Terrence reclined in his study in a wing-backed leather chair, his sleeves rolled up, cravat tossed somewhere, and his shirt unbuttoned halfway. He ran his hands through his hair and watched the sun trying to break through the gray morning clouds. Sleep had been nonexistent. James had returned from finding the grave and speaking with many of Linden’s acquaintances in the East End. Now, Terrence knew that his employee had been murdered following his directive.
James had also told Terrence about the living conditions Elizabeth suffered through with her young daughter, and it had taken every effort he had not to march over there and demand she come home with him. But Terrence knew better. After their confrontation days ago, it was apparent now more than ever how stubborn she was. She wouldn’t simply walk away with him. Her pride and anger wouldn’t allow it. And so he might push her further away if he went. But he did the next best thing he could think of. Wrote that honest letter, opened his heart to her again.
He was probably a fool, but what else could he do? He did still love her, even though she’d betrayed him.
Did she believe that Linden’s blood was on Terrence’s hands? He supposed she’d be right if she did. He should have sent more reinforcements with Linden. The two armed guards he had with him should have been sufficient, but clearly, they were not. And that was on Terrence.
A flash of red caused his muddled brain to become fully alert. His eyes riveted to the street beyond his window.
Elizabeth?
Terrence pushed out of his chair and pressed a hand to the glass of the window. Sure enough, her beautiful face taunted him. And this time, Elizabeth brought with her a miniature version of her: her daughter.
He didn’t wait for her to knock as he didn’t want the door to be answered by one of his staff. He rushed out of his library towards the front door, flinging it wide before she could raise the knocker. Elizabeth gaped up at him wide-eyed, mouth open in shock, and her hand stuck in mid-air.
“You’re here,” he said, stating the obvious, mostly to convince himself he wasn’t dreaming.
She nodded. “I…” Her voice was small, nervous.
“Come in.” Terrence pushed the door wider, taking a moment to stare down at the little cherub, who looked up at him with innocent curiosity.
“Mummy, what are we doing here? Mrs. Crum will yell at me if I’m late,” she said, glancing back at Elizabeth.
“Would you like hot chocolate?” Terrence asked the child.
“Hot chocolate?” she asked, her nose wrinkling in bewilderment.
His throat tightened, and he couldn’t swallow past the ball that suddenly lodged there. The poor lass had never had hot chocolate.
“’Tis a sweet drink, Sarah,” Elizabeth said, pressing her hand gently to the little girl’s shoulder. “Ye’ll like it, I promise. And never ye mind about Mrs. Crum.”
“Come with me, dear child.”
Terrence tore his eyes away from Elizabeth and the girl to see his housekeeper standing a few feet away. Sarah looked up at her mother, and when Elizabeth nodded, she scurried down the hall with Mrs. Ball.
“Terrence, I…” Elizabeth pursed her lips, cutting off her own words.
He wanted to reach out to her, to hold her hands in his and tell her not to say anything. That if she wanted to come home to him, he was willing to forgive and forget everything that had happened. But she held her hands tight in front of her, and he didn’t want to compel her if she came for some other reason.
Patience was not a virtue he normally possessed, but it seemed in this case, he was blessed with an infinite amount.
“Can I offer you a drink?” he asked. “Tea?”
She shook her head.
“Would you like to sit in the drawing-room?”
This time, she nodded. Terrence offered his arm, and she slid hers through, a spark of delicious memory firing in his brain. Her touch was warm, familiar, even though it had been fleeting years earlier. He swung open the door to the drawing-room and escorted her to the settee, begrudgingly leaving her to shut the door.
Elizabeth perched on the end of her seat, her fingers once more entwined and wringing. She lifted her eyes towards his, the edges rimmed with tears. Without thinking, Terrence sat beside her and swiped at the tears with the pads of his thumbs.
“Don’t cry, sweeting,” he whispered.
“I’m so confused,” she said, eyes searching his.
He couldn’t stand seeing her cry. Her lower lip trembled, and he swept his thumb over it, remembering every kiss, every whispered word.
“Was it all a lie?” Though he asked the question, he prayed she wouldn’t answer. He wasn’t sure he could bear it if she said it was.
“No.” Elizabeth licked her lips, the tip of her tongue, skimmed his thumb before he could pull away. Her touch seared him, awakening in him the love he’d tried to lay to rest.
He blinked longer than necessary and pulled his hands away from her. He had to focus. Couldn’t think about tugging her into his arms, kissing her sadness away.
“I loved ye, Terrence. Despite my reason for finding ye, for making ye pay for the death of my husband, for wanting answers, I fell in love. But I couldna stay. Not with Sarah counting on me.”
Loved. That was past tense.
“Why didn’t you just tell me?”
Elizabeth shook her head, removed the red hat and set it on the seat beside her. Glorious brown curls fell around her shoulders. “I wasna sure I could trust ye. Linden said his death was your responsibility.”
Terrence sighed. “It was. If I hadn’t sent him out to our supplier that day, he and his guards never would have been jumped.”
