Page 66 of Lady and the Scamp

“I know. You’re much like I was. Like your father was when he was an agent.”

Will raised a brow, interested now. To be compared to his father or Baron were much higher compliments than any piece of silver given by the queen. “How so?”

“You don’t do this work for the glory or even because you love your queen or country. Not to say that you don’t love both, but for you—like for me and Adrian—it’s about the need to protect, to see good triumph. Dare I say that the need for adventure and excitement also plays a role?”

“I’ve had enough excitement for the time being,” Will said.

“Then you’ll be staying at the Farm for further training?”

It shouldn’t have been a question. It should have been an order, but the fact that Baron asked the question meant he knew more than just the bare facts of the mission. “I wanted to speak to you about that.”

“I know,” Baron said. “And I have a feeling this has to do with Lady Averley. I hear she’s quite charming.”

Will swallowed. He’d spent virtually all of the train trip north to the Farm trying to think what he should say about Emily. Of course, he’d sent his report ahead, but that only told the facts—Lady Averley was innocent of any involvement in the attempts to kill the queen. In fact, she’d been instrumental in thwarting the last attempt. But that didn’t tell the entire story. The dry words on paper didn’t begin to tell how he felt about her.

Shewascharming, as Baron had said. And she was also beautiful and clever and loyal and...he loved her. Will didn’t know if he’d realized it before that moment. She’d told him she loved him, and he had been focused on the mission and refused to look at his own feelings. But now, seated in Baron’s cozy office, he couldn’t deny it. The realization of his feelings seemed to sharpen his senses and burn the memory of where he was into his mind. Behind him the fire crackled, the sunlight glinted off the large polished desk before him, and through the window overlooking the budding green trees, he spotted the other agents walking from one building to the dining hall.

“Lady Averley is...” Will didn’t know where to begin. “She was a surprise.”

Baron tapped the papers on his desk. “Your report is quite complimentary.”

The report didn’t do her justice. “Sir, I—”

Baron held up a hand. “Will, I have known you since you were born. There’s no one here but the two of us. You can call me Winn and you can tell me what you’re thinking. What you’re not saying in these pages.” He tapped the report again.

Will stood and paced to the window. He spotted his friends, Hew and Duncan, trudging through the mud on their way to the dining hall. If Cal had been there, the four of them might haveeaten together like old times. But he couldn’t go back. And he wasn’t certain how to go forward.

“I think I’m in love with her,” Will said, still looking out the window.

“And she feels the same way about you?”

Will nodded. “Yes.”

“There’s no reason you can’t marry her. But...”

Will turned to face Baron. This was the moment he’d been dreading.

“I won’t lie to you and tell you it will be easy. Marriage is hard enough even when one partner isn’t a Royal Saboteur sent on dangerous missions at home and abroad. Callahan Kelly and Miss Murray—and yes, I know she is Mrs. Kelly now, but I will always think of her as my Miss Murray—married, but they are able to work together. Lady Averley isn’t an agent.”

“She wants children.”

“That makes it even more difficult as you could be called away at a moment’s notice and indefinitely.”

Will stuck his hands in his pockets and took a breath. He had worked practically all his life to become an agent. Then he’d worked the last two years to become a Royal Saboteur. It was all he’d wanted. Did he give it all up for Emily? Could he be happy if he did so? Could he be happy without her?

“Take a fortnight,” Baron said. “I’ll grant you leave.”

Will’s head snapped up. “I didn’t ask for leave.”

“Take it anyway. You’re not one for rash decisions, and I don’t want you making one now. Go to London. See your parents. Or perhaps call on Lady Averley. As a man who has been married more years than I want to count, I’ll counsel you not to make the mistakes I did.”

“Youmade mistakes? But every time I see you with Lady Keating—”

Baron waved a hand. “That’s now. I made plenty of mistakes when I was your age, and most of them were because I didn’t sit down and talk to Elinor about how I was feeling and my thoughts about the future. This may come as something of a shock, Will, but women do like to be included in decisions that pertain to them.”

Will wanted to protest that this news wasn’t a shock at all, but he stayed silent because Baron had a point. Will was making decisions about his and Emily’s future without even speaking to her.

“I’ll take the leave, Uncle Winn.”

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