Page 59 of To Break the Rules

“Darling girl!”

Lucia hurried forward, throwing her arms about Silas’ waist and holding him tight. She had long since given up any pretence she was indifferent to him, and since talking to Dharani the day before, she’d taken her courage in hand. She loved him, and he deserved to know it… and everything else.

“Well, this is new,” he said, laughing with pleasure at her exuberant greeting. “Though I’m not complaining, you understand.”

He closed his arms about her and bent his head, kissing her tenderly. Lucia sighed, melting into the embrace.

“I missed you so much,” she said, finding her eyes blurring with a mixture of happiness and trepidation.

Silas framed her face in his hands, frowning a little. “Now then, what’s this? What’s happened?”

Lucia laughed and shook her head. “Nothing,” she said, feeling giddy and overwhelmed as the words jostled in her chest, bursting to get out. “Only… only I love you, Silas.”

He stilled, staring down at her, his own eyes glittering now. He made a sound low in this throat and pulled her into his embrace, holding her so tight she could hardly breathe.

“Lucia,” he murmured. “Oh, Lucia. Thank you, thank God, thank Kali too, if that is who I owe this to.”

Lucia laughed, pushing away from him a little to stare up at him to find him grinning at her. “You’re happy?” she asked, reaching up to stroke his face.

He captured her hand, turning into it and kissing her palm. “I am the happiest man in the world, Lucia. Surely you can’t doubt it.”

Lucia swallowed, knowing she must be brave now, that if she loved him, she must trust him and allow him to prove his sincerity.

His face fell.

“What it is, darling? Why do I keep seeing those clouds in your eyes? Are you frightened, with your birthday so close? You know you won’t face him alone, love. You’ll never be alone again.”

She hugged him tight, pressing her face into his chest and breathing in his scent: clean linen, soap, and healthy male. It was a heady perfume.

“Talk to me, Lucia.”

Lucia took a deep breath and looked up. “I… I want to tell you the rest, Silas.”

He stared down at her, smiling, such a gentle expression in his eyes as he leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her mouth. “Thank you,” he said. “For trusting me.”

Silas took her hand and led her to the sofa where they sat down, side by side. Lucia twisted her fingers together. No matter how much she told herself she trusted this man, she was terrified. She had been rejected before when her heritage had been revealed, and if Silas did the same….

She didn’t think she could recover from that.

His large hand reached out and enclosed hers, unknotting her fingers and drawing one hand to his chest, where he held it close.

“I’m not going anywhere, Lucia. If you’re not ready—”

She shook her head, determined now.

“No. I want to tell you.” Her heart was racing, her chest too tight, making it hard to breathe. Sweat prickled down her spine and she closed her eyes, drawing as much air into her constricted lungs as she could manage. “I’m just afraid you—”

“I’ll not change my mind,” he said fiercely. “I love you.”

Lucia drew in a sharp breath, torn between laughter and tears as his words sank in.

Trust him, Aashini.

“My name is not Lucia de Feria,” she said, struggling to get the words out. She turned to face him then, needing to see the look in his eyes when she told him, and praying she would not see disgust or resentment replace the warmth and love that resided there now.

“Anne-Marie de Feria is not my mother. My real mother died not long after my birth, and Anne-Marie was only my father’s lover for the last six months of his life. I think she did love him,” she said, smiling a little. “She was devastated when he became ill. That’s why she promised him she’d look after me and pass me off as her own daughter when she returned to England.”

Silas still held her hand tight, but he reached out and stroked her cheek. “That was good of her, but I suppose it explains why she abandoned you so easily, too.”