Grimaldi had the grace to look away, his mouth twisted in regret. “I had to do it. We couldn’t risk Baptiste finding out she was alive.”
Cade wanted to wrap his cane around Grim’s neck. “Baptiste is in prison, you ass.”
“Yes, but he had spies everywhere,” Grimaldi replied. “We couldn’t risk Danielle getting actually hurt.”
Thatshut Cade up. For a moment. “You’re a sadistic bastard, you know that, Grim?”
“All in the name of His Majesty,” Grimaldi replied, bowing. “We came to tell you the truth as soon as we could.”
“I swear I didn’t know about this,” Rafe hastened to add.
“On the contrary. I wasn’t about to make your brother keep such a secret,” Grimaldi said.
“Is she safe now?” Cade demanded, studying Danielle’s face. He still couldn’t believe this was real. That she was truly here, standing in front of him.
He turned to look at Daphne, whose pretty gray eyes were swimming with tears. “Believe it, Cade. It’s true. I only found out today myself.”
Some of Cade’s anger dissolved when he saw how upset poor Daphne was.
Grimaldi continued. “We’ve rounded up most of the men who were working with Baptiste. Danielle’s been staying with her mother by the sea for the last several weeks.”
Her mother? She’d got her wish. Cade turned to Danielle. “How is she? Your mother?”
Danielle’s voice was low but sure. “Doing much better. The sea air has worked wonders for her condition and there is a talented doctor near Brighton who has been helping us.”
Cade drank in the sight of her as if she were fresh water in the middle of the ocean. “I’m happy to hear it.”
Danielle searched Cade’s face. “Aren’t you happy to see me?”
As if upon agreement, Rafe, Daphne, and Grimaldi all exchanged looks and quickly left the cabin, closing the door behind them.
“I can’t believe it’s you,” Cade whispered once they were alone.
Danielle reached for him. “I’m here, Cade. I’m real.”
“I’m still planning to kill Grimaldi,” Cade growled.
“Don’t be too angry with him. He was only trying to protect me. I seem to recall a certain captain locking me in his cabin for the same reason.”
Cade was fighting an internal battle. Was he elated or incensed? It wasn’t clear to him any longer. He felt half-mad. “How were you the Black Fox?” he finally asked, focusing on something that might actually make sense if it were explained to him.
Danielle sighed and smoothed her hands down her skirts. “I’d done it for years. To avenge my father’s death.”
“Your father’s death?” What did that have to do with the Black Fox?
“Baptiste killed my father,” she murmured.
“He did? Why?”
Danielle raised her chin. “He and my father became political rivals. My father had been spreading the word through his lectures and writings that Baptiste was corrupt.”
“You’re certain Baptiste killed him?”
“I was standing in the doorway and saw him shoot and killPere.”
Cade clenched his jaw. “Danielle, I’m sorry.”
Danielle stared at the table, her eyes unfocused, remembering. “‘This will be our little secret,’ he said. And then my mother was arrested for murder. No one believed a small girl’s word over such an important politician’s, especially not when the accused was English.”
