“Mmm,” Christy said, waking slowly to the warmth of a strong, naked male body curved around her back. There was a kiss on her neck. Robert. Funny how she could tell them apart even with her eyes closed.

She reached out for Simon but found only empty sheets. She rolled over and put her arm around Robert, kissing whatever was in front of her lips, eyes still closed. It felt like his chest.

“Where’s Simon?” she asked sleepily. She stretched and instantly regretted it. “Ow,” she said. She laughed ruefully and opened her eyes to see Robert watching her with a very serious face. “I’m all right. Just a little stiff and sore. I’ll be right as rain by tomorrow, I’m sure.” She eyed him warily. “Regrets?”

“None.” His words and his tone of voice said one thing, but his facial expression said another.

“Then what’s wrong?”

“Simon’s gone.”

It was the defeat in his voice more than the words that got through to her. She scrambled out of bed. “What do you mean, Simon’s gone?”

Robert slowly climbed out of bed. Bruises surrounded both of his bandages. “I mean he left before cock’s crow and he took Hastings with him.”

“But why? More Home Office business?”

“No.” Robert sounded tired. “His note said he had something personal to take care of.”

Christy searched the floor for her shift, and yanked it on. She found Robert’s shirt, but it was a bloody mess. “I hope you’re going to get a clothing stipend for this new job of yours,” she snapped.

Robert smiled weakly. “I really don’t know why he left. Last night…”

“I’m sure there’s a perfectly good explanation,” Christy told him, praying she was right. She opened up the wardrobe and pulled out something to wear. “Get dressed. I’m going to go bathe, and then we are going to track the blackguard down. If he thinks we’re letting him run off again, he is very much mistaken.”

“Maybe we should just let him go,” Robert said sadly. She looked over and he was just sitting on the bed looking out the window. “If he’s that determined to run, we should let him run. Maybe he just doesn’t want us, Christy.”

“Don’t you see that’s what he expects us to do?” Christy told him. Robert looked at her quizzically. “No one has ever gone after him before,” she explained. “It took me a while to figure that out, but he’s let us in the past week, Robert. I think he’s told us more about himself than he’s told anyone, possibly even Daniel. He may not have said it in so many words, but if you think about what he did say, you can piece together what he didn’t. You’re a detective, aren’t you? Then put the puzzle together.

“He’s never had a real relationship since Giselle. He only takes people to bed who won’t expect a commitment, only teaches people his erotic little lessons and walks away. And they let him. Where are his friends, Robert? Off with their own families and their own loves now. He’s alone. Everyone has always let him walk away. And he thinks we are going to do the same. Didn’t we say last night that we have never done these things together”—she gestured at the bed—“never been this physically intimate before he came back into our lives?”

“We said other things as well,” Robert reminded her. “We told him we cared about him. That the three of us were destined to be together from the beginning.”

“Words,” Christy said. “Nothing but words. Easily spoken, and easily forgotten. He deserves deeds, too, don’t you think? I think he’s worth going after. Do you?”

Robert stood up. “Yes, I do. I think…I think this is his way of giving us a chance to change our minds if we want without making it awkward for us.” He shook his head. “Damn.”

She looked at him, wide eyed. Robert rarely if ever cursed.

He smiled ruefully. “He’s a tangle, but yes, I think he’s worth it for all those reasons and more. He makes me feel alive just like you do, and when I’m with him, that doesn’t feel strange or wrong.”

Christy ran across the room to hug him. “Exactly. I couldn’t have said it better.” She looked up at him. “You know I love you, don’t you? Just as much as I love Simon? I fell in love with you both at almost the same time. I won’t lie, I thought I wanted Simon, and when he didn’t offer for me, I accepted you. But I’m so glad I did now because you were what I needed. I think in my heart I knew that, or I never would have accepted you. I didn’t have to. Harry had already told me he was more than happy to stay married to me. But I wanted someone of my own and I chose you, just as you chose me. Don’t ever doubt my love for you.”

“I don’t. I won’t lie either. I did doubt you, especially when Simon came back, but I didn’t blame you. I always knew you and Simon were meant to be together. It just took me a while to figure out that the puzzle had three pieces.” He kissed her, and it was sweet and tender. “Now let’s go find that idiot,” he said softly.

“I’m going to kill him,” Christy vowed. “But yes, let’s go find him.”

“Where do we start?”

“Where else? Daniel’s.”

