Dublin, September 1808
Michael sat in the larger of his two rooms ostensibly listening to a small group of his students reading a book, but his mind kept wandering toward the door in anticipation of Joanna’s arrival. They had made plans to walk out together to enjoy the setting sun before the Demon went to work for the night, and she had insisted on coming to him. He wondered vaguely if she was going to bring him flowers again, too.
When the children came to the end of a chapter, Michael rose and began to stack up the books they’d been using. “That’s enough for today.”
“It’s still early, Mr. Devlin. Can’t we read just a little more?”
“The story is just starting to get interesting!” another chimed in.
A third child, a boy named Daniel, grinned broadly at Michael. “Miss Pearson’s on her way, isn’t she?”
“She is.” Michael couldn’t stop his own smile from growing, despite the use of Joanna’s maiden name. She had thought it easier to explain her presence to his neighbors—who knew nothing of their marriage or subsequent separation—as a new sweetheart rather than a rediscovered wife. He had agreed, but found himself nearly overcome by the urge to correct people when they didn’t call her Mrs. Devlin.
Michael must have had a dreamy look on his face, for the children began to giggle and Daniel patted Michael’s arm. “I’m sure she’ll offer for you soon.”
Michael laughed, swatting Daniel’s hand away. “You think it’s funny that Miss Pearson pays calls to me instead of the other way around. But if you met a lady as beautiful and fascinating and capable as she is, you wouldn’t mind if she did the calling.”
“My mam says it isn’t proper for a lady to visit a man in his rooms,” a girl called Jane announced.
This time Michael smothered his smile. “Your mam is absolutely right. That’s why Miss Pearson and I always go out walking in public or have a proper chaperone.”
That seemed to satisfy all the children and they bounced to the door, scattering down the staircase toward their respective homes. Michael gathered up the pile of books and began to put them in their customary places on the bookshelf when he caught the slightest hint of lilies drifting in from the open door.
“You’re early,” he said without turning around.
“I couldn’t wait,” Joanna replied. He could hear the purposefulness in her steps as she crossed the small chamber and slid her arms around his waist, planting a soft kiss between his shoulder blades.
He turned, throwing a brief glance at the door to confirm she’d closed it behind her, and scooped her up to bring her mouth level with his own. She laughed and settled her arms about his shoulders, leaning in for a deeper kiss.
Her mouth was cold against his, tasting of lemons and sugar. But soon enough it was as warm as her hands stroking his cheek, feathering through his hair, and he pulled gently away. “Any more of that, Miss Pearson, and you’ll have to propose marriage to me.”
She was grinning as he set her back on her feet. “Any more of that, Mr. Devlin, and I just might.”
After a few moments deliberation—and another kiss or two—they opted for a walk around nearby Christ Church Yard and what had been the Four Courts before they were moved to new buildings closer to the River Liffey. Strolling arm-in-arm they headed down Christ Church Lane, through the old arch with the wooden devil statue that gave Dublin’s Hell its name, and up the narrow passageway toward the Viking-built cathedral.
“How did things go in Belfast this time?” Michael asked.
“Much better. I finally discovered the name of the man behind the attempted robbery on the road to Cork.”
“Who is he?”
She flashed him a cheerful smile. “Hugh Bodkin.”
“I take it you’ve run up against this Bodkin before.”
“I have, and one or two of his cousins. They’re common criminals—no training, no subtlety, no finesse.”
“In other words, they aren’t as good as you are.” He bent down and pressed a quick kiss to her lips before they emerged from the lane into the openness of the Yard.
She blinked at him a moment before replying, “Definitely not as good as I am. But you’re getting better. I didn’t anticipate that at all.”
“I’m very motivated to improve.” He managed the words with a straight face, but his mouth curved into a smile immediately after he spoke them. “So does this Bodkin have any ties to Simon Burroughs?”
“Not that I’ve found.” She’d been worrying about that same question for weeks, and the creases forming on her forehead told Michael she wasn’t completely satisfied with the current answer.
Her hand gripped his arm and he laid his hand atop it, giving it a small squeeze. “If they exist, you will find them.”
“I’m just afraid I’m going to waste time trying to make connections that aren’t there.”
“Could your Miss Campbell help? You said she lived in Belfast.”
Joanna nodded. “We talked about it just before I left to return home.”
“Home to your husband,” Michael replied. “That’s what Captain Alexander said you told him when you delivered Wellesley’s summons to him.”
She laid her head against his shoulder then pressed a kiss to his arm. “Home to my husband, who is masculine enough to let me escort him about and bring him gifts.” She straightened, then sighed softly. “I do wish you’d consent to accompany me once in a while when I travel, though I understand why you feel you can’t leave Dublin.”
