Page 108 of His Wicked Charm

THE NEXT MORNING the two couples split up, with Con and Alex searching for the key in the original section and Lilah and Sabrina working on the most recent addition. The two women went first to the old chapel at the farthest end of the building. Sabrina looked around the large room and sighed. “It’s a daunting prospect.”

“I know,” Lilah agreed. “I keep thinking I’m missing something, that there must have been a clue in Father’s letter, but I’ve no idea what. Con spent all yesterday evening trying to find a code in it.” She smiled fondly at the memory of him bent over the letter, scribbling things on a notepad, his hair sticking out in all directions from his tugging at it when he was deep in thought.

Glancing over at Sabrina, Lilah saw that the other woman was watching her with shrewd eyes. She had the sinking feeling she had just given herself away.

“I knew it!” Sabrina said. “There is something going on between the two of you.”

“Don’t be silly.” Lilah turned away, aware that her voice was too high and breathless. “I can’t imagine why you’d think that.”

“Because I have eyes? The two of you haven’t argued once since we got here.”

“We’ve, um, learned to put aside our differences and work together.”

“Mmm-hmm.” Sabrina looked skeptical. “I’d say you’ve done a lot more than ‘work together.’ Come, Lilah, tell me.” She waggled her fingers. “Everything. What happened?”

Lilah struggled for a moment. Then she let out a groan and sank down onto one of the hard wooden pews. “Oh, Sabrina. I don’t know what I’m going to do. I think... I’m afraid I’ve fallen in love with Con.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

“I TOLD ALEX you loved him.” Sabrina hugged her friend, then pulled back, looking at her critically. “This should make you happy, not sad.”

“I am. I’m very happy. But...it’s all terribly confusing. I feel so good when I’m with Con. He’s been kind to Aunt Vesta, and you know what a trial she can be. I think he genuinely enjoys people, foibles and all. He teases everyone, but once I got used to it, I saw that he isn’t unkind. And somehow I always wind up laughing.”

“You sound smitten with him.” Sabrina paused, then went on delicately, “Is it—do you think he doesn’t return your affection? He seems very...attentive to you. He looks at you, well, the way Alex looks at me.”

“He has feelings for me, I think. He’s attracted to me.”

“As you are to him.”

“Yes. Oh, yes.” Lilah was unable to look Sabrina in the face as she rushed on. “I have—I fear I will shock you, but we have, um, shared intimacies.” She blushed to the roots of her hair. “Please don’t think too badly of me.”

“It does shock me a little because I know how proper you have always been, but I don’t think badly of you. It would be most hypocritical of me, given that Alex and I did, as well.”

Lilah’s eyes widened. “You mean you slept with Alex before you were married! Why didn’t you tell me? I had no idea.”

“Well, as I said, you’re very proper, and I didn’t want you to think badly of me.”

“Was I really such a prig as everyone thinks? I wouldn’t have been disappointed in you. I was very attached to propriety, but I hope I wasn’t judgmental. It was I who I felt must be careful of the rules. And now...well, obviously I have let go of even that. I’ve been absolutely brazen.”

“So we are both wicked women.” Sabrina laughed lightly. “But I’m still not sure why you are upset.” She sucked in a breath. “Are you with child?”

“No. At least I don’t think so.” Lilah sighed. “I almost wish I were, for at least then I know that Con would marry me. The matter would be all settled, out of my hands.”

“I see. You think Con doesn’t love you. That he wouldn’t marry you unless he had to.”

Lilah nodded. “He’s never said a word of love to me. I mean, he calls me ‘Lilah, my love’ sometimes, but that’s just a manner of speaking. He tells me I’m beautiful and...” Her blush returned a little. “He makes me feel as if he loves me.”

“But he doesn’t say it,” Sabrina finished for her. “I think it’s hard for men to say such things, to be emotional.”

Lilah cocked an eyebrow. “When has Con ever hesitated to say anything?”

Sabrina laughed. “That’s true. But maybe it’s different when he’s in love.”

“Perhaps.” Lilah shrugged. “But if you could have seen his face when he said he would marry me... It was clear he would force himself to do the honorable thing, but it was equally obvious he didn’t want to.”

“When did he do this?”

“After the first time. He felt duty bound.”