“We’ll need signals,” Charles said, his voice dropping to a low murmur as his hand found hers. “Ways for you to alert me if you’re in danger.”
“You’ll be nearby?” Her voice betrayed immense relief.
“Every moment.” His eyes met hers, the intensity almost toomuch to bear. “I’ll have Patrick and your brother positioned strategically. You won’t be truly alone.”
“How will you get in?”
His countenance brightened with a grin. “The same way we always obtain access. With charm, authority, and disguise.”
They continued planning, but with each passing moment, Amelia felt the shame building in her chest like a physical weight.God, what had I been thinking?The guilt crashed over her in waves. She’d dismissed Charles’ warnings as mere jealousy, had defended the monster who had destroyed her life. Her husband—her husband—had seen through Norwich’s mask when she, with all her supposed insight, had been completely blind.
“Charles,” she said suddenly, her voice barely above a whisper.
He looked up from the map they’d been studying, immediately attentive to the change in her tone.
“I owe you an apology.” The words felt like broken glass in her throat. “I should have heeded your advice. I was wrong about Norwich.”
Charles’ expression softened, his free hand coming up to cup her face with exquisite gentleness.
“You tried to warn me, and I…” Her eyes filled with tears she could no longer hold back. “I accused you of jealousy. I defended him against your concerns. While you were protecting me, I was foolishly trusting the man who destroyed my life.”
She could barely speak around the tightness in her throat. “I’m so sorry, Charles. I’m so achingly sorry.”
He was quiet for a long moment, his thumb brushing away the tear that escaped down her cheek. When he spoke, his voice was infinitely tender.
“You had no way of knowing. Norwich’s been playing this game for decades—he’s a master at deception.” His hands framed her face now, his touch compassionate. “Amelia… you owe me nothing except your safety tomorrow.”
The complete absence of recrimination in his statement only made her tears fall harder. She leaned into his touch, feeling something fundamental shift between them. The dam burst then—all the fear, shame, and relief she’d been holding back poured out in broken sobs. Charles gathered her close, stroking her hair and murmuring soft reassurances until her cries gradually became hiccups.
Amelia dried her tears and took a fortifying breath. They continued planning in quieter tones, their heads close together as they refined their strategy. Charles’ patient explanations, his careful attention to her safety, his absolute faith in her ability to carry out their plan despite the danger—it all combined to create a warmth in her chest that recognized the truth.
This was partnership. This was trust. This was what she’d been searching for without knowing it.
When he reached across her to adjust the factory layout map, positioning it so she could see better, when he automatically steadied her elbow as she leaned forward, when he anticipated her questions before she could voice them—she realized she was seeing the man she’d fallen in love with without even knowing it was happening.
“I love you,” she whispered, the admission escaping before she could stop it.
Charles went very still, his eyes searching hers as if ensuring he hadn’t misheard.
“I think I’ve been falling in love with you for months,” she continued, the words tumbling out now that the dam had broken. “All those times you surprised me, challenged me, protected me when I was too stubborn to see I needed protecting…”
His breath caught, wonder spreading across his features. Then he was kissing her—soft, reverent, full of everything he couldn’t say. When they broke apart, his forehead rested against hers.
“I love you too,” he murmured. “God help me, Amelia, I’ve beenlost to you since the day you gave me away to that angry gentleman with the walking stick.”
A laugh escaped her despite her tears. “That seems like a lifetime ago.”
“It was a lifetime ago. We’re different people now.”
“Better people,” she agreed, holding onto him as if he might vanish. “Together.”
“Always together,” he promised, and in his voice she heard a vow that went far beyond their temporary arrangement. “Now, shall we finish planning how to catch your demon?”
Amelia nodded, feeling centered for the first time in months.
