twined her fingers in his own. It would be so easy to step into his embrace. To let his warmth make her forget her own reservations and concerns. But she had come here to do a job, and she had done that job. It was time to go home and reap her rewards. And attend at least one of her best friends' weddings. She pulled away from his grasp and found the matches to light a candle. Once she had that small light between them she saw his look of concern.
She cleared her throat. "You wanted to ask me a question?"
It took him a moment but he said, "Oh. Yes. A letter came in today that I thought you might be interested in. It is addressed to Herr Otto and is in English. It refers to shipping rights and transportation, but isn't official British correspondence."
"How do you know?"
"Well, I handle enough correspondence to know who it typically comes from. And the requests, the offers it lists? It is more something that would be from a brazen criminal."
"Does it purport to represent the British Empire?"
"Not at all. But it lists agreements for transporting goods to British ports at a better than reasonable price in trade for access to ports along the Rhine and Main. Special access that one could assume was meant to subvert local oversight. Whether to avoid taxation or review of goods is the only question."
George frowned. "Yes, I should take that to… someone."
He stepped toward her again and ran the back of his fingers over her cheekbone. "All right. I'll bring it to you tomorrow."
"It will have to be," she paused as she heard her voice crack. "It will have to be early in the morning. I'm-" She stopped again as her throat seemed to seize up.
He cradled her face in his hands. "You're what?"
She forced it out in a rush of expelled air. "I'm leaving for London."
Casimir was completely still for a moment, absorbing her news. His brow furrowed. "But your husband was at the ball tonight and there was no mention-"
"He's not my husband!" George stumbled back and slapped a hand over her mouth. As hard as it had been to say she was leaving for England, disavowing Appleton as her husband had popped out unbidden.
"What?" Casimir's voice was low, almost completely lacking in inflection.
They stared at each other until she finally removed her hand and whispered, "He's not my husband. I'm not married."
"That's what I thought you said." Within a moment he crushed her into his embrace. His kiss was fevered, possessive. She was still confused over what she wanted, what she hoped. But her body sang with joy to have his arms so firmly around her, his hand cupping the back of her head as he plundered her mouth. Her own fingers slid into his hair to hold him even closer.
He broke the kiss, breathing hard. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Why? This is why."
"What do you mean?"
"I knew that you would be like this. Proprietary."
"Perhaps my English is failing me."
She snorted. "That's doubtful."
He nipped her bottom lip. "Then talk sense, woman."
"I knew that without my purported marriage between us, that everything would change. Your attitude, your posture. You would have given us away within minutes."
"I can't imagine what else we could do that would be more brazen than the flirtation we are already known for."
"It was clearly a flirtation, full of forlorn looks and sad sighing. But now?"
"I wish you had trusted me. Here, watch." He drew back and gave her a crestfallen look, followed by a gusty, despondent sigh.
She giggled in spite of herself. "I don't think they would have been convinced."
He kissed her neck and chuckled. "Trust me, I can convince anyone of anything."
Her heart stilled in her chest. That was what she was afraid of.
C HAPTER T HIRTEEN
Casimir rested his cheek against Gina's and waited for his world to right itself again. She wasn't married to Appleton! His body's reaction to the news had been immediate and overwhelming. Mine. An unquestioning and utter need to claim her.
She cleared her throat. "You wanted to ask me a question?"
It took him a moment but he said, "Oh. Yes. A letter came in today that I thought you might be interested in. It is addressed to Herr Otto and is in English. It refers to shipping rights and transportation, but isn't official British correspondence."
"How do you know?"
"Well, I handle enough correspondence to know who it typically comes from. And the requests, the offers it lists? It is more something that would be from a brazen criminal."
"Does it purport to represent the British Empire?"
"Not at all. But it lists agreements for transporting goods to British ports at a better than reasonable price in trade for access to ports along the Rhine and Main. Special access that one could assume was meant to subvert local oversight. Whether to avoid taxation or review of goods is the only question."
George frowned. "Yes, I should take that to… someone."
He stepped toward her again and ran the back of his fingers over her cheekbone. "All right. I'll bring it to you tomorrow."
"It will have to be," she paused as she heard her voice crack. "It will have to be early in the morning. I'm-" She stopped again as her throat seemed to seize up.
He cradled her face in his hands. "You're what?"
She forced it out in a rush of expelled air. "I'm leaving for London."
Casimir was completely still for a moment, absorbing her news. His brow furrowed. "But your husband was at the ball tonight and there was no mention-"
"He's not my husband!" George stumbled back and slapped a hand over her mouth. As hard as it had been to say she was leaving for England, disavowing Appleton as her husband had popped out unbidden.
"What?" Casimir's voice was low, almost completely lacking in inflection.
They stared at each other until she finally removed her hand and whispered, "He's not my husband. I'm not married."
"That's what I thought you said." Within a moment he crushed her into his embrace. His kiss was fevered, possessive. She was still confused over what she wanted, what she hoped. But her body sang with joy to have his arms so firmly around her, his hand cupping the back of her head as he plundered her mouth. Her own fingers slid into his hair to hold him even closer.
He broke the kiss, breathing hard. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Why? This is why."
"What do you mean?"
"I knew that you would be like this. Proprietary."
"Perhaps my English is failing me."
She snorted. "That's doubtful."
He nipped her bottom lip. "Then talk sense, woman."
"I knew that without my purported marriage between us, that everything would change. Your attitude, your posture. You would have given us away within minutes."
"I can't imagine what else we could do that would be more brazen than the flirtation we are already known for."
"It was clearly a flirtation, full of forlorn looks and sad sighing. But now?"
"I wish you had trusted me. Here, watch." He drew back and gave her a crestfallen look, followed by a gusty, despondent sigh.
She giggled in spite of herself. "I don't think they would have been convinced."
He kissed her neck and chuckled. "Trust me, I can convince anyone of anything."
Her heart stilled in her chest. That was what she was afraid of.
C HAPTER T HIRTEEN
Casimir rested his cheek against Gina's and waited for his world to right itself again. She wasn't married to Appleton! His body's reaction to the news had been immediate and overwhelming. Mine. An unquestioning and utter need to claim her.
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