“From what I can tell, he bought me out of the shops and confiscated the property, which isn’t a surprise. A lot of it was on the waterfront, warehouses and such. I have a feeling he can use those for all his havey-cavey business.” Devlin took a sip of wine and didn’t meet Thom’s eyes.
“You didn’t answer the question.” Thom crossed his arms and watched Devin shrewdly. “Come on. Fess up.”
Devlin sighed. “A little over seventy thousand pounds. And I still own shares in a couple of factories, up in Manchester.”
Kitty dropped her wine glass and it hit the edge of her plate and spilled all over the table. “What?” she choked out.
Thom slowly blinked his eyes. “Why didn’t you sell and get out sooner?”
Devlin patted at the spilled wine with his napkin. “I was needed where I was.”
Kitty started to say something, but Thom took her hand and squeezed it. She closed her mouth and just shook her head.
“Then you could pay for the school,” Thom said calmly. “Although you’ll still need patrons to help support it. I think you should keep some of that money as a safeguard for the future.”
Devlin tossed the napkin down. “First of all, it’s our money.” He took Kitty’s other hand and kissed her palm. “Secondly, of course I’m not going to spend it all. I’m going to have a wife and family, and a hospital. I’ll invest the majority of it in stocks and new business ventures, and save the rest. We won’t ever have to worry about money.”
“I don’t understand why you didn’t tell me how wealthy you really are,” Kitty finally said. She looked as if she was still in shock.
Devlin shrugged. “I didn’t think you’d care. You were never with me for money. And you’d have bought the shop, anyway, wouldn’t you?” Kitty nodded. “So there wasn’t any use arguing that you didn’t have to work. That I could support you. I knew it was important to you to stand on your own two feet.”
Thom was amazed all over again at Devlin’s insight. How many people knew this about him? Knew the generosity of spirit that drove him to do what he did? Not many. Thom felt an overwhelming gratitude that he got to love this man. And he owed Kitty for that. She’d changed his life is so many ways, all of them good. He cleared the emotion out of his throat. “I want to be supported. Can that be arranged?” he teased.
Kitty laughed, and the tension bled out of the room. “You deserve to be spoiled, love,” she said.
“How about diamonds?” Devlin asked. “Would you like diamonds?” His eyes were twinkling as he asked.
Thom shook his head. “No. But a nice big, comfortable carriage to convey charity cases to the hospital from London and the parishes would be nice.”
“Done,” Devlin said, snapping his fingers. He and Kitty shared a look that made Thom wary.
“What?” he asked.
“Thom, darling,” Kitty said carefully. “We haven’t really talked about…how you feel. About the hospital, I mean. Before you said that you were finding it…difficult to treat the sick and particularly the injured.”
“What she means is,” Devlin interjected, “can you handle it? If all you want to do is set this place up for business and then let someone else take over, we can do that. I don’t care what Sir Barnabas James has planned, we’re not going to force you back into the nightmares.”
“I want to try,” Thom said. He took a deep breath. “Things are different here. I think the change in scenery will be good for me.” He squeezed Kitty’s hand again. “Don’t tell them, because I don’t want them to feel badly, but I think getting away from everyone in London is a good thing. Too many bad memories are associated with them all. I love my friends dearly, but every time I had to pull a bullet out of them or stitch up a knife wound, it took me back to the war.”
“Bloody hell,” Devlin swore. “Didn’t any of them think of that when they came to you after their little adventures?”
“Don’t blame them,” Thom defended them. “How could they know? I didn’t tell them. I should have left sooner. I knew it and yet I stayed because it was easier to stay than to explain why I had to go.”
“If it gets too hard here, you’ll tell us?” Kitty asked, her concern a balm to Thom’s wounded pride.
He nodded. “Trust me. If anything gets hard, you two will be the first to know.” Devlin snorted with laughter as Thom winked at him.
“Oh, you boys,” Kitty said, rolling her eyes. “Well, you’ll have to make do with one another for the time being.”
“What do you mean?” Devlin asked with a scowl.
Kitty pointed at Devlin, and then at herself. “We’re not married yet, my brilliant fiancée. We can’t share a room here. We have to start as we mean to go on—respectably. So I’m on my own until I get you in front of a clergyman.”
