“Are you even listening to me?” he asked. “I have no intention of taking a wife, now or ever. That is not the path that I am on.”
“Then get off that path.”
“It isn’t that simple, Mother,” Caleb argued. “My life is not conducive to having a wife.”
“Everyone needs a companion, a helpmate, to make the journey bearable,” his mother remarked. “You just need to trust the direction that your heart is telling you to go.”
Caleb placed a hand on his mother’s shoulder. “I love you, but my mind is made up. I do not see a future that includes a wife for me.”
His mother opened her mouth to respond, so he continued. “I need to go. I do not wish to be late.”
“Very well,” his mother sighed. “I will just remain in this large townhouse without any grandchildren to keep me company.”
“I do think you will survive,” he teased.
“Just barely,” his mother said.
As he departed from the study, Caleb had to admit that he was lonely. But that didn’t mean he would take a wife to entertain him. That would be terribly unfair to her, and to him. He wasn’t entirely unhappy at the moment. He had plenty of things to occupy his time, including this blasted assignment that was getting more and more complicated with each passing day.
He exited the townhouse and stepped into the waitingcoach. It merged into traffic and Caleb closed his eyes for a moment. An image of Simone came to his mind, and he smiled. He was glad that they were friends, but he didn’t dare to hope for anything more. Once this assignment was over, they would go their separate ways.
That thought did not sit well with him.
His feelings for her had deepened over time, and now he found he wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye to her. He wanted her in his life. No, heneededher in his life. She challenged him, making him want to be a better spy and a better person.
The coach came to a stop in front of Simone’s townhouse and he stepped down on the pavement, not bothering to wait for the footman to step off his perch.
He approached the main door and knocked.
The door was promptly opened and the butler stood to the side. “Welcome, Mr. Bolingbroke,” he greeted. “Do come in.”
Caleb stepped into the entry hall and his breath caught when he saw Simone descending the stairs. She was dressed in a pale pink gown and her hair was piled atop of her head, with two long curls framing her face.
It wasn’t her comely figure or hairstyle that was drawing his attention. It was the smile that played on her lips. Her perfectly formed lips, filling him with such longing to kiss her that it was only a lifetime of good manners that kept him from doing so.
Simone came to a stop in front of him. “Good evening,” she greeted.
“You look…” His words trailed off as he tried to find the right word. “Tolerable.”
Her smile grew. “Tolerable?” she repeated. “I suppose that will do.”
Caleb offered his arm. “May I escort you into the drawing room?” he asked.
“You may,” she replied as she placed her hand on his sleeve.
As they walked the short distance to the drawing room, Caleb leaned in and asked, “How are Juliette and Victor?”
Simone let out a puff of air. “Juliette has managed to make a nuisance out of herself, and I don’t think Victor has even left his bedchamber,” she revealed. “My father caught me when I came home from White’s. Juliette tipped him off.”
“Why would she do that?”
“She wants me to know that she has all the power,” Simone said. “It is all about control with her, and I need to rise up and beat her at this game.”
Caleb glanced over at her. “This isn’t a game.”
“I fear that Juliette has made it into one.”
“Yes, but one small misstep and it could be your last,” Caleb said. “I would be cautious.”
