Page 43 of Fortune’s Final Folly

Strange how easily she’d accepted the fact that she possessed a grandfather.

The page was a detailed list, signed at the bottom by a Mr. Caleb Abelston, Solicitor. He was the man listed in the file they’d found in Joshua’s Bond Street office.

Kate scanned the document, her mind working to keep up with the extensive list, including a large sum of money, several properties, livestock, and antiquities.

“What is this, Joshua?” she asked, holding the paper out to him.

“It appears to be a list of assets. A bequeathal to you upon your twenty-second birthday.” A note of awe tinged his tone as he scanned the page for a second time. “Henry and I will inquire into the matter first thing tomorrow morning.”

“It is all mine,” Kate mumbled. “He says it belongs to me.”

That morning, Kate had fretted about her home, the schoolroom, and the means to repair it lest she find herself without a place to live.

In a few short hours, she’d discovered her true name, her ancestry, her mother, and the story of the devastating way they’d both been treated by the people that should have loved and cared for them. Kate hadn’t had adequate time to allow the countess’ presence to sink in, let alone discover that she was to inherit so much from a man she’d never even met.

Kate had gone from questioning who she was to learning truths about herself that only confused her more.

Joshua’s stare was focused on her. Kate sensed it with a comforting warmth. Each time something happened, he offered help—never questioning her. Even now, she knew she could trust him.

When her fingers shook, Joshua took the envelope from her hand.

“May I?” he asked.

When she nodded, he unfolded the letter and read, his brow pulling low. “I am truly sorry, Kate.”

“Sorry?” Kate’s hand no longer quivered as she took the letter and the list back from Joshua. “There is no reason to be apologetic. We have the answers we’ve been searching for—or at least most of them. My mother found me, and it appears I am a wealthy woman.”

All of her trouble should have evaporated. There should be a measure of finality with the information she’d gained. The weight of her responsibilities should be less.

Rationally, Kate comprehended how she should feel in that moment.

She should be happy. She should feel lighter and enlightened. She should bask in the new knowledge of her past. She should feel fulfilled in a way that had always escaped her.

Why then did she feel more alone and unbalanced than ever?

Why did she sense that she needed Joshua more than she ever had?

“I am happy you are here,” she whispered. And she was. He was her constant, the one person she could count on to be who he was at all times. “I do not think I could wade through all of this alone.”

“No one should be made to live their life alone.” Joshua shifted on the lounge until he faced her, his legs brushing hers as he caressed her cheeks. His fingers were soft and warm against her chilled skin, reminding her of the press of his lips to her bare wrist. “We—you and I—were not made to be solitary creatures.”

She longed for the sensation of his kiss once more, for Joshua to take her in his arms and banish all her concerns.

“I truly want to believe that is true.” Kate covered his hand with hers, stopping him from pulling away from her. Her entire body screamed for her to hold tight, to not let him go—to demand they both realize there was far more between them than friendship. Kate wanted to belong to Joshua, which would, in turn, make him hers. They could face what came next together. They were stronger together than when they were apart. Kate felt that more and more each day.

His intense stare held hers as if he could read her thoughts and knew what she was thinking, and…

But that could not be.

Joshua was—had always been—a gentleman.

And Kate’s thoughts were wanton and scandalous.

Leaning forward, Kate held her breath until her mouth met his. She hadn’t any notion what she was doing or where it might lead, but she trusted Joshua enough to allow him to show her. Surprisingly, he didn’t pull away from her. His hand moved from her cheek to the nape of her neck, his other wrapping around her back and pulling her closer.

When his lips parted, Kate melted. A sigh escaped her as she longed to be closer to him. But how could that be possible?

The rhythm of his lips dancing with hers promised there were many, many ways for Kate to be closer to him—both physically and emotionally.