Queen (Regency Refuge 3) by Heather Gray

Author:Heather Gray [Gray, Heather]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction - Historical, England/Great Britain, United States, 19th Century, Mystery
ISBN: 978-1621353645
Publisher: Astraea Press, LLC
Published: 2015-01-24T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Two

A week had passed since Jackal's visit. Nay, Rupert's visit. Isabel couldn't help but smile whenever she tried to think of him by his real name. It felt funny on her tongue, even when all she did was think the name.

Despite all the work she and Owen had put into going through the minister's paperwork and belongings, they'd found nothing to tie anyone — her parents or otherwise — to the thwarted attack on the London Docks or the Battle of Trafalgar, and Owen wasn't happy. He hid his feelings well enough, but she'd seen the bleak expression on his face once he'd thought she was occupied elsewhere. She'd noticed the way his shoulders drooped a bit more each time she asked if he'd had any luck yet.

Dropping the lid onto the last of the boxes, frustration and fatigue weighed heavily on her. Isabel rounded on Owen. "We've pored over every piece of correspondence the minister had in his possession at the time of his death. Is it possible some of these are written in code? Should we try to decipher them?"

Owen ran a hand through his blond curls and shook his head. "With no key to unlock the code, it would be a waste of time. We could spend years and learn nothing."

"Why has this now become so important? More than a decade has passed. Why this sudden push for answers?"

Owen frowned. "I think Tobias is taking advantage of the current situation. The minister's death gave him access to files he wouldn't have seen otherwise. Then Parliament stepped in and forced the dissolution of the War Department, followed by the creation of their own agency, which has led to its share of chaos and confusion. Add your return from America and Parliament wanting my head, and there it is. The right people at the right time."

Isabel fought the disappointment that hung in the room like smoke in a men's club. "I'm sorry we couldn't find answers. Nothing we found would have brought them back, but it would be nice to have proof of their innocence."

His eyes somber, Owen stepped close and, with a finger under her chin, tilted Isabel's head up until she met his gaze. "You know in your heart. So do I."

Isabel shook her head, despising herself for her own doubts. "We both know perfectly ordinary people can be party to terrible deeds. Just because I loved my parents doesn't mean they were innocent."

Owen leaned closer, and for a moment Isabel thought he might kiss her. Her heart raced, and she fisted her hands at her sides, not quite sure what to do with them. Then he said, his voice full of conviction, "I won't let you carry this burden the rest of your life. I'll uncover the truth." He did kiss her then, a soft touch of his lips against the corner of her mouth, and her hands at last knew what to do.

Isabel brushed her fingers against the side of Owen's face. He caught

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