“How did you . . . ?” she asked with a laugh.
His mouth curved. “A gentleman who claims a dance while failing to exist is rather difficult to overlook.”
Kate’s smile turned entirely unrepentant.
James nudged Apollo closer to Kate’s mare. “Hugh often bragged about your riding while we were away at school.”
“Surely not.”
“Truly. He was fond of telling the boys that his younger sister had a better seat than most of them.”
“I spent hours riding Sage through the fields near Fairhaven Park. It was one of the few pursuits I was permitted while preparing to come out in society.”
“Surely there were other activities you enjoyed.”
“It seems you have a few hobbies of your own, my lord. Lock picking, for instance.” Her tone was playful, but there was nothing careless in it.
His shoulders tensed as he weighed how much to say. “A skill useful on occasion—playing pranks, retrieving objects . . . protecting others.”
“You are more than the man you pretend to be, Lord Brenton.” Her horse drifted closer to Apollo.
A mix of admiration and disbelief stirred in him at her insight. The open fields surrounded them, the welcoming trill of birds and the rumble of the carriage the only sounds. He checked the trees ahead for any sign of trouble.
“The danger we faced at the warehouse,” she asked, “is that a common occurrence for you?”
“More often than most gentlemen,” he admitted. “And you?” he dared ask. “Is deciphering codes a frequent pastime?”
“More often than most ladies,” she shot back, amusement flickering across her expression before it turned serious. “People count on my skills. What I do helps to keep them safe.”
Her admission reordered everything he thought he knew. Kate was not merely clever at riddles and ciphers. This was not a parlor game or trick. She was using her skills for someone, for a purpose. He did not know who, or how deeply she was entangled, but the conclusion was impossible to ignore. Katehad found her own way into his world long before he tried to keep her from it. There was only one way forward.
“Then perhaps we should stop pretending we are each alone in this and work together,” he said.
She studied him before returning her attention to the road ahead. “I would like that very much,” she said softly.
The quiet acceptance struck him harder than expected. She was choosing to stand beside him, not because she misunderstood the danger, but because she had the courage to face it. The thought should have terrified him, and it did. But staying away from her was no longer a choice he could make. He would just have to protect her from within the shadows.
The winding road stretched out in front of them, winter sunlight spilling through the trees as their horses moved in an easy rhythm. He angled Apollo toward the center of the lane until his knee brushed Kate’s. Neither of them pulled away.
Chapter 18
Kate
“My dear, I am so delighted that you have come.”
Kate returned Aunt Edith’s warm hug, sinking into the familiar embrace that held echoes of long summer days filled with laughter.
“Your cryptic letter told me only that you were coming for a visit, and I have been left in suspense about when to expect you or what prompted the journey,” her aunt said, stealing a glance at James. “Though perhaps the answer to both of those questions stands before me.”
Guilt pricked at Kate. She should have sent another letter from the inn or from Dover. “Aunt Edith, I apologize for not writing again.”
Her aunt cut her off with a wave of her hand. “Oh, fiddlesticks. I was not chastising you. At my age, I have little excitement, and your letter has provided me with plenty of that these past few days.” She squeezed Kate’s shoulders before releasing her and turning to James, who was standing stoically by the door, his gloves folded neatly in one hand.
“And James, how good to see you again.”
James arched a brow at Kate, wordlessly noting Edith’s choice of address.
“It has been ages since your visits every summer. Where have you been hiding all this time?”
