No matter how adventurous working as a detective had been, she now wanted to slow down. She wanted normalcy.
Grasping the collar of his over-jacket, she opened her mouth for him as he deepened the kiss. Heavens, he really knew how to make her toes curl...and make her feel like this really was a fairytale.
But then Ashton broke the kiss and stepped back. Dizziness assailed her, and she tried to gain her bearings before toppling to the floor. Confusion creased his expression. She had the urge to take him back in her arms and convince him that everything would be all right.
But it wouldn’t be all right. Now that she was back to reality, she knew nothing would ever be normal again.
“What is wrong?” she whispered.
“Someone is calling your name.” His voice was deep and still affected by the passion they had just shared.
Finally, she heard her name from somewhere outside. Emily. Nicole released a ragged groan and rubbed her forehead. How could she have forgotten about her cousin?
“You go first.” He pointed toward the door. “I shall stay inside until after you and your cousin leave.”
She nodded. “That is probably the best way to handle this. I shall tell Emily that you were called back to your office to work.”
“Yes. Tell her that.”
Taking a deep breath, she smoothed out her dress and patted her hair back into place. Before she turned to leave, she followed her instincts once again and stepped up to him and kissed him on the mouth. She didn’t want the kiss to turn into what they had just shared, but she did want him to know how much he meant to her.
“Thank you for...everything. Today has been simply wonderful.” She smiled before pulling away and leaving the shack with her heart in her throat.
She had never believed anyone could fall in love with someone in such a short time. But right now, she knew she loved him without a shadow of a doubt. Knowing this made her chest ache because she would be leaving for home soon. Hopefully, he would still feel the same about her when she returned.
And for certain, she would return for him.
Chapter Six
Liverpool, one week later
Nicole fidgeted on her chair, waiting for Mr. Walters to arrive so he could give instructions to her and the others who would be working on this case. Her brother and father were also in the room and sat beside her. Seeing her father again after they had been away for a few months was a great homecoming. However, it had only taken a few days for boredom to settle in, and she wished she could return to Meols and finish getting to know Ashton Lee...the man she couldn’t stop thinking—and dreaming—about.
Metropolitan Police had put their lead detectives over this railroad robbery case, and she could tell her father was a little irritated that the lieutenant hadn’t appointed him to be over the group. The detectives had worked with Mr. Walters before, and she didn’t have a problem working with him this time...as long as the old geezer would show up and inform them what was happening with the railway robberies.
Her father and brother leaned in toward each other, whispering about something. She paid them no attention, choosing to let her mind wander. She missed Ashton terribly, which surprised her because she hadn’t known him for very long. But whenever they had been together, it brought on a different kind of excitement that she wanted to experience again.
Over the past few days, she had done a lot of thinking. She decided that once this case was over, she would return to Meols, find Ashton, and see if they could pick up where they left off. She would tell him about being her secret detective life, and if he didn’t want to see her again, she would honor his wishes. If he wanted to marry her, she would certainly think long and hard about that, too.
The door to the small room where they all waited opened, and Mr. Walters walked in holding some papers. After moving to the front of the room and placing the papers on the desk, he faced those sitting in the room.
“Forgive me for taking so long, but I have had a few meetings with Lieutenant Grant, who only had a few minutes to spare.” He took a deep breath. “Now I’m ready to tell you about your newest assignment.”
Nicole stopped fidgeting and folded her hands on her lap, ready to pay attention to every word. They were all good detectives and worked well with each other. She was confident that they would quickly find the person in charge of these railway robberies. This case certainly wouldn’t go as long as finding the journal for the opium dens.
“About two months ago, one of England’s major railways, had some thefts. Because the thief knows exactly when the Queen’s money will be loaded on the train, we think this criminal is working with someone from inside the Liverpool Railway line.”
Her mind screeched to a halt. Liverpool Railway? Wasn’t that the one Ashton Lee co-owned? Unease churned inside her, and she gripped her hands tighter, listening to Mr. Walters as he continued.
“These aren’t ordinary thefts.” Walters shook his head. “Because of what is being taken, the Lieutenant only wanted his best detectives, which is why the six of you were chosen.”
As Walters shuffled through some of the papers on the desk, she glanced around at the other detectives. Besides her family, in attendance was Mr. George Banks, Mr. Peter Cartwright, and the widow Mrs. Phelps. Nicole trusted them with her life, just as she knew they trusted her with theirs.
Banks and Cartwright were middle-aged gentlemen with no families. They had been married once but lost their wives to a sickness early in their marriages. A year ago, the forty-year-old Mrs. Phelps had lost her husband in the line of duty, who was also a detective for Metropolitan Police. Nicole was grateful that the other woman chose to stay as a detective because there were only a few women doing this for the police department.
“There are three owners of this railway,” Walters continued, “Glynn Nickerson, Steve Larson, and Ashton Lee.”
Nicole’s forehead began to pound. She was certain that being a detective on this case was not a good idea, especially because of Ashton and that she couldn’t tell him the truth.
