“It won’t be.”
Simone’s lips twitched. “Since when did you become so optimistic?”
“I was recently told that I need more hope in my life,” Caleb shared. “I thought I would try it out on you.”
“Who told you this?”
“Fredrick.” Caleb hesitated before saying, “He expressed some concern about us marrying.”
Simone frowned. “Why would he be concerned?”
“He worries that we won’t be able to separate our personal lives from being spies, but I assured him that won’t be the case,” Caleb said.
She bit her lower lip, knowing she had a similar concern. “Do you think we are making a mistake?”
“No,” he quickly replied. “Do you?”
Simone grew quiet. “I know I am not the easiest person to get along with, and I worry that you might come to regret marrying me.”
Caleb leaned forward in his seat and held her gaze. “You are fierce, compassionate, and unapologetically authentic. What would I ever come to regret?” he asked.
“But you will never fall in love.”
A solemnness marked his features. “I am a spy, and my duty is to King and Country. Nothing else is as important to me.”
Simone felt a stab of disappointment at his words, but she didn’t disagree with him. She felt the same way. She couldn’t let emotions get in the way of their assignments.
The coach came to a stop in front of a two-level brickbuilding and Caleb opened the door. After he stepped onto the pavement, he reached back and assisted her out.
Once her feet were on solid ground, she withdrew her hand and looked up at the darkened structure.
“Shall we?” Caleb asked.
They bypassed the main door and went to find a side entrance. Once they located one in the alleyway, Simone removed two slender metal pins from the pocket of her gown and maneuvered them into the lock. The soft click signaling the door’s surrender echoed in the quiet alley moments later.
Simone rose and reached for the door handle. “Mr. Frickle’s office is 2C,” she revealed before she slipped inside. As she headed up the narrow flight of stairs to the second level, she saw that Caleb remained close behind.
Upon reaching 2C, Simone crouched down and retrieved the metal pins. Her second attempt at opening the door proved successful. The door creaked open, granting them access to Mr. Frickle’s office.
The small room was laid out with a desk at its center. A lone window adorned the back wall, while bookshelves lined the remaining space.
Simone headed for the desk and started methodically opening its drawers. She needed to find that contract, but beyond that, she wasn’t quite sure what she was looking for.
Caleb pulled out the bottom drawer and ran his fingers along the files. His finger stopped on one and he pulled it out. “This file has your name on it,” he informed her.
Simone accepted the file and opened it. She saw the contract for her grandmother’s estate was on the top of the pile, but she couldn’t make out anything. It was too dark, and not even the moon shining through the windows cast enough light to read the small print.
“I can’t read anything,” she admitted.
Caleb reached for the candle on the table and lit it. Then, he brought it close to the paper in her hand.
“Thank you,” Simone murmured.
As she reviewed the contract, she didn’t see anything that they didn’t already know. The contract was in her name and it had been signed on her behalf. Most likely by her father.
Simone placed the contract down onto the desk and rifled through the other papers in the file. Her hand stilled on her grandmother’s will.
“It is my grandmother’s will,” Simone said.
