For the first time in his adult life, he wasn’t planning for disaster or calculating risks.
CHAPTER 25
“She’s grown heavier since yesterday.” Owen’s voice was full of wonder as he lifted Evie from her cradle. The baby blinked sleepily as the morning light streamed through the nursery window.
Iris stood beside him in her robe. Her hair was still mussed from sleep, but she looked more beautiful than any woman had a right to at such an early hour.
“Babies do that,” she said softly, moving to straighten the blankets. “Mrs. Pemberton says they grow in spurts. One day they fit perfectly in your arms, the next they seem to have doubled in size.”
Everything felt different this morning. The careful distance that had defined their interactions for months had vanished and was replaced by something warmer, more intimate. They moved around each other with an ease that spoke of shared purpose rather than polite obligation.
Evie made a small sound of contentment. Her tiny fist opened and closed as she studied Owen’s face with that serious expression she wore when concentrating. Without thinking, he offered her his thumb, expecting her to ignore it as she usually did.
Instead, her fingers closed around it with surprising strength, holding fast as if she had no intention of letting go.
This small creature, who shared nothing of his blood but everything of his heart, trusted him completely. She depended on him. Evie saw him not as the cold Duke the world knew, but simply as the man who would keep her safe.
“Owen?” Iris prompted. “What’s wrong?”
He couldn’t speak past the tightness in his throat. How had he convinced himself that distance would protect them? That caring less would somehow keep them safer? Looking down at Evie’s perfect face, feeling the trust in her grip, he understood he would move heaven and earth to protect this child.
“Nothing’s wrong,” he managed finally. “Everything’s exactly as it should be.”
They had breakfast together in the morning room. Evie sat propped in Iris’s slap, contentedly drinking from her bottle while batting at a silver rattle with her free hand.
“She’s getting so much stronger,” Iris observed. “Look how she grips that rattle now. Mrs. Pemberton says she’s quite advanced for her age.”
“Brilliant already. She’ll fit right into this family.”
The word slipped out naturally, but it carried weight neither of them had acknowledged before. Family. Not the careful arrangement they’d constructed, but something real and chosen and worth fighting for.
“Felix is coming by this morning,” Owen added while he reached for the newspaper. “We have a promising lead on Adele’s whereabouts.”
Iris looked up sharply. “You found her?”
“Possibly. A boarding house outside London reported taking in a sick French woman a few months ago. The timing matches, and the description is close enough to warrant investigation.”
“Will you go yourself?”
“I’m sending Felix to make initial inquiries. If it proves promising, then yes.” He folded the paper carefully. “But no more disappearing without explanation. No more secrets. You’ll know exactly where I am and why.”
Relief flickered across her features. “Thank you.”
“You shouldn’t have to thank me for basic honesty.”
“Perhaps not. But after this past year…” She trailed off and focused on Evie with renewed attention. “It means something to be trusted with the truth.”
Felix arrived precisely at ten, looking remarkably fresh for someone who’d spent the previous evening investigating the less savory districts of London. He accepted coffee and settled into his chair with the grace of someone perfectly comfortable in any setting.
“Well?” Owen prompted.
“Mrs. Hartford at the Crossroads Inn remembers a French woman fitting Adele’s description. Arrived in poor health, paid for a week’s lodging in advance, then vanished before the time was up.” Felix consulted his notes. “Left behind a few personal items, including a small prayer book with an inscription.”
Owen leaned forward. “What sort of inscription?”
“French words she couldn’t read and when I asked to see it, she seemed reluctant to show it to me. But she kept the book, thinking the woman would return for it.” Felix’s expression grew serious. “According to Mrs. Hartford, the woman seemed to be saying goodbye to someone. Asked specifically about churches in the area, wanted to know which offered services in French.”
“When exactly?”
