“Guthrie, I…” Blayne sighed. “Ye ken I’m trying to get out of London. Away from all this.”
“And yet you’re still here.”
“Aye.” It didn’t seem like he was going anywhere anytime soon. “I just dinnae think I can run a tavern for ye on Oxford Street. The risk of me getting recognized is much greater there than it is here.”
“And yet you took that risk for Miss Russell.”
“I shouldnae have done so,” Blayne said, his heart starting to struggle at the memory of the evening they’d shared at the Coventry ball and what it had led to. “It was foolish.”
“Are you sure about that?’
The question caused an instant flare of anger, hot and sharp, to spear him. “Yes, damn it. Lady Warwick said I looked familiar – that I reminded her of someone she’d met in her youth. And while I didnae stay to hear the entire name of the man she wished to liken me to, I heard enough to know it was my father.”
“That’s hardly enough to start any speculations or rumors. Certainly not to have you chased down by the law.”
“It’s a start.” He gave Guthrie a firm look. “If I’m smart, I’ll steer clear of anyone who might be able to spot the connection from now on.”
“That might prove harder than you think if you’re still intent on winning Miss Russell. After all, she’s firmly rooted in that world.”
“Ye’ve got it all wrong. I was merely trying to help her and…” He shook his head. “She and I are just…”
Guthrie tilted his head. “Just what, Blayne?”
“Nothing.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “I dinnae even ken why we’re talking about her.”
There was a long moment of silence, then Guthrie said, “I didn’t think I was good enough for Regina either. In fact, I was convinced we’d never be able to have a future together. She was an earl’s daughter after all.”
“Yes, but ye were more than a criminal.”
“And so are you.”
“No. I’m not. My soul is more tainted than yers will ever be.”
“You were just a lad.”
“That’s not an excuse.” Blayne closed his eyes and forced out an agonized breath. “I’ve been looking over my shoulder all these years, afraid to accept my punishment. But maybe this is it. God knows a life without Charlotte will be the living hell I deserve.”
“You’re in love with her then.”
Blayne opened his eyes, met Guthrie’s, and decided to face the truth. “I dinnae ken when it happened, or how.”
“It does tend to catch one by surprise,” Guthrie mused.
A knock sounded at the door and Blayne called for whoever it was to enter.
It was Claus. “My apologies for the interruption, but I thought you’d want to know that Daisy is here.”
A prickly sensation swept up the back of Blayne’s neck. Stomach contracting and muscles tightening with anticipation, he stood. “Show her in.”
Claus stepped aside and motioned for Charlotte’s maid to enter. Her eyes widened when she spotted Guthrie – just enough to convey recognition – before landing on Blayne. Setting her jaw, she pushed her spine into rigid straightness, and approached him with determination.
“My mistress has asked me to give you this.” Daisy handed him a letter.
With rising dread, Blayne stared at her outstretched hand and the folded piece of paper she held. His name was written upon it with elegant penmanship. His heart thudded against the confines of his ribs as he slowly reached out and took it. Holding the letter between his hands, he let his thumb stroke across Charlotte’s seal. An involuntary smile caught the edge of his lips. The imprint in the blob of crimson wax depicted a quill. How appropriate.
Steeling himself, he tore the seal and unfolded the paper. Something fell out and floated toward the floor. Blayne crouched to pick it up, unease expanding within him at the sight of a promise note worth forty pounds. An unpleasant taste filled his mouth as he straightened himself and proceeded to read the few lines Charlotte had written.
My dearest Blayne,
