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Hugh had died of the fever he'd carried since Salamanca. It had taken him slowly, over months. She had nursed him. She had spooned broth into his mouth and changed his sweat-soaked nightshirt and sat beside him through the nights when his breathing turned shallow and ragged.

"So," she lifted her chin and sat up tall, “are you going to kill me now?”

He stared at her. “No.”

"Why not?"

He looked down at his cup again. “Isn’t it obvious?”

“Is it?”

When he lifted his gaze back up, it had softened. “Not after what we’ve just done.”

“I see. Not in the habit of bedding women and murdering them after? How noble of you.”

He pressed his hands against his lap, sucking in a deep breath. “I deserve that.”

“And worse.”

The silence lasted a long time. When she spoke, her voice was quiet and even and contained a rage so cold alarm crossed his face.

"You let me give myself to you while hiding this."

"Yes."

"A month of living together, and you said nothing."

"Yes."

"How could you even consider murdering a woman? What kind of monster are you?"

He flinched. The first time she had seen him flinch at anything.

“I believed you to be a murderess.” His voice was quiet. “Once I realised the truth, I knew I couldn’t follow the order. No matter how desperately I want my freedom.”

“Why do they want me dead? And why do you need their permission to be free?”

“They believe you’ll be difficult to work with when they use the tunnel for transporting illegal shipment. It’ll take them longer but will minimise the risk of getting caught.”

“And your freedom?”

“One of the reasons I didn’t want you to go down to the tunnel is because it’s easy to get lost. You’ll walk around in circles and starve to death before you can find the exit. Now that Marian is gone, I’m the only one who knows how to get out.”

She finally understood. “And by eliminating the threat, me, they forgive your debt?”

“So to speak. They forgive me for murdering one of their men all those years ago. They stop hunting me. Once I show them the exit, I won’t have to look over my shoulder anymore.”

“Seems naïve to believe they would honour the agreement.”

“Perhaps. But a man who breaks his word in this trade doesn't live long enough to break it twice.”

She stood, feeling the need to move. “So, what will you do now if you are not going to kill me. Are you leaving? Reporting them to the authorities?”

"I want you to leave here until they’re dealt with," he said.

“Absolutely not. How do I know this is not some ploy for you to keep me out of my own house?”

His features hardened but his voice was even. “Then allow me to take you somewhere safe until they sail away.”