But Thomas heard what was implied in her words.
“I’ll be all right,” he assured her. “I’ll be careful. You’ll see.”
Lady Valeria looked at her aunt. “May I have a moment alone with Lord Woodsford?”
Lady Earlington looked flustered. “I’m not sure that’s appropriate, Valeria.”
“Just for a moment,” Lady Valeria said. “You can wait in the foyer. I just want to be able to speak to him privately for a moment before we say our farewells.”
Lady Earlington looked at Duncan.
Duncan nodded. “It will be all right,” he said. “We can leave them together for a moment. Come, Mother.”
He held out his arm to Lady Earlington, who allowed herself to be led from the sitting room and into the foyer. Duncan glanced over his shoulder and met Thomas’ eye for a moment, and Thomas thought he saw a caution there. Then his friend closed the door, leaving him alone with Lady Valeria.
She rose from her chair and crossed to where he stood beside the fire. Slowly, she reached out her hand and took hold of his.
“I should have known,” she said quietly. “I should have known that you were nothing like Richard.”
Thomas shook his head. “Whether or not I was like Richard was never the point. The problem was that my situation and his were far too similar. I understand why you were uncomfortable, Lady Valeria. I understand why you didn’t want me in your life while all this was happening. You made a smart decision.”
“I made a terrible decision,” she said. “I could have been with someone who cared for me, who wanted to treat me well. I know that’s what you wanted.”
“It’s what I still want,” Thomas said.
She looked into his eyes, searching. “Then I haven’t ruined everything?” she asked. “Is there still a chance for us?”
“You haven’t ruined anything,” he said. “I did all this because I wanted you back, Lady Valeria. I wanted my life to be something you weren’t afraid of, so that one day you might be willing to join me in it.”
“I shouldn’t have asked so much of you,” Valeria said. “I should have been more willing to meet you where you were.”
“Nonsense,” he said, taking her other hand and pulling her closer. “You have the right to expect the best, Lady Valeria. And that’s all I ever wanted to give you. I want to make you happy. And I want you to tell me what you need in order to be happy. I hope you always will.”
“Always?” she murmured.
“When this is over, I hope very much that we can resume our courtship,” he said.
“I would like that,” she said. “More than anything.”
He nodded and drew her close, unable to resist a quick embrace. It was what he had been thinking about since he had arrived at Earlington Manor. In fact, now that he thought about it, it was what he had been thinking about for days now. The moment he would finally be alone with her again. The moment he would be free to take her in his arms and confess his true feelings.
Now, at last, that moment had come.
“You’ve given me all the more reason to find Henry quickly and make sure that he’s brought to justice,” he told her. “The sooner this is all dealt with, the sooner I can be back here with you.”
“But you must be careful,” she said, looking up at him, her eyes bright with tears. “I would be heartbroken if anything were to happen to you. It isn’t worth that.”
“Don’t worry,” Thomas said. “I’ll be careful. You’ll see me again very soon, Lady Valeria. I promise you that.”
She nodded. “Come back to me,” she said.
He acted without thinking. It was all he wanted in the world, and in that moment, there was nothing to stop him.
He bent to kiss her.
She returned his kiss eagerly, and, caught up in passion, Thomas forgot the fact that Lady Earlington and Duncan were waiting just outside the door. He forgot the fact that he and Lady Valeria were not formally courting at the moment. He even forgot what Henry had done, the way he had been betrayed by his closest friend. The only thing that mattered was that finally he had Lady Valeria in his arms.
But he forced himself to pull away. He had to resolve his problems. Then, finally, he would be free to begin the new life he hoped to start.