“Of course he was here, my dear,” Daniel said, turning his cheek up to be kissed by Christy and making room beside him for Christian. He was holding court in his bedroom, his leg elevated on a stack of pillows. “He came by to see how I was, the rotten little baggage. Hasn’t been here since I saved his hide in Africa. Look at me! I nearly died for him, and he couldn’t be bothered to come and see how I was doing.”

“You sent him to help me solve a murder which turned into treason and assassination and Sir Barnabas James,” Robert reminded him drily. “How did you expect him to come and see you as well?”

“Priorities,” Daniel said without remorse. “And so you’ve lost him again, I see.” He shook his head. “I don’t know what has happened between you, but I can guess. What are you planning to do once you find him?” Robert could tell this was more of an interrogation than idle conversation.

“I don’t see as that’s any of your business,” Christy replied tartly. “The very nerve, sending Simon to help Robert with a case when the man wasn’t recovered from being tortured in Africa! You ought to be ashamed of yourself, Daniel Steinberg. Don’t think I don’t know what you were up to. No, don’t even try to deny it again.”

“Simon was tortured in Africa?” Mrs. Tarrant asked in horror. “Why didn’t you tell me?” She reached over from her chair near Daniel’s bedside and slapped him in the arm. Daniel shot a look at Christy.

“Yes, Daniel, why didn’t you tell Mrs. Tarrant?” Christy asked.

“Very,” Mrs. Tarrant insisted. “You must call me Very.” Both women stared daggers at Daniel.

“All right, if you must know, because I was interfering. There, happy? Although I never expected you to fall victim to his charms, Robert. It was clear something needed to be done. The situation couldn’t go on as it was. At the very least you might have reached a truce and Simon would have found an occupation.” Christian chose that moment to climb into Daniel’s lap, and he used the baby as an excuse to evade their dirty looks.

“I tried to tell him…” Harry muttered from behind his paper in the corner.

“Well, I, for one, am very grateful,” Robert told Daniel. “I would not have solved that case and averted a horrible disaster and, ahem, found Simon, so to speak, had you not. But Christy is correct in saying that it is none of your business now. We’ll take it from here, thank you very much. Now, where is he?”

“Ah, Mr. Manderley,” Dr. McCain said, walking into the room. “Saving me the trouble of coming to you today, are you? For a man who was both stabbed and shot yesterday, you’re looking as fine as a fiddle.”

“What?” Daniel asked. “I thought you just got shot.”

“Stabbed, too,” Robert said, raising an eyebrow. “I guess some of us just have more stamina.” Daniel frowned while the rest of the room laughed.

“Let’s see those stitches,” Dr. McCain said. Robert began unbuttoning his jacket.

“Here?” Daniel asked in surprise. “Don’t you want more privacy?”

“We’re in your bedroom,” Robert said, frowning. “And I don’t trust you and Harry not to share secrets with Christy behind my back.”

“Robert Manderley,” Christy scolded. “You know I’d tell you as soon as we left.”

“Where have I heard that before?” he asked no one in general. He got his jacket and shirt off and let the doctor unwrapped his bandages.

“Do all constables look like him?” Very asked Daniel in a loud whisper. Robert looked over to see her staring at his bare torso with interest.

“No, they do not,” Christy said with pride. “Robert is by far the handsomest constable in London. In England, I’d wager.”

“I thought I said nothing too strenuous,” the doctor chided Robert as he poked at the stitches in his side. “You’ve gone and popped a few here.”

“Oh, God,” Daniel said. “Don’t even tell me.” Christy was blushing.

“This falls under the none-of-your-business category,” Robert said firmly. “Do you need to stitch me back up?”

“Just take a minute,” the doctor said, reaching for his bag. “The arm looks fine. I’ll put a new bandage on. After this, Mrs. Manderley, you should be able to handle it unless it starts to look infected, red, hot to the touch, puss, that sort of thing. Mr. Manderley, sit right there, if you would, please.”

Robert sat on the edge of the bed and Christian crawled over to him. He held onto Robert’s arm as he stood up, and Robert smiled at him. He got a smile back, with Christian’s two new front teeth just visible.

“Look at that,” Robert cooed at him. “Nice teeth, lad.”

“Pa,” Christian said.

Robert’s heart stopped. “Did he just say my name?” he asked in wonder. He looked at Christy. Her mouth was open in surprise, and then she grinned.

“I do believe he did,” she said. She came over and took Christian in her arms. “Who’s that?” she asked, pointing at Robert.

“Pa,” Christian said, clapping his hands.

“He’s brilliant,” Robert said matter-of-factly. “Wait until Simon hears him.”

“Yes, a right genius,” the doctor agreed. “Move your arm out of the way, please.”

“He’s on his way home,” Daniel said.

