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After the last of their guests departed, Nathan and Lily stood on the stoop of the house, watching the dust from her parents’ carriage drift along the road. Nathan reached out and took her hand in his, their fingers entwining.
Yes, this was love.
“Well, darling.” Nathan turned to look down at her. She tilted her head back and smiled up at him. “Shall we get started?”
That was how they would go into the future. Together, standing side by side.
“Yes.” Lily’s smile widened. “Let’s get started.”
Turning, they went back into the house to find Mary and Rex. They were both ready to get to work.
Now that they knew who they were hunting, the chase was on.
Epilogue
The Night Before
Evie
The ride through the night to London was not the most exhausting thing she had ever done, but fatigue was dragging at her as the night wore on. The fear driving her made it more tiring, as well as all the things running through her head, along with the cursing and absolute determination, she did not lose anyone else.
Especially not her uncle.
He had saved her from hell, and even if she did not truly feel she fit into the heaven on earth he had brought her to—compared to where she had been before—she was nonetheless grateful.
Now, he was in danger again. She had barely had the courage to leave him for a few nights, knowing she would be within a day’s riding distance, thenthishappened. Whether Mitchell was headed for Camden House, either to plead his case or to finish the assassination of her uncle, Evie needed to be there.
She needed to save the man who had saved her.
Knowing he was well guarded did not matter, not now that they knew Mitchell was the traitor. He was a known entity. A trusted one. It would not be difficult for him to talk his way into the house. Which was a nightmare waiting to start. Evie did not believe Mitchell would go to Camden House to plead for mercy. No, he would go there to finish the job his assassins had started.
This late at night, her uncle might very well assume Mitchell’s appearance meant an emergency. He would let him in. Even meet with him privately.
Evie set her jaw, leaning low over the horse she had borrowed from Lily’s new husband. Hopefully, he would forgive her, though army captains were not always the understanding sort. He seemed a decent enough fellow, and no one had come chasing after her when she’d passed him, Rex, and her cousin on the road.
She knew Anthony was ahead of her, and she trusted he would defend her uncle with his life, but it did not matter.
Sheneededto be there.
The streets of London were mostly empty at this hour of the night, at least in this part of the city. The Season proper over, the few events had ended earlier. Those who were out and about were at the bars and taverns, not in Mayfair.
Riding up to the mews behind Camden House, Evie shouted for someone to come help but did not bother to wait, looping the exhausted horse’s reins over a fence post. As she turned away, she saw the door to the mews opening, a stable boy scrubbing at his eyes as he peered out into the darkness. Hearing his exclamation of surprise at finding a horse in the yard, knowing he would take care of things there, she dashed for the house.
She would come back later with a reward for both the horse and the boy. Once she knew her uncle was unharmed.
The mews were quiet, which gave her some hope but did not stop the pounding of her heart. Why was it so quiet? Where was Anthony?
The door was locked, so she pounded on it until it opened, one of the servants staring at her in consternation.
“Miss Evie!”
Evie did not pause, dashing past the young man into the house, running up the backstairs to the family wing. Reaching her uncle’s room, she pounded on the door.
“Uncle Oliver! Uncle Oliver!”
The answering shout, full of grumpy admonition, from within the room made her sink to the ground in relief, her knees literally buckling beneath her. He was safe. He was unharmed. Tears welled, but she pushed them back, one hand on her chest, the other in a fist at her mouth as she bit down on the knuckle. For a moment, her shoulders heaved.
