Miss Carshaw licked her lips.
“And it may be that not all of his staff are as loyal to me as I might hope. I cannot pretend that they would all show me the same kindness as the butler. I was even warned of it.”
Benjamin caught the flicker of worry dancing in her eyes.
“You were meant to write to me the moment that your brother left the house. I would have come to it in a moment, and you would have been spared this anxiety.”
Miss Carshaw shook her head.
“There would have been very little point in my doing so. When it came to it, I realized that I was the best one to do such a thing, and thus I did. I must continue to hope that my brother does not know that I have found the contract and have it in my possession. At present it is tucked between the sheets in my bedchamber. I did not know where else to put it.”
Benjamin shook his head to himself, hardly able to take in this momentous news, despite his concern for Miss Carshaw. Finally, he had the culprit revealed, all thanks to Miss Carshaw’s determination and courage. What he was to do now, however, he did not know.
“I must give you this contract at once.”
Pulled from his thoughts, Benjamin nodded, only to see Miss Carshaw’s eyes widen and feel her fingers pulling at his. Realization slowly dawned.
“You want me to go with you now?”
“Yes, I cannot see a better time than this.”
“We are in the middle of a soiree.”
“And we shall not be missed,” she insisted, beginning to move away, and given that his hand was still wrapped in hers, Benjamin found himself following her. Glancing around, Benjamin quickly caught the eye of Lord Foster who, in turn, lifted one eyebrow. Benjamin gave him a short nod, which Lord Foster returned, with a small gleam coming into his eyes, clearly aware that Benjamin was standing on the cusp of something great. Should any untoward words begin to swirl as to where he and Miss Carshaw had gone, Benjamin had no doubt that Lord Foster would find a way to make certain that Miss Carshaw’s name remained unsullied. She had endured enough already. “Is your carriage here?”
Her eyes were desperately searching his as they stepped outside.
“Yes, of course it is.” Snapping his fingers, he murmured something to a footman, who nodded and then hurried away. “It will be here within a few minutes, but we must consider whether or not this is for the best.”
Miss Carshaw flung up her hands.
“There is no time for such thoughts! What is best for us both is that we confirm whether or not my brother has truly done such a thing. I wish to know for myself, as well as to discover whether or not you can regain your fortune. It is only fair that, if it has been taken from you by force, you once more find yourself in possession of it.”
“I myself can make my way to your brother’s house.”
Shaking her head, she turned to face him.
“They would not let you into the house. Besides which, if my brother has done this, then I should do all within my power to right the wrong. I do not know what you can do once you have his copy of the contract in your hands, but at least you will have the proof. That must be something, at least.”
The moon hid itself behind a cloud and Miss Carshaw shivered. Benjamin wrapped one arm around her shoulders, pulling her lightly against him. She was shivering, but he did not know whether it was from the cold, or from trepidation. Either way, his only thought was to comfort her.
“It is not your responsibility to right any wrongs, my dear Julia. I should never think ill of you for something that your brother has chosen to do.”
“But I would think ill of myself.” Turning her head, she looked up at him with only the flickering flames of a nearby torch illuminating her features. Her eyes were soft, drawing him towards her all the more. “I could not stand beside you as your wife, knowing that there was something more I could have done to remove us both from a situation of poverty; a situation that it now seems my brother has been an integral part of creating.” Her head rested on his shoulder. “And I could not have both love and guilt in my heart, Lord Wiltsham. It would slowly drain me of life, I am sure.”
In that very moment, it was as though the clouds had heard her speak, and fled from the moon as its gentle light illuminated them both. The fact that she had spoken of love made his heart tear asunder and slowly piece itself back together again with such joy that he could not speak for some moments, as he looked down into Miss Carshaw’s face, and wished that he could find a way to describe every single piece of emotion which ran through him.
“This, then, is what it feels like to be in love.”
Saying those words aloud, he caught Miss Carshaw’s slight hitch of breath. Her eyes were wide, one hand settling to his chest as she twisted around so that she could look up into his face.
“You speak as I feel, Lord Wiltsham. I have seen the love between Lord Foster and Miss Lawrence, and often I have wondered what it feels like to be filled with such an emotion. Now, it seems I need wonder no longer.”
The moon seemed to send flashes of light through the air around them as Miss Carshaw smiled, sending Benjamin’s heart practically tearing out of his chest with joy.
“I find myself in the same position as you, my dear lady. I have spoken as I feel. Everything I say is the truth: I care for you so deeply that itmustbe nothing but love. My days are spent wondering when I will next be in your company, my eyes search for you desperately whenever I walk into a ballroom or a drawing room, or even when I am out taking a walk. My hands ache to hold you close, my heart sings whenever you are near. Yes, Miss Carshaw – Julia – it seems as though I am in love with you.”
Her hands lifted to settle around his neck.
