.
Lacey woke in her bedroom at the Winsteads' manor, still sore, lungs still a little raw from her time in the smoke. She was recovering every day, but it might be a full week or more before she was back to her old self.
“You were more than a little lucky, young lady,” the doctor had said. “If you had stayed in there much longer, the damage might have been permanent.”
Or I might not have gotten out at all.
She, her mother, and Robert were staying with the Winsteads for the moment. All things considered, the damage was minimal, and though the books were a loss, the house would be habitable again before winter. Constance, in fine form, had apologized to her daughter for the travesty that Lord Exter had turned out to be while at the same time congratulating herself for making it possible for Lacey to find herself such a fine man as Robert. Lacey had only smiled, too tired to fight, and too sensitive to her mother's wounded pride to pursue it.
As the maids dressed her for the day, a footman arrived with a message. It was brief and to the point.
Will you come walking with me before breakfast?
-R
“Tell him I will, thank you.”
It would be the perfect opportunity to speak with him. They hadn't spoken, really spoken, since that awful night, and in the meantime, she had thought about it a great deal. What was said in the shadow of fire, she decided, could not be binding, not if they wanted to be utterly open and honest with each other.
As the household woke up for breakfast, Lacey tucked a wrapped package under her arm and slipped out into the garden. She found Robert at the same sundial where they'd had their disastrous conversation before the fire. It still made her heart hurt, seeing how handsome he was. He had been allowed to give up the sling yesterday, and now he was flexing his arm absently, rubbing his shoulder.
“Lacey. I was hoping you would come—”
She held up a hand. “Please. There has been so very much going on lately. May I speak first?”
He frowned and nodded.
She clutched the package close to her chest for a moment and then handed it to him.
“Open it.”
He did and found inside a leather-bound volume that, despite all her best efforts, still smelled faintly of smoke.
“Is this—?”
“Yes, the same volume I struck Lord Exter with. But it's more than that.”
Robert's eyes widened as he saw the title, Al-Hazaad's Strategy of the Chessboard.
“That's where I learned most of my skills with chess. He's amazing. It's all my secrets, and if you can't beat me after reading that, then you might as well find a new game to play.”
“I didn't bring you out here to talk about chess, Lacey.”
“I didn't think so, but I'm claiming the right of past victory. I won our last chess game, so I play white this time, and that means I go first.”
Robert nodded, mystified.
She took a deep breath.
“Robert, I love you. I have for a while now, and there's no beginning to it and no ending at all. All that I can think of is you, and when you rescued me, it was like I was being given a chance to make things right. I don't know how you feel, whether you might feel something similar for me, or whether you just want to get back to London after all this insanity. But I love you, and I suppose the book is my way of saying… Well. It's your move.”
Instead of speaking, Robert took her hand and pulled her to him. She saw the kiss coming, but the first touch of their lips, reverent, grateful, and perfect, was still a beautiful surprise.
“Robert?”
“Here.”
He pressed something into her hand, and she blinked with surprise. It was a chessman carved from ivory, a small queen perfect down to the detail of dress and the imperious expression on her face. She was the conqueror, the strongest piece on the board, and Lacey raised her eyes to Robert.
“You said it's my move, and here it is. Queen to you, and you have conquered me utterly. Lacey, I love you, and as mad as things have been, I refuse to retreat or to leave you. Pick the game, and I'll play it. Marry me, and we'll play every night if you like. Come with me to London, or tell me, and I'll build us a house in Westchester, whatever you like. Only say you love me again, and I'll be yours forever.”
Lacey's eyes filled with tears, and she threw herself into Robert's arms.
“I love you. I love you so, Robert.”
She clung to him, love and happiness mingling with the relief that they were both safe and together and that there were a lifetime of games for them to play together.