“I know,” Cedric replied, then drew in a calming breath, relieved that he got through to her. “I know. And it is alright. We will find another way to make Fairborne pay. I promise you.”
The music ended then, and as they bowed to one another, Cedric’s heart throbbed in pain as he watched a tear escape down Deborah’s face. He was stepping up to her in the next instant, brushing the tear off her cheek with a kiss. The crowd around them let out an audibleawe,as if they had just witnessed the sweetest thing.
“I am tired,” Deborah whispered, slowly lifting her lashes. Her green eyes still sparkled with tears, and he couldfeelthe exhaustion in her voice.
“As am I,” he agreed, pulling her into his side. “We have done enough this evening. Let us go home.”
Deborah only nodded, and she let him hold her to his side as they walked. He gave false, charming smiles as he moved through the crowd, warding off any questions. To them, they just appeared as a dutiful husband and tired wife, a modest woman who was far too delicate to dance into the late night.
Once outside, Cedric helped her into their carriage, and she slumped forward and held her head in her hands as he climbed into the seat across from her.
“I am so sorry,” she whispered, shaking her head, “I almost ruined everything. For you. For Adeline. My entire family. I just…When I saw him, all of this rage just came barreling forth, and I was consumed with it.”
“What matters is you didnotruin anything,” Cedric countered, squeezing her wrists gently. “Youletme stop you, Deborah. A part of you knew you needed to stop. That was the voice you listened to; that is what is important.”
Deborah sniffled, then raised her head as the carriage began to move.
“What if you had not seen what I was about to do?” She asked, looking utterly lost in her sadness. “How would you have explained this to Adeline?”
“I do not have to,” Cedric said with a shrug. “You stopped, Deborah. And tomorrow, you will be there for her just as you promised.”
“Tomorrow,” she sighed, as if remembering something. “I promised I would take her to the gardens since she could not come with us tonight. Oh, she would have been devastated!”
“Well, now she will not be,” Cedric said with a shrug.
Deborah looked at him, the need for comfort so apparent in her eyes that he could not deny it. He moved to the seat beside her and lifted his arm, and without any insistence from him, Deborah sagged into him. He nuzzled his chin over the top of her head, letting the quiet stretch as the carriage took them home.
“I had told Adeline that we would take Grace tomorrow,” Deborah said after a while, “However, would you consider coming with us instead?”
Cedric looked down at her, unsure.
“Deborah, I do not know,” he said tentatively, watching her raise her weary gaze to his, “Adeline is making progress, but to spend an entire day with her might undo all you have done to bring us together.”
“Please?” Deborah begged, clutching at his jacket, “What if I see him again? He seems so…untouched, unbothered by all he has done. What if my anger takes control again?”
Cedric was silent as he considered her words. It was unlikely that a man like Sylvester would want to visit the conservatory, especially in the daylight. However, if he were pursuing awoman, he doubted the man would mind putting on a show. He also did not like the idea of Deborah coming face-to-face with Sylvester alone. Even if her rage did not take over, it was obvious that his presence would have an effect on her.
“Very well,” he relented.
Deborah’s relief was instant as she sagged into him again.
“Thank you,” she whispered, nuzzling into his side.
He moved to stroke her cheek, and it was then that he felt the hard steel of the blade, still trapped in his sleeve. He removed it and held it up for both of them to see.
“This is quite the deviant little blade,” he mused, turning it in his hand, “Disguised as a hairpin. I must confess the design is quite clever. However, I think there is something you should know about it.”
“Oh?” Deborah asked, sounding exhausted, “What is that?”
“This would have certainly disrupted his evening, but it would not have given you the desired effect. It is far too small to be a murder weapon,” he explained. “It is quite literally an oversized pin.”
To his surprise and relief, Deborah let out a small, tired laugh.
“I think you should hold onto it,” she replied. “At least for now. You are right. There is another way to make Sylvester pay. An oversized pin is not the answer to my problems.”
With a nod, Cedric slid the blade back into his sleeve as the carriage came to a stop.
“I will keep it safe until you ask me for it,” he promised, and then led them inside, both in need of sleep.