Josephine swept the floor for what felt like the hundredth time, her back and shoulders aching from the work she had done today. The basement was now cleared of patients and for that, she was more than glad. The fever seemed to have lifted from London town. Slowly, carefully, it had let go its grip of death on the London streets. The basement had been scrubbed, washed and scrubbed again, in an effort to remove the stench of disease and death that had lingered in it for so long.

“I’d best be going.”

She turned her head to see Sam standing at the bottom of the stairs, looking a good deal happier than she had ever seen him. His eyes were bright, his clothes as neat as they could be and the smile on his face lifted her heart all the more.

“Sam,” she said, quietly. “Are you to go to the Dunstable estate?”

He nodded. “I got word that the first carriage is leaving this afternoon,” he said, quietly, although Josephine could sense the excitement within him. “I do not know if Miss Wells is to continue after, although I would expect so.”

Josephine nodded, turning her head so that Sam would not see the pain on her face. Every time she thought of Lord Dunstable, every time she thought of his marriage to Miss Wells, she felt the same stab of pain that almost left her breathless.

“I’ll miss speaking to you, Josephine,” Sam said, coming over to embrace her. “We’ve worked hard these last few weeks. We’ve taken on death together.”

“And sometimes, we triumphed,” Josephine replied, hugging him tightly. “But you’re to have a place of your own now, Sam. Lord Dunstable will take good care of you.”

He puffed out his chest as he stepped back, his limp barely noticeable. “I’m to work in the stables, with the horses.”

Josephine smiled, truly glad for her friend. “And do you like horses?”

He chuckled. “I’m going to have to! But all the same, Josephine, I’m thankful for what you did in getting me a place of my own.”

A sudden idea took a hold of Josephine and, asking Sam to wait for a moment, she rushed to where she kept her few belongings. Raking through them quickly, she found what she was looking for in a moment, clasping the bundle tightly in her hand as she hurried back to Sam.

“Here,” she said, handing the package to him. “You’re to take this. It’s just the beginning of your savings, for when it’s time to put your feet up and rest.”

He stared at her for a moment, before slowly unwrapping the cloth. Gasping in astonishment, his eyes widened as he stared at the coins, given to her so long ago by Lord Dunstable.

“Josephine, I can’t take these!” he exclaimed, trying to hand them back to her. “You’ll need them.”

“No,” she replied, pushing his hand away gently. “I won’t. I have a place with Doctor Thomas now. He’ll take care of me.” She did not mention that keeping the coins would only make her pine for Lord Dunstable, did not murmur that they would only bring her painful memories all over again. Instead, she repeatedly insisted that Sam take them for himself, until he had no other choice but to hesitantly accept.

His eyes filled and Josephine embraced him again, glad that she could do something to help her friend. Yes, he had a position with Lord Dunstable, but in time, he would need to find a place of his own to live out the last years, and she wanted him to be comfortable.

“An angel,” Sam said, pressing her hand tightly with his. “That is what you are, Miss Josephine. An angel.”

She smiled at him and kissed his cheek, surprised at the amount of pain she felt over their parting. Sam was like family to her, she realized. A good friend and a good man, who had shown her so much in his dedication and good character. Goodness, she was going to miss him.

“I’ll try and get someone to write to you,” Sam said, moving away from Josephine and back towards the basement steps. “I can’t write much but I’m sure there’ll be someone there who can help me.”

“I’d like that,” Josephine replied, in a voice that cracked with emotion. “Goodbye, Sam.”

He nodded, smiled and climbed the staircase, leaving her alone in the basement. Josephine tried not to cry, tried not to let the tears come into her eyes and yet the pain of parting, of being left all alone once again, bit hard at her. Wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, she picked up her broom and resumed sweeping, telling herself that this was the last difficult hurdle she was to face. Tomorrow, when the Devil’s basement was finally closed for good, she would have a new life with Doctor Thomas. She had already seen the small but cozy room that would be her own. It had everything she would need and it had brought her a measure of happiness. It would never ease the ache and the pain that came with having to leave Lord Dunstable behind.

“This place looks remarkably different.”

She froze in place, closing her eyes tightly It could not be him, she told herself, her hands tightening on the broom. It could not be Lord Dunstable. He was making preparations to return to his estate, so why would he return here?

“When I first saw it,” he continued, making Josephine’s stomach clench. “It was not as it is now. It was so full of pain and grief that I could hardly bear it. But look at it now.”

Her breath came in short, sharp gasps as she turned around to see Lord Dunstable standing before her with a small smile playing about his lips. The light of the lanterns lit up his features, sending fire into his eyes, and Josephine felt herself unable to look away.

“I could not leave London without you,” he said tenderly, moving a little closer to her. “I could not do it, Josephine.”

“Please.” She held up one hand to him, stopping him from coming any closer. “Please, do not, Lord Dunstable. I cannot bear it.”

Thankfully, he remained where he was. “I could not bear it either, Josephine,” he replied, his voice echoing around the room and surrounding her entirely. “I could not bear to be parted from you and yet, when it came to Georgina and her illness, I knew that I had to be true to my obligations.”

She nodded, her eyes burning with unshed tears. “I am aware of it all, Lord Dunstable. I have never blamed you for stepping away. It was foolish of me not to realize sooner that what you said to me came from your delirium.”

A dark frown pulled his brow low. “What do you mean?” he asked, taking a step closer to her. “My delirium? What is it that you are talking about?”

