Chapter Twenty-Four
Lisbeth stepped through the doors onto the terrace and discovered Thomas, Alice, and Jeremy on their knees studying the stone wall and a few pieces of rock. Jeremy’s eyes went wide. “Did we just make a discovery?”
Alice snorted. “It is make-believe.”
“But it could be real. Thomas said that the whole neighborhood of Mayfair was built on Roman ruins.”
Lisbeth smiled. “It is true.”
All three of them turned to look at her, still on their knees. Jeremy looked at Alice triumphantly. “See.”
Thomas chuckled. “We won’t ever know, but how exciting is it to speculate?”
Alice smiled at him, and Lisbeth’s heart equally ached and overflowed with love. She walked towards them. Both Alice’s and Jeremy’s faces were flushed. She giggled. “How long have you been exploring?”
Thomas shrugged, “Probably a couple of hours.
“He told us all about how you and he used to explore Mayfair searching for artifacts. Thomas said your first find was an ancient spear.”
“Don’t you have a spear on your vanity? Is it that one?” Alice asked.
Her eyes flew to Thomas, and she flushed. It was true, Lisbeth did keep the keepsake in her room. While she’d parted with some of the treasures she and Thomas found as children, she’d never been able to give that one up. It was special.
A brief memory flashed in her mind.
*
Eight-year-old Lisbeth held the book open while Thomas brushed at the item. “Rinse it with water.”
Thomas shook his head. “The artifact preservation book explains how to brush off the dirt gently. Hand me the brush.”
Lisbeth rolled her eyes. “Here you go, Serious Thomas.”
He scowled, jutting his ten-year-old chin out.
They both grew quiet as he gently removed the debris.
Dirt fell off to reveal a pointy object.
Lisbeth quickly flipped to the pages at the back of the book, which contained pictures of artifacts.
There was a whole section on weapons. They both looked on as she flicked one page at a time until they both gasped.
It was right there, a Roman spear. Their eyes grew round, and they jumped up from their spot on the ground before spinning each other in circles. Lisbeth smiled widely. “Our first find.”
Thomas snorted. “Probably our last.”
She shook her head. “No, our first of many. Thomas and Lisbeth, the next famous explorers!”
He smiled at her. “I like the sound of that.”
Lisbeth grabbed the spear and shoved it in her skirt pocket, racing away. Thomas chased after her. “You have to store it in a safe spot, not in your pocket, Lizzie.”
*
“Mother?” Alice prodded.
She smiled. “It is the one we found. It was mine and Thomas’s first discovery.”
It was one of her favorite memories of them. Lisbeth sensed he’d been remembering the exact moment, too. They smiled softly at each other. Jeremy gasped, his eyes going wide. “Did you find it at Uncle Justin’s home? Can we go there?”
Thomas grimaced. Lisbeth suspected it was because the bruise on his jaw was starting to fade. Lisbeth glanced up at the blue sky before turning back. “Why don’t we take a walk in Hyde Park? Maybe we can explore there.”
Both Alice and Jeremy bounced on their heels, excited. Lisbeth laughed. “Go ask your governess if she wants to join.”
They raced off, and Thomas joined her. “You kept our spearhead, Lizzie.”
She smiled at him. “Our first find.”
Thomas brushed a loose curl off her cheek, and his innocent touch made warmth flare within her. She didn’t step away. His gaze drifted to her lips, and she ran her tongue along the bottom one. His eyes flared with desire. “Are you trying to tempt me?”
She wasn’t sure, but it felt so lovely to be standing next to him and gazing at him this way. Thomas leaned closer to her, and he nuzzled her neck. She lifted her hand and almost grabbed his jacket, but remembered herself, stepping back. She smiled tentatively. “We should wait in the foyer.”
Lisbeth headed towards the terrace doors. He called out, “Lizzie.”
She turned. His eyes still glowed with want. “I’m here when you are ready. You are the only woman I want. The only one since the moment you walked into the café in Latakia.”
“I just need a little more time.”
She made her way through the terrace doors and into the foyer. A floral letter rested on a plate where mail was kept. Lisbeth picked it up and wrinkled her nose. It smelled of too much perfume. Tearing the top, Lisbeth pulled a paper out, and another one tumbled to the floor. She picked it up.
Her eyes widened, and she gasped. It was a caricature of her and Thomas from a gossip sheet after their wedding was announced. Her face was blacked out, and large cross-out marks were scribbled over her body.
Thomas joined her, concerned. “What is it?”
She handed it to him and opened the letter.
Your Grace,
Leave my husband alone. Thomas Easton is mine.
C
He cursed, and she turned to him, lifting a brow. “Do you have a wife I don’t know about?”
He shot her an incredulous look. “No, it is one of my admirers.”
“Do you know their name?”
