Chapter Thirty-One
Talon stayed in the library with Daniel for hours, answering the constable’s questions over and over again. The inspectors were justifiably suspicious, but he, Daniel and Lionel had worked out a solid story, and there was no proof they were lying.
Besides, Daniel was an earl now, and none of these men wanted to accuse either him or his brother of murder without anything solid to go on. In the end, they’d taken away Sutcliffe’s body and promised to find the unknown intruder who had done the deed.
Exhausted and emotionally drained, Talon headed upstairs to Kate’s bedroom. He needed Kate and his beautiful daughter to cleanse him of the night’s ugliness.
He still couldn’t believe the old bastard was dead.
The knowledge gave him none of the satisfaction he’d expected to feel. His crew was still gone, and Daniel was scarred for life.
Sutcliffe had ruined every life he’d ever touched.
For the second time that night, Talon stole into Kate’s room, shutting the door and locking it behind him. It was almost dawn, and he didn’t want to be interrupted by any dutiful servant before he and Kate had settled things.
The room was softly lit this time, the lamp by the bed flickering low. Kate was sound asleep with Elizabeth cradled in the crook of her arm. A smile curved Talon’s lips when he saw his daughter was awake, gazing wide-eyed at the ceiling, her little arm flailing in tune to music only she could hear.
He sat down on the edge of the bed and lifted Elizabeth into his arms. “Hello, sweetheart,” he whispered, touching her tiny nose with his forefinger. “I’m your father.”
The words brought stinging tears to his eyes. The task that lay before him seemed almost insurmountable. How did one become a good father? Elizabeth’s future rested in his hands. What if he failed her?
“You came back.” Kate’s voice was soft with wonder and scratchy with sleep. He jumped at the sound and averted his face, blinking rapidly, hoping to erase all signs of his weakness.
“I thought you were asleep.” He cleared his throat and hugged Elizabeth a little tighter. He didn’t know what to say, didn’t know how to right all the wrongs.
Kate got to her knees and put her hand on his chin, forcing him to look at her. “You’re crying, Talon.” She sat back, her eyes wide and confused. “Why are you crying?”
He shook his head. He wanted to deny it, but his pride had destroyed too much between them already. “I’m afraid,” he admitted, releasing a shuddering sigh. “I’m afraid I’ll ruin this.”
She frowned and said nothing, just continued to stare at him with those wide green eyes.
He took a deep breath, knowing she wasn’t going to make this easy on him. “I love you, Kate. I know I’ve hurt you; I know I’ve been a fool. But please, give me another chance.”
She bowed her head. “How can I trust you? A few hours ago, you were willing to throw it all away. I need you to be there. Not just for awhile, but forever.”
He reached into the space that separated them and took her hand in his. “I’ve learned so much tonight. I’ve learned the value of love and the importance of family. Most of all, I realized my life meant nothing without you in it.”
She closed her eyes. “I’m glad. Really, I am. But did it ever occur to you that it might be too late?”
“Is it?” He squeezed her hand with more force than he intended. “Is it too late?”
For an endless moment, she said nothing. He saw everything slipping away from him and wondered how he’d find the strength to bear it.
At last, she shook her head and met his gaze, a tremulous smile curving her lips. “It’s never too late when you love someone.”
He shifted Elizabeth so he could pull Kate close. “I do love you,” he whispered, realizing he held everything he needed in his arms. “I’ll never stop loving you.”
“Then let’s get married,” Kate suggested, kissing his lips with infinite tenderness. “The sooner the better.”
