apart. I do not want that.’ He placed his hand over hers. They remained cold under his touch through her embroidered silk gloves. ‘I do not want to go back to the way things were between us. I like waking up to you. I like being together with you and Nicholas even if at times it is at an absurdly early hour of the morning. And I like knowing that when I want to see you, I will not be turned away. I have missed your intelligence and your wit. And there is no place I would rather be than in your bed. There is no other woman I want more than you, Livy.’
She slid her hands out from under his. ‘Explain the carriage I was brought home in yesterday.’
‘It’s used when we have a need to observe people who we suspect have plans against the Crown.’
‘And the box?’
‘There are times disguises are necessary.’
‘Tell me about the package in Richmond.’
Bloody hell, she was even craftier than he thought! ‘What do you know of Richmond?’
She reached inside her glove and withdrew a charred piece of paper. ‘Tell me about the package you received in Richmond,’ she repeated, holding it out to him.
‘An attempt has been made on Prinny’s life—’
‘He is hurt? Is—’
‘He’s fine. I have him in Carlton House to keep him safe until we are certain we have in custody all those involved in this plot. The package this refers to is a person. It’s the man who has been supplying information on Prinny’s whereabouts.’
‘You saw this person last night?’
‘I did.’
‘Well, I hope someone beat him to a bloody mess.’ From the anger rolling off her, he’d wager she would volunteer if given the chance.
‘You may not feel that way when I tell you his name.’
‘Why should I show concern for such a person?’
He had an urge to beat Manning himself for the hurt this was sure to cause his wife. Instead he walked to the fireplace to take his anger out of the logs. As he jammed the poker into the flames, sparks flew up the chimney.
‘Gabriel, do I know this man?’ she asked, walking over to him.
From her expression he thought it best to place distance between Olivia and the heavy metal object in his hand, so he hung the poker back on the rack. ‘Mr Manning was informing the assassin of Prinny’s plans.’
She backed away from him. ‘That’s not amusing.’
‘It was not meant to be.’
‘John Manning would never do such a thing.’
Gabriel took a step closer to comfort her, but she took another step back.
‘You are just saying that because you do not like me sitting for him. You will find any excuse to prevent him from painting that portrait.’
‘That is not true. He was gathering information about Prinny while painting those within the royal circle. That information was given to someone who intends to kill Prinny. We have his confession.’
Her breathing became more rapid as she processed what he had told her. ‘He asked me to sit for that portrait. He said it was because only I...’ She stormed past him and grabbed the poker. ‘That weasel! And to think I recommended him to friends.’
By the time she had finished stabbing the logs, they would be tiny bits of ash. At least she had got over her shock and wasn’t a sobbing mess. He took a step closer just as she whirled around, waving the poker at him. He backed up just in time.
‘I hope he can no longer stand this morning.’ She turned back around and jabbed the logs. ‘What kind of person seeks the blood of another?’
Gabriel went to step closer and she yanked the poker out of the fire.
He froze.
‘He should be punished for this,’ she said through her teeth.
‘He will be. Once we have captured whoever is responsible for this, Manning will face trial. You should know that he was coerced into giving away the information. If he did not oblige, members of his family would have been maimed.’
‘He still should have found a way to get out of his predicament.’
‘Sometimes that’s not always possible.’
‘I don’t believe that. If you think clearly, you can always find a way.’
It was hard to imagine what it would feel like to be sheltered from the ugliness in the world. ‘Put the poker down, Olivia. You have successfully reduced the logs to ash.’
She narrowed her eyes at him and hung the poker on the rack. Dusting off her hands, she turned her head towards his desk. ‘Why do you keep your desk locked? Is that where you hide your secret papers?’
He knew she would never have simply forgotten all that she suspected. Taking off his ring, he adjusted it so it formed the key to his desk. Her surprised expression brought a smile to his lips. ‘Open it and you will see,’ he said, handing her his ring.
She crossed the room as if she were heading to her own execution and pushed the chair away from his desk. The key stalled momentarily in the lock before giving way with a click. There was a slight hesitation before she cautiously slid her hand inside.
There were only three things Gabriel kept in that drawer. Apparently she had no interest in the pistol. She took out the stack of papers, but once she saw they were blank she returned them to the drawer. Then she removed the small box and placed it on top of the desk. She stared down at it as if it would devour her where she stood.
‘Open it,’ he commanded softly into her ear.
Holding her breath, she raised the lid and picked up the lover’s eye. It took a moment before she almost dropped it.
‘I had Cosway paint it from your wedding portrait. The jeweller who set it brought it to me the day after Nicholas was born. I wore it for a year before I realised there was no hope for reconciliation between us. It sat there unopened for years until yesterday when I found you in my study. Now you have uncovered the secret of my locked drawer.’
She looked back at the small gold brooch in her hand. ‘You wore this?’
‘Every day for a year.’
‘How did I not notice?’
‘You barely looked at me and even if you did, you would not have seen it. I wore it under my coats. I’ve missed you, Livy. I hadn’t realised how much until recently.’
She searched his eyes as if gauging his sincerity. Finally her lips curved into a small sad smile and she placed the pin back in the box. ‘I have missed you as well.’
‘I want you as my wife, in every sense of the word.’
‘I
