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‘That’s one of the things I love about you.’
‘What else?’
‘Let’s get cleaned up. Then I’ll tell you.’ He backed out of Isaac’s room, pulling her along the hallway. ‘You’ll have to hurry. There’s a lot to get through.’
They showered together, his strong, gentle hands soaping her clean as if they were washing away what had gone before, starting again. Then they made love. As if it were possible to actually create and mould love into the shape and texture that fitted both their hearts, feeling it grow and flourish between them.
Charlotte had wondered whether there could be anything better than the slow, almost silent build of heat that Edward gently nurtured until the fire in him broke loose and roared through them both. Now she knew. When he told her everything that he was feeling her heart spoke back, sharing the warmth, sharing the longing. Body and soul. He made love to her body and her soul.
They lay together, perfect and still, a fine sheen of sweat covering their bodies. Even that seemed to be something shared...his scent covering her skin. She knew that she was never going to be able to wash it off.
‘It’ll be time to go soon.’ He smoothed a strand of hair back from her face. ‘However much I want to see whether next time can be as good as the last.’
‘Hmm... Me, too. Will you stay for something to eat tonight? Isaac would love to have you read a bedtime story for him.’
‘I’d love that, too.’ A thought seemed to occur to him. ‘What did you do with the packet that I put through your letterbox?’
‘The one with your father’s practice logo on it? I thought that came in the post?’
‘No, I left it there.’ He grinned at her. ‘Go and get it.’
* * *
Edward knew that she’d torn the wrappings from the parcel as she walked back up the stairs because he heard her gasp of surprise. She walked back into the bedroom, tears streaming down her face and her mother’s ruby necklace in her hand.
‘Edward. Where did you get this?’
‘Put it on and I’ll tell you.’
Her hand flew to the neck of her silky dressing gown. ‘I’m not really dressed for it.’
‘Then take that off.’
She laughed, jumping onto the bed and handing him the necklace to fasten around her neck. ‘So tell me where you got this.’
‘I had help. You put my father in touch with the guy you sold it to. Luckily he keeps good records, so he was able to forward our letter on to the woman he’d sold it to.’
‘And...she sold it back to you?’
‘Well, I didn’t break into her house and steal it, if that’s what you’re worried about. I told her how much I wanted it, and why, and she sold it to me. And now it’s back where it belongs.’
‘Edward... It must have cost you...’
He silenced her. ‘I wanted to undo what’s been done. Give you some reason to trust.’
Her eyes filled with tears. ‘You’re the only reason I need.’ She clasped her hand to her neck. ‘I love that you’ve done this for me, but I don’t need anything other than you.’
‘You have me.’ He held her close, revelling in the sound of her heart beating beneath the thin fabric of her dressing gown. ‘There’s nothing to stop me from giving you more, is there?’
‘But I have nothing to give you in return.’
‘You and Isaac have already given me everything I’d ever want. More than I ever thought I could have. But there is something you can do for me.’
He wondered whether he should really ask this of her. Charlotte had said she trusted him, and he believed her, but perhaps this wasn’t the time to be testing that out.
‘What is it?’
‘There’s something I have to do tomorrow and I can’t tell you about it. That’ll be the last time you don’t know where I am.’ He watched her intently, looking for any signs of suspicion in her eyes.
