and make contact with Annie Wright,” added Charlotte. “Whatever she is hiding, she’ll soon learn that secrets, no matter how carefully guarded, have a way of slipping out.”
* * *
Secrets.Wrexford watched as Charlotte deftly tucked the ends of the protective oilskin around the roll, masking what lay beneath the cloth.
She was, he mused, a master of the shadowy world of secrets. For years her survival had depended on her skills at hide-and-seek. No one was better at ferreting out the truth behind rumors and whispers. Just as no one was better at keeping others from knowing her own dark vulnerabilities.
Until lately.
And though the revelations had been voluntary, Wrexford sensed that she wasn’t entirely at peace with herself over the momentous decision of stepping back into the beau monde. He worried that she might become reckless during the coming investigation to prove to herself that her passion for justice hadn’t been smothered in the costly silks and satins of her new life.
It was absurd, of course. Charlotte was Charlotte. Steel would snap if it sought to bend her convictions.
But we all have our inner demons, he thought as he, too, got to his feet.And they are what we see when we stare into the looking glass.
“Is something wrong, Wrexford?” asked Charlotte as she offered him the wrapped drawings. “You have a very peculiar look on your face.”
“Perhaps that’s because you scare me to death.”
Surprise spasmed across her features, followed by a flicker of emotion to which he couldn’t give a name. “Oh, come, nothing scares you, least of all me.” She said it lightly, though her gaze held a shadow of uncertainty. “I’m the one plagued by fears and self-doubts. It’s your unshakable steadiness in the face of life’s slings and arrows that gives me the courage to face the challenges.”
“Steady?” Wrexford couldn’t hold back a mocking laugh. “I’m the mercurial Moon—the cover of darkness hides a multitude of sins. While you’re the Sun, who’s not afraid to shine your light on every shadow, no matter how terrifying.”
He heard her hitch in a breath. Was he making an utter fool of himself? Somehow he didn’t care.
He put down the roll of papers. “Promise me you will be careful.” Drawing her into his arms, he held himself very still, hardly daring to breathe as he brought her close and felt the beat of her heart thump against his chest.I’m not sure how I would bear the darkness without your light, he added to himself.
“Wrexford.” Charlotte’s voice was muffled as she pressed her cheek to his shoulder and slid her hands around his waist.
Thump-thump.
“So you see, my weaknesses far outweigh my strengths.”
“As do mine,” she said.
Thump-thump.
Charlotte shifted, just enough to angle her eyes up to meet his. Their smoke-blue hue shimmered like quicksilver in the deepening shadows. “Do you think I don’t worry about you?” she asked. “You have come to be a rather . . . a rather large presence in my life.”
“The past has proven that you manage extraordinarily well on your own,” he said softly.
“That,” said Charlotte, “doesn’t mean that it would make me happy to do so in the future.” She stepped back abruptly, her fingers twining with his for a fleeting moment before releasing them.
The future.He hesitated, but then, uncertain of how to reply, he simply said, “Now isn’t the time to talk about the future. For the present, we need to concentrate on protecting our friends. So let us both promise to be careful. I fear this cursed web of intrigue will only turn more tangled, and God only knows what malicious spiders are lurking in its strands.”
CHAPTER 10
Wrexford was still sorting through his feelings as he entered his townhouse. It felt as if something had changed between him and Charlotte....
“Though I’m damned if I can say exactly how,” he mused. Words didn’t come easily when it came to articulating emotions.
