“No,” she whispered. He sucked in a breath and she did dart her gaze to his then. Watching for his reaction. For his anger, he could see. She sighed. “I need to be honest with you, Callum. Even if it upsets you. I would have taken this secret to the grave with me if I’d been able to do so.”
He pursed his lips. The answer was to be expected. But it still cut. He wanted her to be able to trust him. She didn’t yet. She might not ever fully be able to do so. And yet he was bound to try to earn that trust. Earn that heart she guarded so closely.
“I’m sorry you were forced into this confidence with all of us thanks to some blackguard who would threaten you,” he said. “And I vow to you that I will find him. I will stop him. By whatever means necessary. Because I also vow to protect you, Valaria. Protect you with all I am and all I wish to be. You don’t have to accept that now, to understand it. Not after everything you’ve been through. But I will do it.”
She looked confused by that vow, then her cheeks filled with pink heat. “We should…we should get the others.”
He knew she was right, even though he wanted to remain alone with her, sheltered in the quiet together where nothing else could reach them. But he rose to his feet and helped her to hers. Then he kissed her once more and pressed his forehead to hers.
“Whatever you need, Valaria, I will give it to you. I promise you.”
And he hoped it could keep that promise. Hoped she could accept it and him. And that he could protect her from whoever threatened her and the future they could build together.
CHAPTER 23
Valaria’s head spun as their fivesome sat at the dining room table half an hour later. Neither the duchesses nor Theo had shown her anything less than kindness and friendship since they were reunited as a group. And their offers to help her, to help Callum, had been genuine and immediate.
Which was why Bernadette was now writing a list of any person who might have uncovered Valaria’s secret. It covered exactly who Callum had suggested: servants and neighbors who could have seen what she’d done. It wasn’t very long, but it was a start.
“What about your maid?” Flora asked. “Fanny, isn’t it?”
Valaria jolted. “Fanny is not involved in this.”
Callum wrinkled his brow as he gazed at her from down the table, as focused on her as he had been the entire afternoon. That regard was so powerful and so terrifying all at once. Right now he accepted her, forgave her, and it meant the world.
But would that hold? Would he come to hate her for what she’d done? For the threats her presence brought to his life and financial well-being? She couldn’t imagine he would turn so cruel as Silas had over the years…but losing his affection would sting in a different way.
“You cannot say that for certain,” he said gently. “Fanny has intimate knowledge that no other servant does. We must at least consider her.”
Valaria shifted. Telling her own secrets was one thing, potentially exposing Fanny to harm was quite another. “I refuse to believe that,” she insisted. “At least let us pursue other avenues before we bother Fanny with questions.”
Callum didn’t look certain, but he held up his hands as if in surrender. “As you wish, Valaria. We’ll push her down the list.”
He nodded toward Bernadette, and she added Fanny’s name to the collection with a sigh. “You have a good start,” she said. “But what will you do with the information so as to not raise suspicions?”
Valaria swallowed past the lump in her throat that formed there when she thought of this next part. “I wonder that myself,” she croaked out. “Three months after his death, having the servants and neighbors questioned by Silas’s former best friend will be odd, at best. The new duke might not even allow you access to his staff.”
“Silas’s cousin is wretched,” Callum conceded. “But I think I’ll have some leverage considering he pushed a grieving widow from her comfortable home during the height of her mourning.” When Valaria pulled a face, he nodded. “I know, I know. A ridiculous lie considering what we all know. But Franklin always cared what people thought of him. I’m going to imply that in your haste to evacuate, something of value was misplaced. And see if he’ll let me in as an emissary in your place to gently question those under his control who are on our list.”
“I’m sure he’ll know about you and me by now,” Valaria said, her cheeks growing hot as fire. “I shudder to think what he’ll say about that.”
Callum shifted. “I promise you, I won’t do anything to draw any more negative attention toward you than has already occurred.” He pushed from the table. “I will return home now, though. I have a letter to write to the man to arrange the meeting.”
Theo got to his feet, as well. “Let me join you. Perhaps I can be of some service in this.”
“I’d appreciate it,” Callum said.
Valaria sighed as she and the other ladies accompanied the men to the foyer. As Higgins rushed off to call for the carriages, she slipped to Callum’s side and stared up at him, unable to find words.
She’d expected things to change between them when he knew her secret. And they had. But not the way she had feared. If anything, she felt closer to the man. Dangerously closer.
“Will you…come back?” she whispered, needing him in that moment more than she had ever needed any other person. And she wasn’t strong enough to deny it, deny him.
His expression softened. “Would you like me to?”
She pondered that question and knew the answer immediately. She wanted him with her, to comfort her. To help her forget. To offer him comfort, as well, if he needed it. She nodded. “Tonight?”
“Yes.” His hand quivered at his side, as if he wanted to touch her. But he didn’t. Instead, he executed a quick nod and then left her home with Theo on his heels.
As the carriages rode away, two knights somehow charged with protecting her, Valaria turned back to her friends. She found them each with tears in their eyes and let out a ragged breath.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” she whispered.
“Oh, dearest,” Bernadette said, and then enveloped her in a tight hug. “Come. Let’s finish our tea.”
“Finish,” Valaria said on a shaky laugh as they all returned to the parlor. “We hadn’t really begun.”
“I’ll fix that,” Flora said, and rushed to the sideboard to prepare three cups.
After everyone had their refreshment and they had all settled back on the settee, Valaria between them, she sighed. “You must have so many questions.”
“Not a one,” Flora said, taking her hand. “Except what can we do?”
“How can you all be so kind?” Valaria whispered. “You two, Theo…Callum.”
“Because we care for you,” Bernadette said. “And Callum…well, Callum loves you.”
“Yes.” Valaria let out a shaky breath. “Callum does love me. He proves that regularly now, and makes my resolve so shaky.”
“Perhaps in this case, a solid resolve is rather unforgiveable,” Flora said. When both the others looked at her, she shrugged. “I believe I am the only one of the three of us who loved her husband, yes?”