“What is it?”
Dankyo put his hands behind his back. “They’re reopening the inquiry into the airship crash, sir. Apparently this employer of hers”—he nodded at Claire—“Mr. Inkline, is rumored to have been carrying some dangerous cargo, though as yet, no one knows what it was. That was the reason for the attack. The Brito-Gallic League have finally admitted to the attack and given us this information as a gesture of apology.”
“Dangerous cargo?” Theo’s fingers moved on her bottom. She had to restrain herself from wriggling.
Then a spike of fear drove into her. She was the dangerous cargo. Did it matter, though? That was the past, buried and gone.
She listened as they batted possibilities back and forth.
“Could this cargo have had something to do with the assassinations?” Theo asked.
“Perhaps, sir.”
She’d decided that the assassinations would never happen. That they’d been aborted completely. But what if they hadn’t been? Was it wise to completely dismiss the plan? Because someone called Theo had been on the list, and Theo, her Theo, was going off without her and Dankyo. Someone else might have been given her target. And that target might have been Theodore Kevonis. Anxiety knifed through her. What if… What if he’s killed because I’ve not told the truth?
At last they gave up on the discussion, and Dankyo strode away.
“Claire?” Theo was staring down at her. “I’m sorry, but I’ll be leaving sooner than I thought. I will send for you once I gain the agreement of parliament. Once it’s safe, Dankyo will bring you. There’s a presidential ball being held in the capital. I would love to show you how we Hellenes celebrate.” The smile he gave her was enigmatic, as if he had some surprise in mind.
She reined in her panic, thoughts churning. She had to either tell him everything or somehow get on that airship.
As they walked to the back entrance of the mansion, Theo casually asked her the question she’d been dreading. “Have you any idea what this dangerous cargo would have been?”
He barely looked at her, and she was grateful. He’d waited for Dankyo to go before asking her. To give her space to think and to answer without pressure. Ah, that almost undid her right then and there. He gave her kindness, and she gave back dishonesty.
She should tell him. Kneel down and beg his forgiveness and tell him. Only, she couldn’t. Her bravery failed her. Nothing in this world was as important to her as Theo, and she couldn’t bear to throw it all away by being truthful.
The hours before his departure tortured her. He’d learned her mannerisms so well, if she put a foot wrong, spoke with the wrong inflection, made the wrong gesture, he’d know she was concealing something important. Yet she didn’t want him to leave.
As it was, they reached the front steps before she ended up crying. Beyond, the airship waited. Cold rain gusted across, swathing it in a curtain of gray. Theo’s men waited patiently with umbrellas over their heads.
Theo hugged her to him. “Claire. What’s wrong?”
She hugged him tighter, arms around him, her face buried against the crook of his neck, inhaling his scent. Her white dress had thick lacy petticoats and a cantilevered bodice. Though her breasts stood up nicely, there was way too much cloth between her and Theo. She wanted to feel his skin. A tear trickled along her nose. At least the rain would disguise the moisture left on his shirt.
“Claire?” He patted her back. “I have to go.”
“I don’t want you to go,” she managed to whisper.
“I’ll bring you to me soon. Dankyo will stay here with you. Parliament will revoke that bill; then you can come. I know we have the votes. This will happen. All right?”
He gently pulled her arms away, then held her chin up and looked at her. “Tears?”
“Stupid of me.” She shook her head, trying to dislodge his fingers but not succeeding.
Damnation, she needed to give him a reason for her unhappiness. She clutched for another truth, not that one, and knew it had to be something that would distract him. Every second his gray eyes seemed to delve deeper into her thoughts, dissecting her, and eventually he’d hit bone. She let the sadness fill her.
Despite the others within earshot, she opened her heart to him, and she told him her fear, though not the reason why.
“I… You are everything to me, Theo. Without you, I feel I am nothing. I don’t want to leave you, or you to leave me. I’m afraid of what might happen.”
He frowned, then leaned in and said softly in her ear. “I’m not leaving you, Claire. I don’t ever want to leave you. But this is not the place to discuss such things. When you come to the capital?”
Ever? He doesn’t ever want to leave me? Oh, yes, oh yes. She nodded, sniffing. “Yes.”