Thomas shook his head. “I only know who it is because it always has the same floral drawing and has an overwhelming sense of perfume.”
An uneasiness filled Lisbeth. “Should I be alarmed?”
He frowned. “I will see if Devons can help me hire some investigators. Hopefully, it is some young girl who doesn’t know any better.”
She nodded, but concern still emanated from both of them.
Alice and Jeremy appeared at the bottom of the stairs. “Miss Ashby doesn’t feel well, but we are ready.”
Lisbeth smiled. The letters were probably nothing, she told herself. She glanced at Thomas. “Ready?”
“I was going to see Devons.”
She looped her arm through his. “You can do that later. I’m sure you are correct, and it is some young fan.”
*
Later that night, Thomas sat with Lisbeth enjoying an after-dinner drink. He frowned, thinking about the letter she’d received. It seemed like an escalation of the other ones sent to him.
“Why have you turned so serious?” Lisbeth asked.
“I’m worried about the letter. The author, while I was in Syria, sent me multiple missives, always explaining that when I returned to London, we’d marry. I never thought much of it because I never planned on setting foot in the country again.”
She took a sip of her wine. “I can’t imagine it is more than a young woman who is upset.”
“I hope so. I plan to make it a priority though.”
“Thank you,” Lisbeth said and then added, “You never explained why you came back?”
Thomas looked at his beautiful Lizzie, lifting a brow. “Isn’t it obvious?”
A blush streaked across her cheeks.
“I came for you. After we spent that night together, I told myself that was all the closure I needed, but the further I was from you and Latakia, the more I realized one night wasn’t enough.”
“I’m glad you came back,” she admitted.
He glanced at her, skeptical, but she nodded. “I am. Even though the revelation of all these secrets has been difficult, it was for the best.”
“Is Alice why you didn’t want me to come to London?”
Pain flashed across her face. “I’d already hurt you so much, I was terrified to do it again. The moment I returned, I regretted not telling you. I planned to write you a letter explaining everything.”
“Then I showed up.”
She nodded. “And now we are married.”
He frowned. “I hate the way it all happened. I’ve wanted you as my wife since I was a boy.”
Lisbeth laughed. “I doubt you’ve wanted me since we were children.”
It was true, though. “Almost from the moment we found the spear, I knew I wanted you to be my wife. It felt as if our lives would be full of excitement. At that time, I hadn’t grasped that the daughter of an earl couldn’t marry the son of a housekeeper.”
“But we would have if everything with my father’s debt hadn’t happened,” Lisbeth said, her voice filled with sadness.
Their eyes connected, and Thomas said, “Come here, Lizzie. Let me hold you for a moment. Nothing more than that, I promise.”
He was hungry to wrap his arms around her, to feel her head rest along his chest. Thomas held his breath, wondering what she would do.
Shocking him, she rose, and he pulled her onto his lap.
She laid her head on his chest. They sat there quietly for a moment.
Eventually, she said, “It is fine to be angry about everything.”
He wasn’t. His mind whispered, liar. Still, he pushed it away. More than anything, he wanted to be with this woman. She lifted her head and looked at him. “If you keep it all bottled in, it won’t help.”
“You had no choice,” he said before brushing a gentle kiss across her lips. It wasn’t one meant to ignite passion, but rather to offer comfort.
She frowned but went back to lying her head on his chest. He stroked her back. Thomas would endure any internal pain to have nights like this. “Mr. Martin and Lord Harston visited me today.”
Lisbeth didn’t lift her head, but an annoyed sigh escaped her. “What did they want?”
“To offer me a lecture position at the London Society of Antiquaries.”
“Is that something you want?” Lisbeth asked.
He didn’t want to do it for the London Society of Antiquaries, but it wasn’t a bad idea. “I like the idea about teaching regular people about antiquities and excavations. Maybe even children. How excited would we have been if we attended a lecture by an explorer?”
Lisbeth bolted up and began to pace. Excitement seemed to emanate from her. “You could do it for the Historical Society of Female Curators?”
“It is only an idea right now.”
She frowned. “We couldn’t pay you much.”
He smiled at her. “I don’t need much or any.”
“We’d have to pay you something. I will talk to the board members. Should I?”
He loved this excited Lisbeth. It reminded him of how she was as a girl. Thomas nodded. “Now come back here and sit with me.”
Lisbeth rejoined him, and still curious, he asked, “Does Sarah Martin’s father support your club?”
“That is a difficult question. He doesn’t prevent Sarah from being part of us but also isn’t an advocate for her work or the club.”
“Why?” Thomas asked.
“I suspect because most of those in higher-up positions at the London Society of Antiquaries are lords or quite wealthy. Mr. Martin is a scholar. I think he worries about us causing trouble.”
Thomas snorted. “He should be worried about that.”
She playfully smacked his arm, and he laughed.