Emerson drew a wax sealer from his desk drawer. It was identical to Uncle Ashby's.
"He must have broken the seal on the letters, read them, and then replaced it with this."
Thea nodded. "But what did he hope to gain?"
"Money."
"How?"
Emerson rolled his shoulders. "I have just this week become aware of missing inventory from the secret warehouse. Expensive inventory. I now believe Barton was stealing from that warehouse, hoping to blame me for the thefts."
"Surely he must have realized from reading the letters that Uncle Ashby would have cleared you."
"By then, he would have been far from England." Drake's voice vibrated in his chest against the hand she had placed there. "Remember, he stole the letters as well."
"You think he planned to run?"
"I'm sure of it. Hansen caught him trying to leave town, if you remember."
She did remember. "And he tried to get out of coming to confront Emerson."
He'd said he was afraid of facing his employer's temper, but Drake had insisted on his presence.
Her husband nodded. "Yes."
Emerson took another sip of his whiskey, still looking rather shaken. "I trusted him completely. I will naturally resign my position. My judgment is clearly not sound."
"Nonsense. Anyone can be taken in by an imposter." She thought of her mother's mistaken belief that Langley loved her in the beginning of their marriage and thanked God for sending a man like Drake into her own life. "In fact, I think we need to discuss the possibility of partnership. I cannot take such an active role in business now that I'm married, you know."
She had no intention of significantly curtailing her activities, but Emerson would need help now that Barton was gone, and making him a partner seemed the right thing to do after almost sending him to gaol.
Emerson's expression turned hopeful. "You cannot mean it."
"I do." She smiled. "You will be married soon. I'm sure your wife will be pleased at your change in circumstance."
He actually blushed. "She's a wonderful woman. Her family is very well off. She could have married almost anyone, but she accepted my proposal."
Thea remembered the rumors of a mistress and was absolutely certain they were no longer founded in reality. Emerson was clearly besotted with the girl he planned to marry.
"I believe we will make the partnership a wedding gift. I know Uncle Ashby will approve." She turned her face up to meet her husband's eyes. "What do you think?"
r /> "I think any man who is partly responsible for our meeting deserves a considerable reward."
The comment sent warmth throughout her body while Emerson beamed with an astonished happiness that he made no effort to hide.
"When?"
"My aunt told me that they are going to have dinner en famille tonight. She has invited us to come afterwards. You will come with me, won't you?"
His hold on her tightened. "How can you doubt it?"
Thea curled into Drake's side, satiated from his loving. He'd brought her home after stopping to press formal charges against Barton and had taken her straight to bed.
"It's hard to believe it's all over," she murmured.
"If we had not been watching Barton along with Emerson, we would never have known he was responsible for the attack on your life." Drake's voice sounded strained.
She rubbed his chest in a soothing motion, but the knowledge the villain had hired someone to spy on her, with instructions to see she met with a fatal accident when she made arrangements to come to England, made her shiver. Apparently the spy had overheard her talking to Whiskey Jim and inquiring about his next run to England.