Page 67 of One Waltz with the Viscount

‘It is such a tragedy.’

‘At the time he was shocked that Sophia knew so much, and it allowed us to escape without too much fuss.’

‘Surely he would do anything to keep this quiet.’

‘My father does not like to lose. I am sure he is getting his affairs in order to mount an attack, but I have been busy too. I have found the man who my father paid to set the fire. He was wracked with guilt. It did not take much to get him to sign a sworn statement in the presence of a solicitor about what he did, and my father’s role in it.’

‘If he is arrested, he will hang.’

‘I can be very persuasive, and I promised to keep everything anonymised, although I do of course know the man’s name.’ He pulled a face. ‘And as grateful as I am for his sworn statement, the fact is that he did set the fire that killed Anne. As such, I am not overly invested in his fate.’

‘I am sorry you have had to deal with all of this.’

‘I am taking Sophia away for a while. The more physical distance there is between our father and us, the less he can do to us.’

‘That sounds very sensible,’ Sarah said, trying to stop the words from sticking in her throat. So that was why he was here. To say goodbye.

‘I wanted to apologise, Sarah.’

‘Thank you. Your apology is accepted.’

He raised an eyebrow. ‘I have not made it yet.’

She waved a dismissive hand. ‘I understand, Henry. What else could you have done? Your sister was in danger, and I am glad you chose to help her. I would not have wanted you to choose differently.’

‘That is one of the many reasons that I love you,’ he said quietly.

Sarah’s eyes snapped up.

‘When I was standing in the hall of One Grosvenor Square, facing my father, I realised that over the last two years I have been stumbling, as if I was in a dream. Every decision I had to make I chose the easiest path, because I had no more fight left in me. When you came along, you showed me what I was missing, and what sort of life I could lose if I continued down the route of least resistance. I saw that my father had worn me down and wheedled his way into my life, when I should never have even considered allowing him close. When I was eighteen, I saw how malicious he was, and yet, at the age of thirty-two, I still needed you to remind me that I did not need to bow to his decisions.’

He took her hand in his and Sarah felt her pulse quicken. ‘You also showed me that I deserved love. I didn’t believe it, but you can be quite persuasive.’

‘You do deserve love. You deserve every happiness.’

He shook his head, his eyes searching hers.

‘I am sorry I did not handle things better. When my father gave me that impossible choice, after we spent the afternoon together, my head was spinning. I panicked, and I did not consider how it would feel to be abandoned after you had given me everything. Especially with the history of your mother and father. I know it meant it was an even bigger risk for you, that you worried about history repeating itself, and I did not reassure you as I should.’

‘Thank you,’ Sarah said. ‘I admit I was upset, although I could not put into words exactly why. I wanted you to go to your sister, to rescue her...’

‘But you also wanted me to choose you.’

‘Which was impossible. You couldn’t do both.’

‘Sometimes we want impossible things.’

‘I hold no grudge, Henry. I am just glad you see now that you know you are worthy of love, and that just because you were hurt once it does not mean you will be hurt again.’

He shook his head in wonder. ‘How was I so lucky to fall for you? I wronged you, hurt you, and yet here you are, wishing me nothing but good things.’

She gave a little half-smile. ‘That is what happens when you love someone. Even when you cannot be together you still want them to be happy.’

Henry felt his heart flip. She loved him. She still loved him. He could see the hurt in her eyes as he talked about the evening a week earlier, when he had been unable to assure her that, no matter what, they would be together.

He had known how important her virtue was to her, how she was afraid of ending up alone and abandoned as her mother had. Yet still he had not held her in his arms and promised her that he would find a way to be together. In that time of need he had disregarded her feelings and once again allowed himself to be sucked into his father’s trap.

No more.