My ire rose. “If Mr.Monaghan does not release you, I shall have something to say about it. Inspector McGregor is not happy with him either, and Miss Townsend’s father works for the Home Office. She likes you, and she’d be pleased to help.”
“Miss Townsend’s father is right-hand man to the home secretary,” Daniel said. “But the home secretary might be on Monaghan’s side, in this case.” His voice softened. “It is kind of you to worry about me, Kat.”
“It isn’t kindness,” I said in vexation. “You know it isn’t.”
Daniel stilled for a long moment. “Do I?”
“Of course you do. I am quite fond of you.” I drew a long breath, remembering what I’d admitted to myself when he’d held me in the larder. “More than fond.” I had difficulty saying the words with him gazing at me with his blue, blue eyes. “Grace loves you too,” I finished in a faint voice.
“Don’t, Kat,” Daniel said fiercely. “Don’t give me hope.”
I stared straight ahead at the gleaming brown back of the horse pulling us through London. “I know I’ve pushed you away,” I said, choosing my words carefully. “I did because I’ve been frightened. I thought myself in love once before, but it made me miserable and wretched. Not until I held my daughter did I understand what loving truly was.” My heart had swelled with immeasurable joy that day, but I’d also felt greatterror. “Even when I understood that you were nothing like Joe, I was still afraid, because of Grace. I didn’t want your ties to Scotland Yard to hurt her. So I kept putting you off.”
When I faced Daniel again, I found him watching me with a stunned expression. I continued: “When you went into that house in Belgrave Square, and I thought you might die there, every harsh word I’ve ever said to you came back to me.” I rested a hand lightly on his knee. “I am so sorry, my friend. You have been good to me, and I repaid you poorly. I ought to have learned how to manage my fears, or told you to go, instead of trifling with your feelings.”
Daniel’s shock turned to amazement. “You have been thinking all this?”
“Yes, and I know that rattling through London in a hansom is not the place for such a discussion—”
Daniel put gloved fingers to my lips. “I am the selfish wretch who should have toldyouto go. You are right that what I do is dangerous—very dangerous—and I have pulled you into that danger from the beginning. But looking forward to being with you keeps me from despair every day. Makes me want to be good at what I do, and moral, and even admirable. So you will look at me and tell me it has all been worthwhile.”
I reached up and gently grasped his hand. We both wore gloves but the warmth of his fingers flowed into my every limb. “Seeing you is all I need.Thatis worthwhile.”
“Damn Monaghan,” Daniel growled. “I need to be free of him. Soon. So I can come to you as I truly wish to.”
“With a sack of potatoes?” I asked coyly.
“Oh, Kat.” Daniel silenced anything else teasing I might say with a strong kiss on my mouth.
I returned the kiss, clinging to him, but the bumping hansom had us soon drawing apart, laughing.
We spent the rest of the journey without speaking, but something between us had profoundly changed.
* * *
Even the passionate kiss and our near-declarations of devotion to each other did not erase the need to solve the dilemma of Lord Peyton’s death, the former secretary’s murder, the blackmail letters, and whether Lord Peyton, his manservant, or his friends had anything to do with Fenian bombs.
However, we could not discuss the problems when we reached the house in Clover Lane, with Joanna beaming at Daniel, and Grace so excited to see him.
I half expected Monaghan to turn up and drag Daniel away by his ear, but Daniel seemed in no way worried about this. He announced he’d accompany Grace and me on our walk.
I did not want to go far, to Grace’s disappointment, because we still had watchers. I sensed them, as did Daniel. I saw him surreptitiously signal to someone unseen as we strolled along Cheapside, possibly one of Mr.Grimes’s men ready to intercept whoever stalked us.
We paused to observe Mr.Bennett’s complex clock strike the hour and then meandered to our tea shop. The waitress there, who was usually sour to me, always had a smile for Daniel and Grace. She was almost pleasant today, serving our tea and cakes quickly and not glaring when we lingered to talk.
“James should come to tea with us sometimes,” Grace suggested as we finished our repast. “Though he would likely devour the entire tray of sweets.”
“James is working now,” I reminded her. “Delivering goods while his father lazes about eating scones.”
Daniel licked a bit of lemon curd from his thumb and grinned at us.
“Still, he might enjoy it,” Grace said.
She proposed this in all innocence. I wondered anew if she regarded James as a potential beau rather than a friend, and which opinion James held of her. A mother’s worry never ceased, I supposed. I was happy my own mother never knew of the mess I’d made of my earlier life.
James was a good lad and would never hurt Grace as my husband had me, but it was still too soon for this direction of things, I decided.
I hugged Grace tightly when we said good-bye and swallowed a lump in my throat as Daniel led me away from her.