“To his apartment?” Robert asked. That wasn’t very far to run. And why take Hastings?

“No. His childhood home.” Daniel was watching he and Christy closely, so he must have seen that both knew the significance of this news.

“He never told us where that was,” Christy said carefully. “Just what happened there and that he’s never been back.”

“You are all talking in riddles and I don’t like it,” Very said. “What happened there?”

“If Simon wanted you to know, he would have told you, Very,” Christy said, not unkindly. “It was something that profoundly affected him and he has harbored the pain of it all these years. He would not take it kindly we were to share it without his permission. You will have to ask him when he returns, and you will have to respect his wishes if he refuses to tell you.”

Very mulled that over with a mulish expression on her face for a minute or two. “Very well,” she finally conceded. “You are right. I shall ask him.” Daniel looked surprised at her surrender.

“He is in Bury St. Edmunds, in Suffolk,” he told them. “But he was going by way of Ashton on the Green. He said he needed to stop and see Stephen, Reverend Matthews.”

“Was Hastings going with him?” Robert asked, still puzzled about that.

“The younger chap? Yes, I believe so, although he didn’t tell me why.”

Dr. McCain had finished the stitches and had rewrapped the bandage.

“Thank you, doctor.” Robert slipped his shirt back on and went to Daniel’s mirror to tie his cravat.

Christy went to the door and motioned for the rest of their party to come in. “Daniel, this is the new nanny, Mary Peppers”—the girl curtsied—“and her lady friend, Essie. We shall be leaving them here with you along with Christian while we go and fetch Simon.”

“What?” Daniel asked in horror. “What, I mean, who is that?” He pointed at Essie.

“’Ere now,” Essie said belligerently. “Who and what are you?”

“Essie, this is the Saint of St. Giles,” Robert made the introductions. “Daniel Steinberg.”

“I thought that was the other one, wit’ you two,” she said. “The other one I’m to work with.”

“Work with?” Harry had put down his newspaper for this.

“We are going to train Essie to work for Sir Barnabas,” Robert said, trying not to sound too grim. “She is a semi-trained assassin.”

“Semi?” Essie said, clearly outraged. “I can kill you.”

“Yes, but just with a knife,” Robert said.

“Es,” Mary Peppers said, taking her hand. “Don’t mess this up for me, please, love.”

“They are coming home with me,” Very said, standing up. “I’ve been gone too long already.”

“You’ve been gone two days,” Daniel argued.

“And it’s been deadly dull around here. Just wait until Agatha meets you,” Very said to Essie, her eyes shining. She turned to Christy. “A bachelor’s establishment is no place for a baby. Mary Peppers,” she barked, “have you any experience as a nanny?”

“No, ma’am,” Mary Peppers answered right away.

“Well, Mrs. Sunshine and Mrs. Goose will have you trained in no time.” Very gathered her things and whisked Christian from Christy’s arms and deposited him in Mary Peppers’ before Christy knew what was happening. “Don’t worry, my dear, he’ll be safe with us. You can come fetch him after you find Simon. Come along, Mary Peppers. Miss Essie, do you perhaps have a surname?”

“I ain’t got no man’s name,” Essie said belligerently. “Just Essie. I ain’t a man, I’m a woman. I just like men’s clothes. So don’t expect me in no dress.” Their voices faded as they walked down the hall.

“And I need a new cook,” Christy called down the hall after Very. “And that’s taken care of nicely,” she said with satisfaction.

“You knew Very was going to take them all along,” Daniel accused her.

“Of course I did,” Christy said.

“When did Cook leave?” Robert asked in dismay.

“Yesterday, after you came home shot,” Christy told him. “Nell gave me her note this morning.” She turned to Harry. “I’ve left Nell in charge of the house, but send someone around to check on her every day, won’t you?” She walked over and kissed her ex-husband on the cheek.

“Of course.” He shook Robert’s hand. “Good luck,” he told him.

“Thank you,” Robert said. The whole situation seemed very odd. Here he was about to go chasing after another man for love, and all these people were wishing him well. There seemed to be a whole secret society in London that most people knew nothing about, and in the last year Robert had become a member without even realizing it.

“When you do find Simon,” Daniel said as they left, “be gentle. He’s very fragile, you know, though he pretends not to be. I know I’ve failed him in the last couple of years—we all have. Be the ones who don’t.”

“That is exactly what we had planned,” Robert told him. “And you didn’t fail him. You almost died saving his life because you love him, and he knows that. I just hope chasing him down to Bury St. Edmunds is enough to convince him we do, too.”