Chapter Seventeen #4
“What?” She turned to him in the dark. As of yet, the corridors, walls, and windows were empty and devoid of any sort of decoration. “What do you mean? How did any of this happen?”
He took her hands in his, peered down at her with a grin he couldn’t contain. “Lord Arsdale sent me a message two days ago, asked me to meet him at a tea house. I thought he wished to discuss an aspect of the case, but instead, he told me this townhouse was for sale.”
“How did he know that?”
“It was his townhouse, and he hasn’t lived here for years.
And since he is adamant about staying in Brighton as well as marrying there soon, he needed to sell this one.
So he asked me for advice on that, didn’t want his family to know what he was doing.
” He shrugged as excitement buzzed at the base of his spine.
“When he found out I was in the hunt for a new one, he offered it to me at a very undervalued price.”
When she tried to tug her hands from his, he tightened his grip. “How can we afford this?”
“I received my payment from Bow Street for solving the case, well, the two cases,” he said with a wink.
“Or at least the chief inspector told me it would be transferred to my account within the next few days. I believe him, for he was pleased with the results, and he’s already talked to a few journalists. ”
“Truly?” Even in the shadows, there was hope and interest in her eyes.
“Yes.” He nodded. “We are close to the British Museum and other entertainments. There is a crescent-shaped green space and a private park as well as a walled garden in the back for our family’s use.
There is plenty of room in this townhouse for the children, a schoolroom, my office as well as Kourier’s.
His help on this case was quite helpful.
I plan to call on him in a few days, show him around the house and then ask him to sign a partnership agreement.
There is a room for Adelaide to keep the agency running smoothly, as well as having enough live-in servants to help with all of that.
” Then he brought her close. “And room to grow, in whatever way we wish.” Would she read into what he didn’t say?
“Oh, heavens, I never thought this possible…”
“Dream big, sweeting. Our future is bright, no pun intended.” Then, with a curved finger beneath her chin, he raised her head and fit his lips to hers.
“Welcome home. That is, if you agree. If not, we will continue the search.” He hadn’t thought to ask her opinion, for the whole thing had happened so quickly.
“This is perfect. I can’t wait to see it in the daylight.” With a small sound that was much like a sob, she layered herself against him and held him close. “Thank you for always wanting to take care of me and our family.”
“It is at the heart of everything I do, and with the new agency opening hopefully after the new year, we will be able to have a more satisfactory balance.”
“This is so exciting.” When she pulled out of his hold, her enthusiasm was contagious. “When will we move?”
“Perhaps as early as month’s end. We shall be able to usher in the Christmastide season in our new home. Imagine how much the children will adore that.” In his mind’s eye, he could see them running down the staircase or playing on the checkered marble flooring in the entry hall.
Mary scrubbed at the moisture on her cheeks. “I suppose we’ll have room for that dog you keep talking about.”
An unexpected chuckle left his throat. “Perhaps, but our family is perfect just the way it is right now.” Would that change as the years advanced? Of course, but in this moment, his heart was full, and he couldn’t ask for anything more.
“I can’t wait to go on this new adventure with you,” she whispered as she brought one of his hands upward to press his gloved palm to her cheek. “This life we have is amazing.”
“Indeed, it is, and it can only get better from here.” With another grin, he took her hand and guided her back out of the house. “We’ll return tomorrow for a better tour, and we’ll bring the children.”
Life, he’d found, was a constant balance of good or bad, sorrow and joy, darkness and light.
There were times when a man needed to make difficult decisions for the good of others, and in those cases, he was obliged to remove his ego and personal opinions from the equation.
But with each decision, if he was fortunate, he grew alongside the experience gained, and that was better than any accolade or commendation he could earn.
Funny how priorities changed when he realized what truly mattered in life.
If you enjoyed this book, please leave a review on the site of your choice.