Vale tilted her head. “I’mtellingyou not to go soft.”
There was an edge to Vale’s voice now and Selina wrinkled her brow at it. “Or what?”
Vale drew in a long breath and shook her head. “Just don’t.”
Vale said nothing else, she simply turned and left the room. Left Selina to stand by the fire, her hands shaking, her pulse throbbing, her heart breaking. She realized now that the point of no return had gone by a long time ago.
And that meant every choice she had to make now was bleak. No matter what she did, she wouldn’t win. In fact, she would surely lose.
Lose her life. Lose her freedom. Lose her family. Lose love.
And she sank to her knees, rested her cheek on the settee, and wept for the damage she had created.
Chapter 20
Since he walked out on Barber the day before, Derrick hadn’t left the table in his chamber. He hadn’t eaten, he hadn’t slept, he hadn’t shaved. He’d just gathered, compiling evidence on a long chart, putting together elements he’d feared to bind.
And now he looked at the fruits of his labor. The facts of his own obsession. All of them pointed to one truth. One bitter end.
He had no doubt that Selina Oliver was the Faceless Fox. No one else fit the profile so exactly. No one else had so much evidence that pointed to them.
He leaned back in his chair with a heavy sigh and rubbed his eyes. It was a truth he’d suspected, of course. Something that had made him hesitate, that had made him question. Butknowinghis suspicions were correct…that was something different. That was something final.
Of course, all of it was different than knowing what the hell to do with the truth. Duty said to march up to Barber, show him what he’d gathered, admit Barber’s accusations were correct. Derrick’s duty said to pursue her. To put her into custody. To turn her over to the guard, along with the evidence, and be a part of her downfall. He’d done it with other criminals in the past. He’d been proud of his part in their trials, convictions. Justice was important in a world where sometimes there was very little.
But watching Selina burn didn’t feel like justice. Not to him.
His heart screamed at him to protect her. To find out why she had created the Faceless Fox. Why she had robbed the first time, why she had continued to do so over the years. Mostly, his heart wanted to figure out a way to save her from the consequences the truth would bring when it came out.
Because itwouldcome out. Barber was as hot on the trail as Derrick was, and he would figure out the same answer.
There was only one night left at the gathering. Tomorrow the first of the guests would begin to leave. The rest would follow in the next day or two. That meant the Rosefords were hosting a final ball tonight. The perfect place for a Fox to strike.
Or to fall into a trap.
So he needed to figure out exactly what he would do before Barber overtook her and everything ended in destruction and tears.
“Selina, I’ve been looking all over for you.”
Selina started from her position seated on a garden bench, looking over the rosebushes, and stared up to find Robert coming toward her down the winding garden path. His expression was worried and her heart sank.
“You’ve been looking for me?” she asked weakly, scooting down to give him room.
He nodded as he took a place beside her and drew in a long breath. After he exhaled, he smiled. “You know, if you had told me even a few years ago that I would be contentedly observing my garden during a country party, I would have challenged you to a duel.”
She laughed despite the concern she had over this encounter. “I think you might have. You were very convinced that your roguish life was perfect and you never wanted to leave it.”
He shrugged, and his expression darkened as he glanced up toward the house. Toward Katherine, she supposed. Toward the life he had built for himself here.
“I’m not sure I ever thought it was perfect, no matter what I said and did,” he said with a sigh. “I understand now that some part of me believed emptiness was all I…Ideserved. That it was all there ever could be for a man like me.”
This vulnerable side of her brother was one she hadn’t seen. Robert smiled and laughed and still played the rogue, if no longer the rake. But this was different. This was her brother opening his chest and showing her his heart.
A gift, to be certain. Perhaps one she didn’t deserve, considering how duplicitous she, herself, had been.
She turned toward him and reached out to squeeze his arm. “I’mgladyou were disabused of that foolish notion. Watching you with Katherine is a joy. You’re happy, anyone with eyes can see it. And youdodeserve that, Robert. You truly do.”
“Thank you.” He smiled at her. “So do you, you know.”
