Page 75 of Along Came a Rogue

“To see you, of course.”

Her heart slammed hard against her ribs. Seeing him today had shocked her more than the accident. “Is he still here?”

“No.” Thomas pushed himself away from the door and came slowly toward her. “He’s gone to track down the driver of the phaeton.”

Her breath choked as her nervousness turned to fear. “It wasn’t an accident, was it?”

“No,” he answered quietly.

Oh God, it was happening again! As she pressed the heel of her hand against her forehead, she felt the familiar fear stir inside her chest, the same fear Grey had once chased away by holding her in his arms. “Whoever killed Andrew and set the house on fire…He thinks—he thinks they’re coming after me here?”

“We don’t know that for certain,” he tried to reassure her, but the grim expression darkening his face told her otherwise. “We’ll know more soon. No need to worry.”

No need to worry? She swallowed back a laugh at that. Oh, there was so much to worry about! But she put on a brave face for her brother, the same one he was showing for her, and nodded.

He sat down beside her on the bed, just as he did when they were little, and his eyes filled with emotion. “But Grey also told me what happened with your marriage.”

Quick anger flashed through her. “He had no right to tell you—”

“Brat,” he whispered pleadingly, unable to find his voice beneath the betrayal and hurt revealed on his face.

Cut by the pain she saw in him for both himself and her, tears of regret swelled up in her eyes. “I’m so sorry, Thomas,” she choked out, barely above a whisper as the emotions overtook her. “Please…please forgive me.”

With a sob, she fell into his arms and clung to him as she cried, and all the pain, guilt, and regret she’d been carrying inside her finally released. She’d dreaded this moment for so long, so afraid of what he would think of her when she finally told him the truth, how ashamed she would be to admit that she’d been so wrong about Andrew…but there was no recrimination in him, no blame. Only forgiveness.

He held her tightly, rocking her in his arms until her sobs died away into soft sniffs. When she finally stopped crying, he pulled back from her and looked down into her face.

“I love you, Emily.” He cupped her face between his hands. “I’d do anything to help you, you know that.”

She nodded, unable to speak through the emotions swirling within her.

“You can always count on me for help, brat, no matter what happens.” Frowning down at her, he brushed away the last of her tears with his thumbs. “Don’t ever hide from me again. I couldn’t bear to lose you twice.” He forced a crooked grin as he looked down at her big belly. “Or to be kept away from the bulge.”

She smiled at him, all her doubts fleeing. Thomas was a wonderful brother, and he was going to be a terrific uncle. “Want to feel the baby?”

Sudden panic flashed through his eyes. “I—I don’t—I mean—really?”

She laughed. Her heroic brother who had fought his way across the Peninsula was squeamish about this! She took his hand and laid it over her belly. “Can you feel him?” She smiled lovingly at him. “He’s moving.”

With his breath held, he gently pressed his palm against her. She stared up at him expectantly, waiting for him to feel…

There!—a movement inside her, a flutter beneath their hands. He gasped, his wide eyes flying up to hers.

The sensation came again, and he laughed with wonder. “Amazing,” he murmured, his eyes shining.

“Isn’t it, though?” she whispered, smiling down at her belly.

Finally, her dreams were coming true. She was going to be a mother and have the family she’d always wanted. She’d mended her rift with both Thomas and her parents now, making peace with her past and coming to understand them better than she ever had in her life. She’d even begun to draw and paint again, during the past few weeks creating some of the best pieces she’d ever made.

The only thing missing was Grey.

Her chest ached. Dear God, how much she missed him! She thought she’d be able to move on and mend her heart, but she hadn’t realized until she saw him again today how much she still longed for him. And he hadn’t given up, even after three months of her rejections. Perhaps—just perhaps—might he truly love her? Or if not love, then at least care for her enough not to regret marrying her if she accepted his proposal after all?

“Thomas?” she asked quietly, doubt niggling at her. If Grey could persist in his pursuit this long, in the face of consistent refusal…had she misread what truly mattered to him?

“Hmm?” Her brother’s attention was still captivated by the baby’s movements.

She lowered her voice. “What would you do if you had to give up your work with the War Office? If you couldn’t be a spy anymore?”