Devlin looked horrified. He yanked the papers out of his coat and rifled through them until he found the marriage license. His shoulders relaxed as he let out a sigh. “Thank God, or better yet Sir Barnabas.” He held the paper aloft. “A special license. We can be married tomorrow morning.”
“As long as it’s before tomorrow night,” Thom said seriously. “I don’t think I can go more than one night without you, Kitty.”
“Oh, that’s so sweet,” she said, gazing at him adoringly.
“Always says the right thing,” Devlin mumbled. “I’m the one who has the marriage license,” he said to Kitty. “Don’t I get any credit?”
“Not until you marry me,” she said, leaning over and kissing Thom. Her adoration became concern. “Are you afraid you’ll have nightmares?”
Thom shook his head. He hadn’t even thought of it. “Not if I get to stay with Devlin.”
“At least I’ve got Thom tonight, then,” Devlin said with a wicked smile.
Thom shook his head. “Only for sleep. Nothing else. Not until we’re married. If Kitty has to go without, so do we.”
Devlin put his head in his hands. “Respectability is going to kill me,” he bemoaned.
“I expect you two will stay up late tonight planning our wedding night,” she told them both with a lascivious glance. She licked her lips enticingly. “And just to give you some advice, I like to watch you together. A lot. Very much. It might be my favorite thing. So make detailed plans.”
Thom grew hard almost immediately. “But I like to watch you two,” he pouted in mock despair.
“I like it all,” Devlin said with a dark, lustful look, and Thom and Kitty laughed.
“We know,” Thom said. “It’s one of the things we love about you.”
For a moment they all just sat and stared at one another.
“This is really going to work, isn’t it?” Devlin said softly.
“Yes, it really is,” Thom told him. He reached across the table and Devlin took his hand and reached for Kitty’s, completing the circle of three.
“Yes, it is,” Kitty told Devlin, leaning over and kissing him. “I told you,” she whispered against his lips.
Thom watched the two of them and he knew that if he dreamed tonight it would be of them, of their future together. The past couldn’t hurt him here. Never again. Not with Kitty and Devlin beside him. He got up and walked over and joined the kiss, as if it were a promise for tomorrow.
About Samantha Kane
Samantha has a Master’s Degree in History, and is a full-time writer and mother. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and three children.
Samantha welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email addresses on her author bio pageat www.ellorascave.com.
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Also by Samantha Kane
A Lady In Waiting
Brothers in Arms 1: The Courage to Love
Brothers in Arms 2: Love Under Siege
Brot
hers in Arms 3: Love’s Strategy
Brothers in Arms 4: At Love’s Command
Brothers in Arms 5: Retreat from Love
Brothers in Arms 6: Love in Exile
Brothers in Arms 7: Love’s Fortress
Brothers in Arms 8: Prisoner of Love
Brothers in Arms 9: Love’s Surrender
Brothers in Arms 10: Love Betrayed
Brothers in Arms 11: Defeated by Love
Cougar Challenge: Play it Again, Sam
Ellora’s Cavemen: Jewels of the Nile II (anthology)
Hunters for Hire: Tomorrow
Islands
Print books by Samantha Kane
Aged to Perfection (anthology)
Brothers in Arms 1: The Courage to Love
Brothers in Arms 2: Love Under Siege
Brothers in Arms 3 & 9: Arms of Love
Brothers in Arms 4: At Love’s Command
Brothers in Arms 5: Retreat from Love
Brothers in Arms 6: Love in Exile
Brothers in Arms 7: Love’s Fortress
Brothers in Arms 8: Prisoner of Love
Cougar Challenge: Tempt the Cougar (anthology)
Ellora’s Cavemen: Jewels of the Nile II (anthology)
Hunters for Hire: Tomorrow
Ellora’s Cave Publishing
www.ellorascave.com
Fight for Love
ISBN 9781419992087
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Fight for Love Copyright © 2014 Samantha Kane
Edited by Raelene Gorlinsky
Cover design by Dar Albert
Cover photography by Hot Damn Stock, Uolir, creativenature.nl
Electronic book publication July 2014
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