“You love her?”
Dom gave Tess’s brother a firm nod, even as a sweat broke out on his body.
“Petrifying, isn’t it?”
Dom brushed a hand across his forehead. “Is it supposed to feel like this?”
“For rogues like us, I suspect it is,” Tristan opined. “You meet an extraordinary woman and suddenly wonder if you could ever deserve her.”
Dom shifted uncomfortably, shocked at the man’s insight. When he looked up again, Tristan was watching him.
Tess’s brother immediately held his hands up, palms out. “I say that as a man who’s always considered love a snare.”
Dom frowned. “And the lady you went to King’s Lynn with?”
“A gift I’m certain I don’t deserve. She’s forgiven me, so I’m determined to spend the rest of my days making it up to her.” He all but bounced on his heels. “It’s what I came to tell Tess.”
“You proposed to her?” A twinge of something very like envy rushed through Dom.
“Better yet, she said yes.”
Dom stepped forward and offered his hand. “Congratulations, Tristan.”
He kept hold of Dom’s hand as he assessed him. “I like you, Dominic. Wouldn’t mind calling you brother.”
“You’re rushing ahead, man.” Dom’s eyes flared wider.
Tristan released his hand, then he lifted a slip of paperfrom the pocket of his trousers and offered it to Dom. He glanced at the mantel clock.
“It’s likely been long enough. Go and find my sister,” he told him. “If she’s where I think she is, it will be straight out the garden gate and along the field to an old stone fence on Fenbridge land.”
Dom lifted the folded square of paper. “And what is this?”
“I found it affixed to the front door. A note from his lordship asking Tess to come to the hall and telling her to bring you along when she does.”
“But it’s Sunday, and we didn’t dig yesterday. Why would he need a report this morning?” Dom had hoped to spend the morning with Tess, alone and free to perhaps visit some other local historical landmark. Or take her back to bed.
Tristan shrugged and reached for his hat where he’d hung it on a hook inside the door. “What the owner of the land we’re digging upon wants, he gets, I suppose.”
Dom watched as Tristan reached for the door handle.
“I thought you wanted to tell Tess your good news.”
“Oh, I do, but I promised Justine I’d accompany her to speak to her brothers.” The young man grimaced. “If you’re the praying sort, a petition that I survive this meeting with Bill Bromley wouldn’t go amiss.”
“Shall I accompany you?” Dom asked him. “If I let her brother go to his death, I doubt Tess would ever forgive me.”
“No.” Tristan reached out and patted Dom’s shoulder. “Go and find my sister.”
As soon as Tristan left the cottage, Dom put on his boots and headed the way Tess’s brother had directed.
Sunlight lit the horizon and there were patches of blue sky above his head. It seemed the late spring rain had passed for now, and they’d be able to return to work. Dom told himselfthe eagerness fizzing inside him should be about what they might find today. And the next day.
Yet it was all for Tess. And when he saw her in the distance, striding toward him, her long blond hair loose and whipping about her shoulders, he almost broke into a run.
He held back, tried for some of the control that had always been easy, at least where his heart was concerned. But he lengthened his gait, as did she.
“I came to find you,” he called when the fact was blatantly obvious.
