Chapter 80
Millicent had scarcely a heartbeat to register the weight of my kiss before a man's voice broke the stillness just beyond the alley.
"Her Grace said she was waiting around here."
The sound tore through us like the toll of a warning bell.
In an instant, she pulled back. There was urgency in her touch. She blinked quickly, forcing away the tears that still shimmered in her eyes, and with remarkable tenderness, brushed away the ones that had fallen from mine.
"We must not be seen," she whispered. "The nobility would tear you to shreds should they discover this."
Her concern should have softened me, but instead, it stoked something fierce and defiant within my chest.
I surged forward once more and captured her lips in mine. There was no shame in this. No sin. And in the midst of her panic, a soft and fragile smile bloomed. It unraveled the last of my fury, scattering it like ash in the wind. My heart stumbled in its rhythm.
She liked it.
And I adored that she did.
"I did not regret that night," I whispered. "Not a single breath of it."
She froze. Her hands that were still resting upon my cheeks faltered. Her gaze met mine, and the tears she had so valiantly fought returned. She drew me into her arms, pressing her face to the curve of my neck. I inhaled the faint scent of her. I wrapped my arms around her narrow waist, holding her as though the heavens might split us apart at any moment. The alley was foul, wretched in scent and scattered with refuse. Somewhere nearby, rats rustled through heaps of rubbish. But none of it mattered. The filth, the stench, the shadows, all of it faded into irrelevance. There was only her warmth, and mine.
"You cannot fathom what those words mean to me," she murmured into my skin, her voice cracking. "I lived in fear that you loathed me… that I had lost what little remained of you."
I held her tighter, as though to anchor both of us. And for once, I did not feel broken.
"I wish to be with you and with our son."
The declaration seemed to unfurl the air around us, as though the sky itself had exhaled. My lungs felt lighter, my chest no longer strangled by silence. Tears welled once more, but they were warm now.
"And we," she whispered back, "with you."
"Your Grace?"
The man's voice echoed again, nearer this time.
Millicent untangled herself from my embrace. She blinked away her tears once more, and wiped mine as delicately as if they were dew on glass.
But this time, she smiled.
Not like the small one earlier, but something radiant. Her lips parted, revealing those flawless white teeth, and her eyes shone with something light and quietly exultant.
It melted me. She was happy. I could not help but mirror her smile, involuntarily.
But the sound of footsteps approaching broke the spell.
Millicent swiftly bent to retrieve my cane from where it had fallen. She handed it to me with such precision and speed one might think she had done so a thousand times. Then, without looking at me, she stepped away, putting distance between us.
Just like that, the warmth left my chest. My joy frayed.
No.
I would not allow it.
I closed the gap at once, moving to stand beside her. My left hand found her right and I seized it, holding firmly. She made an attempt to withdraw, but I held fast.
Let the world say what it wished. Let them brand me heartless, faithless, scandalous. I cared not. I would no longer make a ghost of the woman I loved.
Millicent did not argue aloud. She guided our joined hands behind her back, shielding them from view just as an older gentleman emerged into the mouth of the alleyway.
The man was well into his sixties, dressed neatly in a black suit.
Millicent turned to face him with that uncanny brilliance of hers. In a blink, her expression shed every trace of vulnerability, and she stood as the Duchess of Ivoryspire once more.
Composed. Serene. Unreadable.
It never ceased to astound me. The way she could conjure a mask as effortlessly as breathing. And yet I had seen behind it. I had touched the warmth it concealed.
"I believed I heard voices echoing from this way… Ah, Her Ladyship is present as well. What a delightful surprise to find you here, Your Ladyship," the older man said as he stepped into the alley, his eyes scanning our secluded corner with a hint of suspicion. "If I may be so bold, what business brings the two of you to such a place?"
Millicent did not miss a beat. "We were engaged in a private conversation, and by sheer circumstance, it brought us here," she replied, smooth as ever. "Forgive me, Lord Ashbourne, but I fear an urgent matter has arisen. I shall not be able to accompany you to your residence this evening."
His gaze shifted toward me, and I offered him a practiced smile. He promptly turned back to Millicent, brows knitting.
"Your Grace, this meeting was arranged weeks ago. The merchant departs in two hours. A delay is not possible."
Millicent's expression did not flicker. "I am well aware of the time," she said calmly, "and yet, I must ask you to excuse Her Ladyship and me. Our discussion is not yet concluded."
He looked utterly aggrieved, as though fate itself had singled him out for torment. "Your Grace, surely you jest. This contract is most rare."
"Not as rear as what I have," Millicent replied. Behind our back, she squeezed my hand, and I swear my pulse stilled. How could she say such a thing so calmly, and yet make my very bones feel aflame?
He seemed to flounder. "Your Grace! The stones are not idle baubles. They are fabled. Priceless."
"Perhaps they are counterfeit," Millicent said dryly.
"They are not, and you know it!" he nearly barked.
I watched the exchange with veiled amusement and no small measure of awe. How many men had dared raise their voice to the Duchess of Ivoryspire and lived to tell the tale?
"Lord Ashbourne, I believe you have said quite enough. Kindly remove yourself."
He did not yield.
"Please, Your Grace. Have you not spent the past two years pursuing those very stones? You spoke often of constructing teleportation portals throughout Ivoryspire using their properties. If this merchant departs-"
I turned to Millicent then, eyes wide.
Teleportation portals?! Pardon me? What sort of infernal sorcery was this? First Zar stones and Vessit stones, now there existed a stone capable of zapping one person from one location to another?! And most importantly, she was willing to cast aside something she had labored years to attain… to stand here with me?
Warmth bloomed inside my chest. This was not mere affection. It was devotion. But it was not right. Not like this.
"Your Grace," I said softly, meeting her gaze with unfeigned joy, "go."
Her eyes met mine, and for a breath, I saw it. That flicker. That tremble. Fear. The kind that speaks of abandonment. The kind that asks, Are you leaving me again?
My heart fractured. I would not let her spiral into that darkness. Never again.
"Go," I said again, firmer now, fingers loosening around hers. "Fetch your stones, and when you have finished, come to my residence. I shall be waiting to resume our conversation."
Her eyes searched mine, but then Lord Ashbourne seized the moment.
"Yes! Yes! Splendid. Thank you, Your Ladyship. Come, Your Grace, let us make haste!" he beckoned to Millicent, then turned toward me, flapping his hand as though ushering a stray cat. "And Your Ladyship, really, get yourself out of this dreadful alley. It is dark as death in here!"
I let out a soft laugh.
He escorted Millicent toward a grand carriage that now stood parked precisely where I had first seen her upon exiting the theatre. The coachman stepped down with perfect timing, opening the door with a polished bow.
Lord Ashbourne climbed in first. Millicent paused.
She turned to me. And though her face held its usual elegance, I could see it, the lingering emotion just beneath the surface.
I lifted my hand and waved, mouthing quietly, See you soon.
And then, finally, that smile returned. Small, but real.
She stepped inside, and the door was closed behind her.
As the carriage rolled off into the darkened street, I remained rooted where I stood, heart steady and full.