In a soft voice, she asked, “What if you are wrong?”
“Then I will have a lot to apologize for.”
Simone glanced down at their hands as she considered his words. Truth be told, a part of her had always held out hope that her mother was alive since they hadn’t found the body, but time had a way of killing that dream.
However, she would always wonder if she didn’t go to Bedlam with Caleb. Could she live with that uncertainty?
Coming to a decision, Simone said, “I will go with you.”
“If I didn’t think it was a real possibility, I wouldn’t have come to you.” Caleb grew uncharacteristically solemn. “I want you to know that I will be there for you where others have failed you.”
“You say that now…”
Caleb intertwined their fingers, causing her words to catch on her breath. “I say that now and always. I am not going to let you down.”
Simone truly did not expect Caleb to have such an effect on her, her heart, her mind, or her feelings. He accepted her for who she truly was. Something that no one had ever done before. How could she not care for this man?
Knowing he was still waiting for a response, she said, “I believe you.”
A smile came to his lips. “You are going to like being married to me. We are going to have such fun.”
“That is not why I am marrying you.”
“I know, but it will be an added benefit,” Caleb said with a wink.
A laugh escaped her lips before she could stop it.
Caleb took a step closer to her. “You have the most beautiful laugh and I daresay that it is my favorite sound.”
Simone tried to ignore the blush that was warming her cheeks. “It is no different than any other laugh.”
“But you are wrong. It is uniquely yours, and I could never get tired of it.”
With a glance back at the townhouse, Simone asked, “As much as I tire of your vain attempt at flattery…”
“It isn’t vain.”
“…how do you suppose we get into Bedlam to search for my mother?”
Caleb released her hand and took a step back. “I will have a plan soon enough, and it will be a good plan, I assure you.”
“I hope so because we can no longer tour the facility without an escort,” Simone said. “The days that the public could poke the patients with sticks are long over.”
“My father plays cards with one of the Bedlam Governors. I might ask him for a favor.”
“Be careful of who you owe favors to,” Simone advised.
Caleb bobbed his head. “It is not something that I take lightly, but the rewards outweigh the risks in this case,” he said. “How are you handling Juliette and Victor?”
Simone let out a slight groan. “My father intends to take Juliette to Lord Pendley’s ball on his arm.”
“What about Victor?”
“There was no mention of him,” Simone said. “But I wouldn’t discount him too easily. Victor spends much of his time in his bedchamber. Whereas Juliette walks around the townhouse as if she owns it.”
“Why did Juliette have us secure invitations to Lord Pendley’s ball if she had been planning to go with your father all along?” Caleb mused.
Simone shrugged one shoulder. “The intention was to distract us and keep us busy, which they succeeded. But Juliette said that their plans had changed. What if she had been referring to their mission?”
