“No.” This time, at least, she had a good excuse for the tear that spilled to one cheek. “We could not save them all. I … I wish I could have done more.” She reached up to brush it away, but Marcus was suddenly standing close and did it for her.
“You have done more than any one person could be expected to do,” he said. “Not only did you stop this monster, but your eloquent writings have raised the public’s awareness of the horrors of child labor enough so that it may never happen again.”
“But much of the credit for that rests with you as well.”
“Only because you encouraged me to take action.”
Augusta drew in a long breath and looked away into the fire. “It doesn’t really matter who deserves credit. All that counts is that Ludlowe has been stopped.”
“He is safely locked away in Newgate.” Marcus moved steps closer, and she was suddenly aware of his warmth through her gown. She started to move away, but his hand touched her arm. “Gus. About last night …”
“Y-You needn’t apologize. I know the heat of danger makes us do things we wouldn’t normally do.”
He stared at her for several moments. “You know, the heat of danger is now over.”
“Yes, I suppose it is.”
His arms came around her. “Then why do you suppose this is happening?” he murmured as his lips touched her cheekbone.
“I … I don’t know.”
“Mmm. Take an educated guess.” A gossamer kiss lingered on the lobe of her ear.
Her legs suddenly felt very wobbly. “But you don’t even like me! You said?—”
“You are all too aware of my damnable temper. I say a good deal of things I don’t mean when I am angry.” He paused. “And even worse things when I’m hurt.”
Augusta bit her lip. “I -I hurt you?”
“You seemed so indifferent to me in the flesh. It was hard to bear, as I desperately wanted you to care for the real me as much as you seemed to esteem my ghost on paper.”
“Oh, Marcus.” She her face against his shoulder. “If I acted indifferently it was because I was afraid to show you even a hint of how much I had come to … esteem you. I thought you might find an aging, ungainly spinster’s attention unwelcome.”
“You think yourself unattractive, Gus?” He gave a soft laugh. “At last I have found a subject about which you are totally wrong.”
“But I am too … sharp in all the wrong places.”
“No, my love, you are exactly right in every way. Sharp where it counts, soft and rounded just where you should be.” He tilted her chin up and ran his mouth along the line of her jaw.
“I … I suppose I must defer to your greater knowledge in these things.”
He gave a chuckle. “A wise decision.”
Augusta was silent for moment. “Does this mean we can still be friends? That is, can we still correspond like before?
“I am afraid not.”
She looked down to hide her disappointment.
“You see, my man of affairs has told me that I am spending far too much on ink and paper.” He gave a crooked grin. “So I really must insist that we continue our relationship in the flesh rather than in letters. If you remember, I had early on suggested that we meet to discuss our ideas over a glass of port …”
His grin widened. “Would you care to make that every night?” he added, though there was a touch of vulnerability beneath the humor. “However, I’m afraid it would have to be our own library, for White’s is out of the question.”
The light that came to Augusta’s eyes seemed to put his fears to rest. “For now, perhaps,” she answered, a mischievous smile of her own stealing across her features. “Perhaps our next crusade could be on the unfairness of men banning?—”
He interrupted with a mock groan. “My friends already think I am a candidate for Bedlam. Imagine what they will say when I propose that females be admitted to our clubs! But that’s a discussion for some other time. At the moment, we have something far more important to resolve.”
She held her breath.
