Chapter 15
I sat next to Wickham as we finished dinner at the Sky Powder Cafe. “I’ve been texting Kitty. She was a chimera, but her disguise was impressive. The police are pretty sure Zoe was the one who started the fire.”
Wickham stopped eating and leaned back in his seat. “That makes sense. With the note she left and everything, it had to be connected. It didn't seem like there was too much damage to the bakery though."
Cupid's Confections had all sorts of enchantments and protections.
The smoke might've left any other structure uninhabitable for weeks, but not our family bakery.
She'd need pretty strong magic to cause any permanent harm.
"I think she slammed the door behind us when we went downstairs.
She probably didn't realize that protected the rest of the building. They are already back up and running."
“Austen Heights really isn't your average town, is it?" Wickham raised his brows.
“No, and an anonymous benefactor paid for the repairs even before my parents had time to file an insurance claim.”
“I bet I can guess who that was. For some reason, Darcy has taken quite an interest in your family’s affairs.” Wickham cleaned the corners of his mouth with his napkin.
“That's who I suspect as well. Darcy also wanted to clear your name. He’s kind of a strange guy, isn’t he?
The way he jumps in to fix everyone's problems makes me wonder why he cares so much, or is it that he feels a responsibility?” I mused, not expecting Wickham to have any actual answers.
The mystery that was Darcy Valemont would have to be solved another day.
Wickham rolled his eyes to the side. “He’s certainly something. He's got a lot of resources, and fortunately he sees it as his responsibility to protect others.”
"He's like Batman." I chuckled. I didn’t understand the history between the two of them, and figured Wickham would tell me when he was ready. But we needed to see the bright side. “Thankfully, no one is accusing you of anything now, right?”
“Not right now.” He sighed, frowning. “I must look like a villain or something. It’s so easy for people to blame me for everything.”
I set down my fork, preparing to help my husband see things clearly.
His brilliant green aura revealed what I knew all along about him.
He was a pure soul. “You don’t look like a villain.
But you are very attractive. That alone can make people jealous or suspicious.
It’s like they can’t quite piece together the idea that you look the way you do and have a good heart. ”
“You’re speaking from experience, aren’t you?” He asked, his flirty grin making an appearance. “You’re pretty easy on the eyes yourself.”
I laughed. “What are we going to do with ourselves now?”
“As the dust settles…” Wickham’s gaze fell distant, and he pondered for a moment. “That is an excellent question, Lydia. What do we do now? I suppose we’ll have to see.”
The kettle whistled, and I poured two cups of peppermint tea, then carried them to the sofa where my husband was fast asleep.
I set the tray down on the coffee table and sat in an adjacent armchair.
We had undoubtedly placed ourselves in a complicated situation, and maybe I was a bit out of my depth.
But I was willing to take responsibility for my actions, and believed we had a chance at true happiness.
I used to think I could reach out into the cosmos and take whatever I wanted.
Life seemed to work that way for me. Now I could see that if I really wanted this life with Wickham, I was going to have to fight for it.
I brushed my hand across his forehead and softly kissed it. “Time to wake up, Mr. Wickham. The roads are plowed, and we need to get home.”
I’d packed our bags, and they sat ready by the door. “I’ve loved this little cabin, but we’ve got a lot to take care of at home.”
Wickham yawned, blinking at me. “Home?”
“Yes.”
Wickham blinked open his warm brown eyes, and a smile stretched across his face. “This is a pleasant way to wake up.”
Though I didn’t know what our life together would entail, I was going to love every minute of it, as long as we stayed together.