“That is one of the things I love most about you, wife of mine.” They’d reached the shadow of the cathedral and he tugged her close to the ancient stone wall. “I never need to make explanations to you because you understand the way my mind and my heart”—he untangled their arms and guided her palm to the center of his chest—“work. I am freer with you than I am without you.”
She stood up on her toes to meet his kiss but he tilted her chin up and bent down to her, encircling her in his arms. Her lips were warm this time but still sweet, and he suspected it had more to do with their love for each other than any lemonade.
“Perhaps one day I will go with you,” he whispered, his mouth a hair’s breadth from hers. “We do seem to travel well together.”
She laughed at that and threw her arms around his neck, stealing another kiss before he could draw back. “But next time you get to carry the secret letter in your underpinnings.”
“And you’ll help me hide it?”
“Every single time.”
He dropped feather-light kisses on her hair, her forehead, her nose before finding her mouth once more, channeling all the feelings swirling though his body into the kiss. He was caught between sorrow for the time together they’d lost, joy in having her back in his arms, and uncertainty about what lay ahead for the two of them. So when Joanna began to giggle, Michael was surprised and slightly offended that she had not been swept away by his attentions.
“What’s so funny?”
“We are having a very private moment up against a church.” He must have given her a funny look because her giggle blossomed into a laugh. “Didn’t you tell the children we went about in public for propriety’s sake?”
“And here we are in an intimate embrace for all the city to see. That’s not exactly appropriate, is it?” His lips pulled into a grudging smile. “I also told them we had a chaperone when we were together indoors, so that’s two lies I told today.”
She combed her fingers through his hair again, massaging gently as she spoke. “We had one the night we went to the theater.”
“Your driver doesn’t count.”
“Then I suppose we should be more careful.”
He didn’t even have to tell her how important his neighbors’ sensibilities were to him, and he felt his heart swelling with gratitude and love. “I was thinking that, when we’re ready, we might also have a small wedding ceremony...again.”
“And invite everyone who thinks we are unmarried? Don’t you think that’s taking the ruse just a bit too far?”
He kissed the corner of her mouth and rested his cheek upon hers. “We could invite our closest friends and celebrate our new beginning, the future together that we’ve regained.”
She tightened her arms around him. “What a beautiful idea.”
“And perhaps your Miss Campbell could pay a visit to Dublin again while we took a little trip.”
“No meadows this time.”
He felt her smile against his cheek. “As you wish, my lady.”
She drew away, sliding a hand across his face and down his neck, letting it come to rest on his chest. “A second wedding we shall have, then, and a second honeymoon as well. I look forward to becoming Mrs. Devlin again.”
“And I look forward to your proposal.” Her eyes went wide and he grinned. “You said you wanted to do the wooing—the proposal is part of that.”
“Perhaps I can find your cousin and ask her for your hand.”
Joanna was smiling, but Michael sobered a little at her comment. “If you could find her, I’d be indebted to you forever.”
“It would be my pleasure to reunite the two of you. Though it would be even better if we worked together to find her.”
“We should add that to our list of things to accomplish. As you go about your work for Wellesley, and I gather information around Dublin, we should also start a serious search for Anne together. My solo investigation has gone nowhere.”
Her smile returned, though it looked slightly wistful now. “We will find Anne, and celebrate our second wedding with her. I promise you that.”
“From your lips to God’s ear.”
“We’re in the right place for that,” she replied wryly. “Do you want to go in and say a prayer for her?”
He shook his head and took her hand, leading her away from the old cathedral. “I won’t exactly be welcome in a Protestant church. We can go to St. Audoen’s later.”
“As you wish, my lord,” she said lightly. “As long as you don’t sneak off and go without me.”
That coaxed his smile to return. Even before their separation he was wont to spend a large portion of his time alone, and though she’d teased him about it from time to time, she’d never begrudged him a minute of it. “Not this time.”
“Good. I missed too many important things when I was gone, and I never want to miss another.”
He stopped in the middle of the open Yard and took both her hands in his. “Let’s promise each other right now that we will do our utmost to never miss an important event in each other’s lives.”
She stepped closer and kissed him, heedless of any passersby. “I swear it with all my heart, Michael. I’ll do everything I can to be with you when it matters most.”
She had allowed the tiniest suggestion of her native French accent in her words, and he reciprocated with a little of his Dublin brogue. “And I with you. Always.”
He wrapped her in his arms, sealing the bargain with a series of kisses. Just as they’d done countless times before.