“Guards?” Elizabeth focused her gaze on his lapel, avoiding eye contact. “But Linden was found alone. Not a sign of anyone else. I thought all this time ye’d sent him alone…” Her voice trailed off, and her hands came to her lips. “Oh, God…Linden’s two guards found me later that day. They gave me several coins, saying Linden would have done the same for their wives.”
“They set him up…Bastards!” And had paid her in his blood money. “We will hunt them down and make them pay.”
Elizabeth stared up at him with watery eyes. “Do you think, in his way, Linden was trying to tell me to find ye? No’ that ye were the one who took his life, but that ye could help find the men who did?” Her voice quavered. “I’m so sorry. I should have said something before. I’ve failed ye both.”
“No, Elizabeth. You don’t have to apologize. You’ve done nothing wrong. His death is on those men’s heads, and I will see them brought to justice.”
“But I do! What if they’ve hurt more people?”
Terrence shook his head. “They haven’t. Not yet as far as I know. You were doing what you thought was right. Protecting your child. I’ll not hold that against you.”
“But I still hurt ye. I was still stubborn and foolish.”
“You didn’t know if I would accept you and your child.” Terrence seized a chance and gently caressed her arms to comfort her. “I would have. I will now.” He wanted desperately to take her into his arms and kiss away the years of pain. “If I’m not mistaken, you are still my wife, which makes Sarah my daughter.”
“Oh, Terrence.” Elizabeth sagged into him, her forehead resting on his shoulder, her warm breath on his neck. Her shoulders shook as she let her tears release.
Terrence held his breath and stroked her back tenderly, threading his fingers into her hair. They’d barely begun their lives together when she’d disappeared, and now he had a second chance.
“Elizabeth, my darling, I never want to see you hurt. You’ve been through so much already. I just want to lessen your pain. See the way your joy lights up the blue in your eyes. Let me try.”
“What will everyone say?” she said, a hiccup on the end. Tilting her head back, she peered at him, tears streaking her cheeks.
He wiped at the tear tracks. “I don’t give a fig what they say. As long as we’re happy, they can all go rot.”
“And Sarah?”
“A daughter to me, I swear it.” He grazed his fingers over her face, turning her chin up, so she looked at him. “Give me a chance to prove I can be the man you need.”
“Ye already proved that years ago.” Elizabeth leaned up, her lips a hair’s breadth from his. “’Tis why I ran. I sought out with revenge on my mind, and then I fell in love. I couldna go through with it. I was so confused. I was such a fool to run out on you, not to see the truth for what it was. Ye’re a good man, Lord Shaftesbury, and I have never stopped loving ye. I only hope ye can forgive me.”
“All is forgiven. I’ve never stopped loving you either, hoping to see you walk through the door.” Terrence ended his declaration with a kiss, pressing his lips to her warm, inviting mouth.
He’d missed the pleasure of her kiss, the tenderness, the raw desire and excitement of it. Desire thrilled through his veins. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her onto his lap so that he could devour her mouth all the more. Elizabeth answered his kiss with a fiery passion he remembered. The years of space and fear melted away, replaced with renewed energy and yearning.
“I’m so sorry,” she murmured again.
Terrence opened his eyes, locking his gaze on hers, somber. “No, I’m sorry. I should have delved deeper, looked harder.”
“I didna want to be found.” She kissed his chin. “I’ll never doubt ye again.”
Terrence pulled her closer. “I never gave up hope you’d return.”
“I’ll never leave again.” Elizabeth looked intently into his eyes. “I swear it.”
“I want to make love to you. It’s been so long.” He placed her hands to his beating heart.
“Oh, Terrence, so do I.”
He claimed her mouth once more, passion and heat rising between him. She trembled in his embrace.
“Are you certain?” he asked.
“I’ve never been more certain in my life.”
Terrence laid her back on the settee, and Elizabeth wrapped a leg around his hip, surrounding him with her warmth. Making love to her had been glorious, the best he’d ever had, and here she was again, his completely for forever. Deepening the kiss, he grazed his fingers along her rib cage, down over her hip and thigh.
“You’re more beautiful than I remember,” he murmured, kissing a path from her chin, along the column of her neck to the valley of her breasts.
Elizabeth skimmed her hands up and down his back, sending shivers dashing over his skin.
Blood roared through his ears in a desperate rush to reach his loins. He tried to go slow, stroking her center until she quivered and laving her soft breasts until her nipples puckered like ripe cherries.
“Please, Terrence, I can’t wait any longer.” Her desperate cry shoved him over the edge.
Terrence tore open his breeches, hiked up her skirts and pushed towards home. They both cried out at the joining of their bodies. Hands stroked, limbs tangled, mouths collided. They rode the waves of ecstasy in time with the beat of their racing hearts until both could no longer move and pleasure soaked them in sweat.
Sated for the moment, they lay in each other’s arms, hearts pounding, breath heaving. They were together again, the earl and his lady in red.