“You wound me greatly.”
She rolled her eyes. “I do not refer to our association, naturally. I chose you above the earl. And I knew my instinct was right, as it always has been.”
“Mine as well. Which is why we will have to figure out another way to obtain the copy.”
Lexie thought for a moment, tapping a finger against her lips. Snapping her fingers, she said excitedly. “Every Tuesday afternoon she calls on her friend, Margaret Limewood, and they chatter on about the latest gossip. Perhaps I might gain entry to the townhouse then.”
“It might work,” he said thoughtfully. “As long as she hasn’t already turned her servants against you.”
“I doubt that would be the case, especially with my former ladies’ maid, Jane. We were rather close. She would not betray me.”
“But she is not the only one present,” he remarked. However, since he must have realized that they already had a tentative planin place, he added, “As luck would have it, tomorrow is Tuesday. We shall bide our time until then and strike at the opportune moment.”
For the first time since they’d left Mr. Martin’s office, Lexie could feel some of her excitement return. “You make it sound so devious.”
She was rewarded by the spark of lust in his dark eyes. As he reached across the carriage to pull her onto his lap, she gave a squeal of delight. “Oh, I intend to be devious with you every single day once we are wed.”
“Why wait?” she teased darkly and ran a finger lightly over the tops of her breasts.
She could almost see the calculations in his head, deciding whether or not he had enough time for a little tete-a-tete in the carriage before they returned to the townhouse. Unfortunately, it didn’t appear to be in her favor as the coach slowed to a halt.
“The worst blasted timing,” Dominic growled. Lexie barely hid a smile as she crawled from his lap and returned to her seat, appearing as a respectable lady by the time the door opened and a footman presented himself to assist her down.
When she was on solid ground, she turned to look over her shoulder at Dominic with a coy look of promise. Instead, something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye.
Sunlight glinting off a pistol.
Dominic sawLexie’s face turn white before she shoved the footman to the ground, shouted at the driver, and proceeded to dive back into the coach—just as a bullet slammed into the door, just inches from where she’d been standing.
He knew he would recall this moment with vivid clarity and heart-stopping fear at a later time, but right now, he was more concerned about getting Lexie to safety.
He pulled her into the coach as another bullet struck the side of the conveyance. She gave a cry and covered her head with her hands, crouched down on the floor of the vehicle. Dominic covered her body with his own, but made sure to glance out the window to see the cloaked figure across the street fleeing in the opposite direction as the Runner who had been atop the coach began to give chase. A quick glance showed that there was no further threat at the moment, so he hastily went into action. “Let’s go!”
He grabbed hold of Lexie’s hand and pulled her behind him as they flew up the steps to his townhouse and slammed the door behind them before the butler had a chance to react properly.
“Was that gunfire I heard, Your Grace?" the man asked in alarm.
“It was,” Dominic snapped, furious at the situation and even more livid that Lexie could have easily been injured. Or worse. Thishadto end. “Send for the watch. I will not stand for such daring exploits in front of my blasted house. Something must be done.”
The servant immediately went into action while Dominic hauled Lexie with him to his study. Shutting the door firmly, he led her to the chair in front of his desk and urged her to sit. Then he went over to the sideboard and poured them both a drink which he took back to her. “This should settle your nerves.”
“Thank you,” she murmured. Rather than sip the brandy, she downed the entire glass. She coughed and sputtered from the burn it would have caused, but she didn’t seem as fazed by that as the events of moments before. “It has to be Lindley, doesn’t it?” she asked hoarsely.
“I can’t think of anyone else it could be after what we just learned from Mr. Martin. And it’s apparent he is willing to become more brazen to ensure his secrets are well preserved.”
She leaned back against the chair, her face an expressionless mask.
Dominic set aside his drink and knelt in front of her. “What’s going through your mind right now? No doubt you wish you’d never met me.”
She looked at him steadily and he was glad to see some of the color returning to her cheeks. “Actually, I was wondering if getting shot at was all it took to get you down on one knee, after all.”
Despite everything, Dominic found himself laughing. He didn’t think it could be possible after such a shocking turn, but it was why he knew he had to keep Lexie in his life. She managed to bring out the best in him when he didn’t want to be that good. When Avalon wanted to stand up and cause havoc, she somehow managed to settle him, to maneuver his thoughts from something deadly to a bit milder.
He straightened slightly but ensured that he was still on one knee. “While this isn’t the most romantic of settings for an official proposal, since I’m here, I might as well take a lady’s advice.” Holding her left hand in his, he sobered and added, “Miss Alexandra Givenwald, will you do me the great honor of becoming my wife, my duchess, my partner for the rest of my days?”
She swallowed hard, and her eyes filled with moisture that she blinked away as she leaned forward and placed her lips gently against his. With her blue eyes shining almost miraculously, she whispered, “I will.”
Dominic’s heart took flight, soaring above the heavens with a joy so profound, he was certain he had never experienced its equal. He hadn’t realized how much he’d needed to hear those words from her, nor how much he’d actually need to speak them for their promise to each other to become real, but somehow, it did.
