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When they were ready to leave, Casey stood in the street for long moments regarding the cottage after she’d locked it.

“It’s hard to leave a place where you’ve lived so long and well,” Cameron said quietly. “You can return if you wish to.”

“I won’t live here again,” she said in a low voice. “It was Jamie who made this cottage my sanctuary.”

“You’ll always have him in your heart wherever you go.”

She nodded, then turned to the carriage. She didn’t need his help to climb in. He climbed in on the other side and they were off. Two humans, one cat, and one horse hitched behind. Casey looked very self-possessed, but he sensed the tension inside her.

He was tempted to pull over to the side of the road and draw her into his arms and tell her everything would be all right, but he knew that she must handle her situation in her own way. She wasn’t ready to face the possibility of romance, no matter how much his inner voice kept whispering This one!

As he turned the carriage onto the London road, he asked, “Do you have any idea what you might like in your future?”

“I actually liked working with numbers and doing accounts,” she said slowly. “Might it be possible to find a position with a business that doesn’t mind hiring a female if she can do the job?”

“Definitely. It would have to be a smaller business, though, one more interested in skills than in government regulations.”

“That would suit me.”

“You’ll have time to find a position that you like and where people appreciate you.” As the road opened ahead and he increased their speed, he asked, “Have you ever been to London?”

“No, I grew up just outside of Faversham. My father sometimes went to London, but he never took me,” she said dryly. “He generally ignored me, until he realized that he’d been nurturing a poisonous asp in his bosom and threw me out.”

“It doesn’t sound as if much nurturing was going on,” Cameron said with equal dryness. “It’s been years since you left. Do you know if he’s alive or dead? Do you care?”

She considered. “I don’t really care. If he’s dead, he’s probably in a much warmer place than Britain.”

Cam laughed. “My father, Rhys, has a theory that the reason Britain has numerous overseas colonies is so that Britons can work in warmer places.”

“That’s not a bad reason!”

Seeing that Casey looked chilled, he reached behind his seat and pulled out a folded travel rug. “Speaking of warming up, this wrap should help.”

“Thank you.” She tugged the wool travel rug around herself and looked much warmer.

“Though you haven’t visited London, you’ve surely heard much about it. Are there any particular attractions you’d like to visit?”

“Astley’s Amphitheatre?” she replied. “I’d love to see all the riding tricks!”

“Astley’s is always great fun, but when we go, there will certainly be other Tremaynes coming with us. We all enjoy it.” He gave her a sidelong glance. “Though for the first visit, it can just be you and me.”

“I’d appreciate that.” She gave him a rueful smile. “Your family sounds lovely, but … I’m not used to being around so many people.”

“Not surprising when you’ve had to hide so much of yourself from others. You’ll get to decide which changes you like and which you don’t.”

“I’d like to see Westminster Abbey,” she said tentatively. “And go to a theater.”

“Those are both easy,” he replied. “I try to visit the abbey when the choir is practicing. The music is stunning. And there are a number of theaters.”

“They sound wonderful.” After a lengthy silence, she said, “Can you tell me more about the kind of work you do in the Home Office?”

He considered before answering. “The Home Office is vast and deals with many aspects of British life. My foster father, Rhys, is in charge of the gifted department. In particular, we investigate potential French threats. Sometimes we find them, other times we find British criminals.”

“Is your work always as dangerous as this mission was?” she asked. “You were knifed and had to go into a fiery inferno to rescue Sir Samuel.”

“Usually my work isn’t particularly dangerous, but one never knows,” he said as he slowed the carriage when they encountered a half dozen chickens in the road. “This mission isn’t over yet, though. We need to find the man in London who was behind the attempt to kill Sir Samuel. And we’ll need your help since you are connected to what happened.”

“I’ll be happy to help in any way I can,” she said wryly. “I’ll probably be better at that than learning to be a lady.”