She hadn’t worn it for years, but now that it was gone, Angelika loved it more than anything else she owned. It was definitely Mary who’d taken it. She’d always remarked it was the finest jewel in Angelika’s collection. It had taken some deep breaths, and the patient counsel of Will, to come to terms with the spitefulness of the crime.
Funny how Will coached her through her worst moments for Christopher to witness her at her best. She sipped her tea and said to him now, “I shall consider it a retirement gift.”
“How extraordinary to simply accept this sort of news,” Christopher said, crossing a leg over the other. “You once told me you hate thieves.”
“I don’t think I do anymore. Everyone has a reason for what they do.”
Those thighs were twin works of art. Angelika bit so slowly and deeply into her cake whilst staring that he flushed pink. The man was so clean she could smell soap and starch.
Being alone felt like a bad idea.
After clearing his throat, Christopher said, “You see the good in absolutely everybody. I feel like I need to protect you from that aspect of your personality.”
Angelika looked into her tea and pondered this. “If you had met me a few months ago, you would have said I was a young woman who only ever saw the bad in people, and probably would have hung someone for a ring or brooch. You wouldn’t have liked me. Nobody did.”
“What has changed?” The answer came to him immediately. “Finding Will has set you on a new path. Are you sure it wasn’t he who stole from you?” Despite his smile, he was serious.
Angelika dismissed this with a haughty look. “The man is a saint.”
“No man is. Believe me.” A frisson of energy vibrated through them both, and Angelika’s cup rattled on its saucer. Christopher’s eyes were now the same dark peacock blue as the chair. “We have no idea if he is a sinner or saint. What will you do if I uncover him to be a thief?”
“I’ll forgive him.”
“Or he’s a swindler? He’s faked his entire memory loss to escape his debts? Married with his own brood?” This last one hit its mark, and his eyes gleamed like a hunter’s. “You are madly in love with someone, and that is certain: Edwin Hoggett. You will be an exceptional mother. And that requires the input of an exceptional father.”
Nobody had ever made the word input sound quite that filthy.
“Do you actually wish for a baby?” Angelika asked him skeptically. “Or are you attempting to form a side negotiation with my female organs?”
“Well, that would be improper.” He grinned, cutting a look at her waist. “Yes, I want a lot of babies, and I believe I want them with you. I promised to get you organized on that front, remember?”
“I definitely remember. And now I feel like we require a chaperone.”
“Do you?” Christopher was intrigued and balanced his saucer on one heavenly leg. “I have made the bold, brave Miss Frankenstein blush? Now that makes me pleased with myself. Should we perhaps take the opportunity to see if we have a viable connection? A kiss, that is what I ask,” he added quickly when seeing the look on her face. “I ordinarily would not be so outrageous, but—”
“You’re in a rather outrageous household.”
“Exactly.”
He deserved the full truth. “I promised my hand to Will, virtually the moment he opened his eyes, whether he wanted me or not. I felt a sense of destiny, finding him the way I did. We have a connection I cannot possibly explain to you. It feels like he is mine. Like we are family.”
“Your loyalty is a commendable trait. But you were not in possession of all the facts about him. He might not be of good standing. Meanwhile, I am a good match for you in every way. Here’s what I know. You are bored and unstimulated here in the country.”
“I cannot deny that I am bored at Blackthorne Manor.” But she was never bored at Larkspur Lodge.
“I promise you adventure. At home, in private, you may remain as unconventional as you please, and I hope you do. For formal duties, you shall have the latest dresses and be the envy of all the other military wives. Do you hunt?”
“Frightfully well.” Angelika looked down at her trousers. “You wish for me to change myself.”
He rushed to reassure her. “No. I wish for us to be successful. You’re clever, and you know how to play the society game. It would be fun, wouldn’t it, having our secret life together, after the day is done?”