A Scandal Most Daring

“I do,” Connor retorted flatly. “You and Joseph are the most important people in my life.”

Tahlia studied him. “But we are not very well acquainted. Not really. I mean, there is so much to learn about each other.”

Connor looked at her sharply. “I am the man you were intimate with three years ago. That was – is – me. I have not changed much. I just didn’t tell you about my work. I accept that our acquaintance was short, and we didn’t meet in the best of circumstances. Three months is not much of a courtship after all, but I held nothing back from you about the man I am.”

“Apart from the fact that you work for the War Office.”

Connor winced self-deprecatingly. “Alright, and the fact that I was working undercover supposedly keeping watch over someone who was smuggling French spies.”

“And that,” Tahlia coughed around a smile.

“Other than that, we are well acquainted,” he whispered.

“I have changed, Connor. My life has forced me to grow up a lot, and not be so naive anymore.”

He understood that. In the past he had shied away from taking on the responsibilities most men his age were expected to accept. Taking care of someone else was something he hadn’t even considered with any seriousness. Now, having missed her terribly, and doubted the wisdom of his actions for so long, he knew he was missing out. Tahlia was so fundamentally vital to his existence that his life had no purpose without her in it. Not even his work for the Star Elite gave him any satisfaction of a job well done. His life was empty; it was as simple as that.

Now, in a matter of just a few short minutes, his life was full to bursting and he felt extremely happy about it.

“I need to change my work so I am not sent out on undercover assignments anymore which are likely to take me away from home for several months at a time. We have recently had a new batch of men join us because we are expanding our operation into the counties. I can join one of the smaller, more rural groups working within Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire or Derbyshire. Although I will still work on dangerous jobs; we are capturing criminals after all, my work won’t be as reckless as some of the larger, and more sinister assignments.”

“Like your investigation into this Terrence Sayers?”

“Ye

s, like our investigation into Terrence Sayers,” he whispered.

“You would change your work for us?”

“I would change my life for you, Tahlia,” Connor sighed. “I mean that. It is why I haven’t taken my leave of you when you tried to force me to leave earlier.”

Tahlia smiled and ducked her head.

“I was rather rude, wasn’t I?” she admitted ruefully.

“Not really. It has been a rather trying day, though, hasn’t it?” Connor wanted nothing more than to kiss her again, but knew that if he did he knew he wouldn’t leave.

The temptation hovered there anyway, and he was in the process of attempting to do that when a low whistle broke the silence.

“Who is that?” Tahlia asked him with wide, haunted eyes.

Connor hastened to reassure her. “It is Barnaby. He is telling me it is time to leave.”

The reluctance that hovered over him as he made his way to the door was palpable. He captured her hand and tugged her with him as he made his way to the door. Turning toward her, he upped her face in his palms and placed a tender kiss on her smiling lips.

“Stay safe,” she whispered.

“I will be back as soon as I can,” he promised.

The words ‘I love you’ hovered on his lips. He hesitated but, when he opened his mouth another low whistle interrupted them. He knew that now was not the time. If she had any doubts, or fears, he couldn’t stay long enough to comfort her or discuss them.

He knew from painful experience just how much leaving her cost him, and he couldn’t go through that again. Gently, he placed one final kiss on her lips and left the room.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

An hour later, Connor studied the back of Mr Tate’s house and wished he was back in the bedroom with Tahlia.

The house before him was dark and unwelcoming. He, Barnaby, and Isaac, crept quietly through the garden gate, studying their surroundings as they went. The un-shuttered windows of the house were empty and devoid of life, signalling that they were unlikely to find anybody at home. Nobody spoke as they approached the window to the left of the back door. Seconds later, they all climbed all climbed inside and closed the window behind them.