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Josephine set the broom aside, feeling the old familiar pain slicing through her again. “When you told me that you cared for me at the lake,” she whispered, her voice refusing to give any weight to her words. “You had the fever then. To then confess that you – that you....” She trailed off, unable to say those deeply personal words.

“When I told you that I loved you,” Lord Dunstable finished, gently, looking tenderly at her. “Is that what you were to say?”

Nodding, Josephine dragged in a painful breath, wanting to ask him why he was forcing her to endure this all again. “I knew then that I was mistaken,” she continued, letting the truth drag out of her. “You were lost in your fever, speaking words you did not know. You must have thought that I was Miss Wells.”

A sudden laugh had her looking up, her eyes widening with astonishment at the mirth in his expression. She did not know what to make of it, standing there in the basement alone with Lord Dunstable.

“My dear lady,” Lord Dunstable chuckled, shaking his head. “I have never cared for Miss Wells and I have certainly never loved her. Whatever gave you that impression?”

Stammering, she tried to explain, her heart slamming wildly in her chest as she tried to think about what this might mean. “When you came to see her,” she breathed, one hand over her pounding heart as if to silence it. “I saw the expression on your face.”

He shook his head. “The love you saw there, Josephine, that was for you.”

Unable to believe what she had just heard, Josephine put one hand over her mouth, stumbling backwards as weakness ran through her. Lord Dunstable caught her at once, holding her tightly against him as she stared up into his eyes, hardly daring to believe that it was true.

“But what about Miss Wells?” she asked, unable to move forward into his embrace without knowing what had become of his fiancée. “What of your obligations to her?”

He lifted one shoulder, a broad smile on his face. “They are no longer required, Josephine. Georgina has decided that she cares for Doctor Thomas more than I.”

“Doctor Thomas?” she breathed, her astonishment growing with every moment. “Do you mean that they - ?”

“They are to wed,” he answered, his smile spreading all the more. “They are to elope this evening, if they have not left already. I am quite free, Josephine. I am no longer bound by my obligations.”

“Free?” The word left her mouth in a whisper, feeling his arms encase her tightly. This was the moment she had never believed would come to pass and yet, as she looked at him, she saw in his eyes that it was true.

“My dear Josephine,” he whispered, tenderly. “I have stayed with Georgina simply because I had to. I could not turn from her when she was in such desperate need of my aid. Her father was ill – although he is recovering now – and she had no-one else to turn to. I am a gentleman of honor and I swore I would do my duty and honor the agreement I had made with her, despite the broken heart that I would carry with me for the rest of my days.”

She blinked furiously, pushing away the tears that had sprang into her eyes. “Broken heart?” she repeated, wondering if he had been enduring the same anguished torment as she.

His fingers brushed lightly down her cheek. “Yes, Josephine. My heart has been breaking over and over in the knowledge that I would never be able to call you my own. I had intended to come to London to break off my engagement with Georgina, so that I might propose to you, but the fever changed everything. Now, however, I can finally do what I have longed for.”

Her breathing was so rapid that she thought she might faint, made all the more profound by the fact that Lord Dunstable lowered his head and caught her lips with hers.

It was as if she were in a dream. She could do nothing more than cling to him, her arms tight about his neck as he held her tightly around the waist. His kiss was warm and sweet, bringing her to such exaltations that she thought she might laugh and cry and scream all at once.

“There,” he breathed, his lips only a little away from her own. “There, you see, Josephine? I do care for you, most ardently. I love you.”

Resting her head against his chest for a moment, Josephine closed her eyes and drew in her breath again and again, trying to calm her frantically beating heart. This was real. This was not a dream that she was to wake up from. Lord Dunstable was here, holding her in his arms and offering her his heart.

“I have loved you for many days,” she whispered, unable to raise her head. “But I never imagined that such a thing as this would ever truly occur. I am nothing more than an orphaned girl, alone in the world and you –”

“You are the most perfect, the most wonderful, the most delightful lady I have ever known,” he interrupted, gently. “I want you to be my wife, Josephine. I want you to be my baroness and come to live with me in my estate, forever. I want you to make my home your home, to live with me in love and tenderness. Say that you will, my love. Say that you will be my bride.”

“I know nothing of being a baroness,” Josephine exclaimed, suddenly afraid. “What if I do not please your mother or your sister?”

Lord Dunstable shook his head. “They will love you just as much as I. Francine herself encouraged me in this, my love.” His eyes grew gentle as he cupped her face in his hands. “And you will be the most wonderful baroness, Josephine. For your kind heart, your generous nature and your sweetness of temper will endear everyone to you. They will all love you, just as I have come to love you.”

Josephine looked up at Lord Dunstable and felt her heart overflow. She could not refuse him now, not when he was so earnest. “Oh, Dunstable,” she whispered, feeling as though finally, she was to have all that she had ever dreamed of. “I love you desperately. Yes, I will marry you.”

He closed his eyes for a moment, caught up in his joy. She leaned into him, holding him tightly, finally at peace. She would not be alone any longer, she would no longer be without a home. Her love for Lord Dunstable was returned, bringing her more happiness and joy than she had ever imagined. 

“Come then, my love,” Lord Dunstable whispered in her ear, his lips trailing across her cheek. “Let me take you home.”

“Home,” she whispered, looking up at him with sparkling eyes. “Home with you, my love.”

“Where you will always stay,” he replied, lowering his head a little more. “Living together in love, for today and always.”

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