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And for the first time in her life, Harriet dared to believe she might just deserve it. The fire in the grate had burned very low, and the room had grown still around them, as though the house itself had been holding its breath through every confession and was only now, at last, beginning to exhale.

And with another sob, she ran into his arms, and this time he let her. Sebastian caught her, his strong arms closing around her, holding her as if he would never let go. Her fingers clutched at his shoulders, at anything solid, anything real, to anchor herself against the storm of emotion raging within her.

Then his head dipped, and he pressed his lips to hers. Not gently, not hesitantly, but with the full and certain weight of everything they had survived to reach this moment. She felt it in the press of his mouth, the steadiness of his hands, the way he held her as though she were both precious and permanent. She had spent years running from the truth, but there was no running from this. She belonged to him. She always had. And as he deepened the kiss, she knew this time, she would never let him go.

CHAPTER 17

That which slew me can restore me,

Bid me with new ardor rise:

Then I still will fall before thee,

Captured by thy beaming eyes.

The New Ladies’ Valentine Writer (1821)

* * *

December 20, 1821

Sebastian sat stiffly in the drawing room of his brother’s grand townhouse, his jaw locked as he stared at the Duke of Halmesbury. The atmosphere was tense, the silence thick with unspoken grievances. Beside him, Richard shifted, ever so slightly, but kept his focus on the duke.

Philip leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled beneath his chin as he regarded them both. His expression was unreadable, but Sebastian knew his brother well enough to recognize the flicker of calculation in his gaze. The fire in the grate burned steadily, indifferent to the difficulty of what was being attempted in the room.

“So,” Philip finally said, his voice cool and measured. “You wish me to grant my blessing on a marriage to a woman I have warned you against.”

Sebastian’s hands fisted in his lap. “I am not here to ask for your permission,” he stated. “I am here to tell you that Harriet and I will be married. But I would prefer that you support us and accept her into this family as she deserves.”

Philip arched a brow. “Deserves?”

Richard cleared his throat. “If I may, Halmesbury. Lady Slight has undergone a … transformation of sorts. I believe you are not aware of the good she has done these past months.”

Philip’s eyes flicked to Richard, assessing. “And what, pray, has she done to earn such praise from you?”

“Lady Slight sought me out in August, after the situation with Brendan. She asked for my help in pursuing her own road to redemption.”

Philip exhaled, frowning slightly. He was clearly taken aback by this announcement.

“Truly? In what way?”

Sebastian exchanged a look with Richard before speaking. He nodded. Harriet had given her consent to share some of her activities with the duke in an effort to mend things between him and Sebastian.

Richard leaned forward. “She has made it her mission to help those who cannot help themselves. To make up for her misdeeds. Women who have been cast aside. Servants who have nowhere else to turn. She took in Lady Wood when her own family would not aid her. She saved her maid, Jem, from life on the streets. She fought for Belinda Cooper when Harriet’s father left her to ruin. And Finch, her housekeeper⁠—”

Philip held up a hand, stopping him. He exhaled through his nose and averted his eyes, his expression thoughtful. The clock on the mantelpiece ticked steadily into the silence. “And you believe she has done all this out of genuine goodwill? A genuine desire to … change her behavior?”

“Yes,” Sebastian said without hesitation. “I have seen it with my own eyes. She is not the woman she once was.”

The duke was silent for a long moment. Then, to Sebastian’s utter surprise, he nodded.

“Very well,” Philip said. “You are determined, and I can see I will not sway you. If this is what you truly want, then I will not stand in your way.”

Philip exhaled slowly, his fingers still loosely steepled beneath his chin. He looked past Sebastian, his gaze unfocused, lost in memory.

“For years, I have made decisions in the belief that I was acting in your best interest, but since your return, I have reflected on the strain between us,” Philip said at last. “I believed I was protecting you. I thought I knew what was best.” He paused, his mouth pressing into a firm line. “But I suspect now that I failed you, Sebastian.”

Sebastian frowned, his back straightening. “What are you saying?”