Page 37 of Enchanted By the Lyon
“You know him?” Her brow furrowed until she shook her head. “Of course you know him, he’s a member of theton.”
Lucius couldn’t believe how everything in this talk with his lady was coming full circle. “We were friends growing up and at school together. We had a falling out when I tried to warn him of investing in a business deal that was sure to fail. When it did, he blamed me for some blasted reason. We’ve been enemies ever since.”
She reached out to place her hand on his cheek and gave him a small smile of encouragement. “And…”
He gave a chuckle, even though this course of events was hardly humorous. “So, you know me so well that you’re aware there’s more to reveal?”
Her thumb moved in a gentle caress across his cheek before she replaced it with a kiss. “There’s no reason to keep any secrets between us. I don’t ever want to hide anything from you, Lucius. I know I can trust you.”
“As I trust you. We both have a past that needs to stay there so we can move forward together,” he answered.
“I like the sound of that,” she whispered giving him another smile. “Tell me what else happened to you lately that has you concerned.”
There was no point of putting off the inevitable. He gave her a quick kiss on her lips, although what he really wanted to do was explore all she had to offer. “I had a visit from a constable investigating not only Emily’s incident but Virtue Darling’s as well.”
Cassandra frowned again. “I wasn’t aware that Virtue had an incident but then I don’t know her that well and haven’t been living at the townhouse of late. What happened to her?”
“She was accosted on the street, much like Emily,” he declared before coming to a stand and beginning to pace again to clear his head.
“What does all this have to do with you?”
“From what I could gather, I’m a person of interest,” he grumbled.
“That’s preposterous. What would the constable think you have to gain by harming your ex-mistresses?”
“Clearly, I’m being framed,” he huffed in annoyance.
“All of this makes no sense, Lucius. Why is this all happening now?” she asked. “Is it because you began investigating Barlow?”
Lucius stopped his pacing. “It could all be coincidental.”
“And maybe everything is related in some odd way.”
Lucius’s conversation with his brother jumped to the forefront of his mind. “My brother Leopolddidsee Forbes meeting with a man in a tavern recently. He couldn’t see his facebut the man was very lean. Forbes was paying him off. I suppose thatcouldhave been Barlow, but I have no proof that he was the same man.”
“That could explain why Emily appeared terrified of both men,” Cassandra added but was clearly still worried.
“I’ve asked the investigator I hired to continue his search for information. We’ve come this far trying to possibly right the wrong done to you. I won’t stop now although your safety is of the utmost importance, especially since you’ll be moving into your own residence soon.”
“I’ll be perfectly safe. You don’t have to worry about me,” Cassandra declared in encouragement.
“I will always worry about your safety. I will reach out to Mrs. Dove-Lyon. Perhaps she can recommend one of her men to stand guard over you until this whole issue is settled.”
“You’re becoming my knight in shining armor,” she said with a smile.
“My armor may have been a bit rusty from my past, but I plan on polishing it to be worthy of you, my dear,” Lucius replied, grinning. “You have to know, Cassandra, that I’m falling in love with you.”
“That makes me so very happy, Lucius. I love you too.”
Cassandra came to stand in front of him and when he opened his arms she moved into his embrace without hesitation. He enjoyed holding her close and his anger cooled. She seemed to be a comforting force to soothe his troubles, able to calm him out of any predicaments they might face together. And with that last thought, he leaned down and sealed his fate with a kiss.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Cassandra stifled ayawn behind her hand while the carriage holding Josephine, Gyles, Lucius, and herself rolled through the quiet streets of London. At this hour of the night, or rather early morning, there weren’t many other carriages on the road. It wasn’t the first time that she would return home this late. She would take every opportunity to spend as much time with Lucius as she could, and if that meant returning to her new home before the dawn broke, then so be it.
She watched Josephine, who was half asleep, snuggle into her husband’s embrace and it made her smile. She squeezed Lucius’s hand, so happy to have a love of her own now. He brought her fingertips to his lips, and she sighed in pleasure at the warmth of his breath on her skin.
The round of balls in the last month had been wonderfully exciting, especially when it became crystal clear to most of Society that they were now a couple. Not that anything had been made official as yet, but she hoped Lucius would declare himself soon.
