“Allison and her brothers weathered the storm, and they’ve created their own little society. We’ll look to them for friendship and socialization. Who cares what anyone else thinks?” She pressed a gentle kiss on his lips. “It’s a whole new century. It’s time that men were measured for their achievements and their character, not their breeding.”
He held her gaze. “You are the most amazing woman I’ve ever known.”
She grinned. “You’re pretty wonderful yourself, Inspector.”
This was really happening. His beautiful countess was actually going to marry him. It still seemed unreal.
“You won’t regret this,” he vowed. “I will spend the rest of my life doing my best to make you happy.”
“As will I,” she said simply.
Silence fell between them once again, but this time, peace filled him. They still had a lot of things to work out between them, and he didn’t expect that it would be entirely easy. Hard times would come, but he had found a woman who was more than prepared to weather the storm, who wouldn’t run away at the first drop of rain.
“What happened after I left Danbury’s?” she asked just as he was about to drift off to sleep. “You said Drake was going to put a man on my house, so I assume you spoke to him.”
He sighed, hugging her tight. “I did. I showed him the evidence I had, and he suspects his brother as well, but there just isn’t enough proof yet to go after him. He has a plan, and I don’t have any choice but to go along with it.”
She shivered. “I can’t believe that Mortimer Blackstone is The Viper. He killed Evelyn... Why? Because she rejected him years ago? But when I looked in his eyes, I knew. He’s truly evil. There’s nothing left in him of the boy I once knew.”
“We’ll make him pay for it,” he assured her, though he wasn’t at all certain. So much rested in Blackstone’s hands, and he still didn’t know if he trusted his boss’s loyalties. But right now, all he could do was keep the woman he loved safe.
For tonight, that was enough.