Page 103 of Irresistible
“And you didn’t tell me then?” He struggled to draw a breath, feeling betrayed anew. But then, she’d been keeping this from him from the start. Because she’d had to. Of course she wouldn’t break the oath she’d taken, especially not to a man she’d been told required investigation.
“I wanted to,” she said softly, her cheeks flushing as she looked down at her lap. “I don’t blame you for being angry.”
He reached over and took her hand. “I’m not. I understand why you didn’t tell me, why you couldn’t. I’ll say it again: you’d make an excellent spy.”
She shook her head. “No, thank you.”
Returning his attention to the papers, he read the deciphered message. “I’m amazed at how quickly you solved this.”
“I was rather motivated when I knew it could prove your loyalty.”
He leaned in to kiss her swiftly. “Thank you. And thank you for telling me. I don’t think poorly of you at all.” He reread part of the message. “I can’t believe Giraud was working against us. I’ve known him nearly four years, and I never had the sense he was disloyal. He had nothing but animosity for his former country and especially for Napoleon.”
She looked at him with sympathy. “He was a good actor, I suppose.”
“I suppose,” Dougal murmured. Again, he thought of the man dead with his throat sliced apart. “He was murdered or perhaps assassinated by someone from the Foreign Office who’d determined his duplicity.” Dougal’s mind worked. If Kent had wanted Dougal investigated and he’d given this to Jess to decipher, it seemed he wouldn’t know what had happened to Giraud. Meaning, if someone from the Foreign Office had discovered him and then killed him, Kent hadn’t known about it. The secrets were becoming dangerous. “I think I’m glad I’m finished with spying,” he said, setting the papers down. “I take it you haven’t given these to Kent yet?”
She shook her head. “I was to put a candle in my window when I finished, but I didn’t last night because you arrived. And tonight doesn’t seem likely either.”
Dougal wondered what would happen after she put the candle in the window. Would Kent or someone else show up to retrieve the information? Or would they wait until tomorrow?
“Let’s do it.” Dougal wanted to talk to Kent and hoped hewouldshow up.
Her eyes widened. “But you aren’t supposed to know anything.”
She was right, and he didn’t want to get her into any trouble. “I doubt they’ll come tonight. More likely, you’ll receive a message in the morning with instructions to meet somewhere.”
“But what if they do?” she asked. “Come tonight, I mean.”
“Then I’ll hide.”
“You could also leave. You can’t stay here all night.”
“You are unfortunately correct.” He exhaled. “Fine, I’ll go. But will you send word about what happens?”
“Of course. And if I do have a meeting tomorrow, I’ll let you know when and where. You can ‘follow’ me there.”
Dougal grinned. “So clever. Of course I will.”
Jess left the bed once more and put a candle onto the windowsill. When she returned, Dougal drew her close and kissed her.
“Did I tell you that my mother is ridiculously happy I’m marrying aviscount?” she asked.
“I could see that she was,” Dougal said with a chuckle. “And how is your father? I confess I was concerned for you returning home with him tonight. He seemed quite angry.”
“Honestly, I’ve never seen him so furious.”
“His ire is perfectly understandable. I behaved horribly with you.”
“Please stop. I know what Society would demand of you—of us—and I don’t care. I didn’t survive unwed to the ripe age of twenty-five so that I could succumb to ruin. We will make our own future.”
“How I love that you are unapologeticallyyou. I meant what I said in my original, awful proposal. We do make an excellent team. There is no one else I would want at my side.”
“I agreed with everything you said. I just wanted to know that you felt something for me.”
“I feel everything for you,” he said, gathering her close. “Primarily, an all-consuming love, even if I didn’t realize it because I was being a blockhead.”
She touched his cheek. “I was too. I spent so much time refusing to do my parents’ bidding that I failed to see when it coincided with what I wanted. I’m so sorry I refused you.”
