“Together,” she agreed.
Which felt better than he would have ever thought possible.
24
“So that is where we are at,” Evelyn said, sitting with her hands in her lap and waiting for Verity to respond.
“Oh, Evelyn,” she said, a dreamy smile on her face. “You are falling in love with one another.”
“No!” Evelyn insisted. “Verity. I said nothing about Asher. This is about the diamond. And the committee. And Lord Norwood. Were you not listening to anything I said?”
“Oh, I was listening but if that is what you want to focus on, then so be it,” Verity said, but the glint in her eye remained. “But we will be returning to your husband.”
Evelyn rolled her eyes. “Do you think Lord Eastclere will help us if you ask him?” she asked, trying to turn the conversation.
“You said he didn’t seem particularly pleased the first time you spoke to him, so I doubt he will be more forthcoming with me,” Verity said with a frown. “But I can try.”
“Thank you,” Evelyn said with some relief. “Asher said he would look into Lord Norwood, but I am worried.”
“Why?”
“Well, it just might be that he has killed two other members of my husband’s family.”
Verity was silent for a moment, staring at her with concern. “I don’t like where this is going, Evelyn. It seems no matter what happens, you get pulled deeper and deeper into something much darker than we anticipated.”
“At least I’m not alone,” she said, surprised when she realized that she meant that, with every part of her. She had Asher, and that made her feel better than she could ever have expected. He might not want a true marriage, but he had promised to be her partner and to protect her. She would have to be content with that.
“There’s something else,” Evelyn said, leaning in.
“What is it?”
“Apparently, my father and Asher’s mother have been becoming close.”
“What?” Verity gasped in shock. “You cannot be serious.”
“I am very serious. My father came to visit when he thought I was out, and the dowager duchess has disappeared without telling us her location a few times.”
“My goodness, that is interesting news,” Verity said. “How do you feel about that?”
“I cannot say I understand it, but if anything comes of it, then perhaps it will be good for my father to no longer be alone.”
They chatted for a few more minutes before Verity made her promise to return with answers as soon as she could and left to make good on them.
Asher tossedand turned the next night, staring at the ceiling. The day hadn’t revealed anything particularly illuminating.
He had gone to his clubs, asked around, tried to find Lord Norwood, but had come up empty. He hoped it wouldn’t reachthe earl that Asher was asking questions, but what was he going to do? As much as he and Evelyn had played around with ideas, he couldn’t see Lord Norwood actually being behind his father’s and brother’s deaths. The idea seemed too far-fetched, and he had no true fears about him. All he was concerned with now was that if Lord Norwood heard he was asking questions, he would hide any activity that might provide a clue.
All that running through his head made it difficult for him to sleep.
But, mostly, he was awake because he was thinking about Evelyn.
He wanted so badly not to want her as he did. He was beginning to feel dependent on her, toneedher in his life, to want to see her at every moment of the day.
She was everywhere. In his thoughts, in his library — and he wanted her in his bed.
He sat up, noting light coming through the dressing room that connected their bedrooms. She wasn’t still awake, was she? He should go check. Make sure that nothing was amiss. He had promised to protect her, and by going to her room now, it was only to do that, and not because he had any particular feelings toward her or actually needed to see her.
At least, that was what he was telling himself.
