Page 28 of A Shop Girl’s Christmas (Pennington’s Department Store #3)

Stephen shifted from one foot to the other as he stared at the closed double doors of the courthouse. A light rain had started to fall, causing a cold dampness to the air, but he couldn’t leave until Cornelia emerged from within the white stone building. Time and again, he’d considered waiting inside, but to do so felt too much like an invasion of her privacy.

After the way things had been left between them at the tea shop, he’d carefully and steadfastly avoided her at Pennington’s, still unsure about her help with the murder investigation. Yet, a small part of him wanted her involved as much for himself as Joseph Carter. He liked Cornelia. Admired her, even. She had a strength that appealed to him. Maybe her stubbornness did a little, too. He had always liked a woman with backbone and direction. A woman who knew her own mind.

So, he decided, if she won her divorce but lost custody of her children, she could join the investigation as a way of providing proof he believed in her, cared about her and wanted her – maybe even needed her – beside him.

Her strength was inspiring and strengthening during his weakest moments and if the investigation could serve as a distraction from her pain, then he wanted to be the one who enabled it. He might even accept her invitation to attend the ball at The Phoenix.

But if she won her divorce and the children … no investigation and no ball. What need would she have to be with him then?

Time passed slowly as he waited for the people just inside the courtroom doors to emerge. Was it Cornelia and her family? Someone else?

At last, the doors opened, and Elizabeth Pennington and Amelia Wakefield stepped outside, their smiles wide and their expressions happy. They had to be here for Cornelia. She must have triumphed.

Yet, he couldn’t leave without being certain.

He stretched his neck, trying to see her as more people spilled outside. Then she appeared through the crowds…

If he’d thought her beautiful before, now she looked nothing short of magnificent. Her blue eyes were alight and her cheeks flushed as she accepted embraces from Elizabeth Pennington and Amelia, before they stood back and allowed a tall, dark-haired man to step closer. He pulled Cornelia into his arms and tightly squeezed her, as though he would never let her go. Ignoring a jolt of unexpected jealousy, Stephen studied the man and his trained eye immediately spotted the family resemblance. Her brother, maybe? A cousin?

Satisfied she had both her divorce and the children, Stephen turned to make his way back to Pennington’s. Joseph Carter had only allowed him an hour away.

‘This isn’t over, Cornelia.’

Stephen stopped.

‘Do you understand?’ the man spat between gritted teeth. ‘This. Isn’t. Over.’

He had to be Cornelia’s husband. Ex -husband. Of medium height and build, with dark blond hair poking out from beneath his top hat, David Parker’s face was mottled with anger as he jabbed his finger at Cornelia.

Stephen stepped forward to intervene, when the man he had assumed to be Cornelia’s relation strode forward, grabbed Parker’s arm and shoved him backwards. ‘Get out of here, David, before I damn well throttle you. You’re neither wanted nor needed. You’ve got the freedom you wanted, so leave. Now.’

‘You’re nothing, Cornelia,’ Parker shouted, taking slow steps backwards. ‘Nothing.’

Whirling around, he gripped the hand of the younger woman beside him and marched down the courthouse steps. As he passed, Stephen fought the urge to stick out his foot to send the bastard tumbling face first onto the pavement.

He glared at Parker’s retreating back, so full of anger that he didn’t notice Cornelia approaching until she’d flung her arms around him.

He stumbled backwards and she laughed.

‘You’re here. Oh, Stephen, I won. The divorce and the children. I have so much to thank you for. If it wasn’t for your advice and encouragement, I am certain David would have walked away with my boys.’

His heart beat fast as care for her swept through him. All it would take was a slight dip of his head and his lips could be on hers.

He forced himself to look over her shoulder. Cornelia’s friends studied him with mixed expressions of curiosity, delight… and, from her suspected relation, annoyance.

Gently grasping her wrists, Stephen eased her away from his body. ‘You have nothing to thank me for. Everything you’ve done before and today is to your credit, not mine. Was that him? Your husband?’

Her smile dissolved. ‘Yes. Ex -husband.’

‘Does his threat frighten you? If it does—’

‘My days of being afraid of anything David might say or do are over. From now on, everything I do, every decision I make, will be for the benefit of my children or me. No exceptions.’

‘I’m glad to hear it.’ He glanced over her shoulder. ‘And is that man currently glowering at me your brother?’

She turned and smiled. ‘Lawrence, yes. Don’t worry, he’s a pussycat. He’s been so good to the children and me. He and Esther mean the world to us.’ She faced him, her blue eyes happy. ‘Do you have to return to the store? Only, Elizabeth and Amelia are joining us for tea at the house to celebrate. You are more than welcome to—’

‘Ah, no. I have to get back, but thank you.’

‘Another time, then.’

Stephen bit back a smile. It was a statement rather than a question. ‘Maybe.’

Her gaze sparkled with mischief. ‘Definitely.’

Their eyes locked and Stephen’s heart stuttered. He quickly looked away. ‘I’ve been thinking…’

‘Yes?’

He studied her. ‘We should talk about the investigation. I thought if you won custody of the children, you would lose your desire to help with the investigation. I hope I’m right?’

‘Not at all. Why would you think so?’

‘Because this is dangerous, Cornelia. I don’t want to risk anything hurting you or your children.’

‘And you think I do?’ Her eyes darkened with a determination he was becoming all too familiar with. ‘I want to help Esther with this, Stephen. I have to. I don’t want her feeling she has to do something to help Elizabeth and risk the baby.’

He looked away from her into the distance, his mind and heart racing with indecision and fear.

Finally, he faced her. ‘You will do exactly what I ask of you. No taking matters into your own hands, or wandering off to do Lord knows what.’

She gave a curt nod. ‘Absolutely.’

Uncertainty warred with longing inside him. It was bad enough that he’d become embroiled in the details of his employers’ lives. To involve Cornelia further was a stupidly risky thing to do. Yet, she could undoubtedly help. They could work together… Spend time together. That desire was partially embedded in his own wish to see more of her, but a deep protectiveness had consumed him during and after Parker’s threats. The closer Stephen remained to Cornelia, the less likely he’d be absent should her ex-husband decide to make a reappearance.

He inhaled a long breath and slowly released it. ‘Then, I’d like your help.’

Her bright smile stole the air from his lungs.

‘Oh, Stephen. Thank you.’ She clutched his arm. ‘I promise I will only act on your instructions. Only do as you command.’

He smiled before glancing towards her friends again.

Elizabeth Pennington looked at him as though she was itching to speak to him.

Stephen quickly said, ‘You are not to divulge anything to Mr Carter of what we do. Not yet.’

She nodded, her intelligent gaze sombre. ‘I understand.’

‘I want you to find out as much as you can from Elizabeth Pennington about Carter’s first wife. How long they were a couple, the state of their relationship and more details about her work. Murder invariably starts with the victim, so it’s imperative we know as much as we can about Lillian Carter.’

‘I’ll speak to Elizabeth as soon as possible.’

‘Ensuring her husband knows nothing?’

‘Yes, I’m not sure she’ll like keeping anything from Joseph, but I’ll insist on it for the time being.’

‘Good, it’s important we get this right.’ He drew in a long breath against his growing anxiety of doing something wrong. This time, any errors he made could affect his employers or… Cornelia. He could not allow that to happen. ‘My experiences in the police do not make me invincible. I’ve made mistakes in the past and I could do so again.’

‘You don’t need to teach me what it is to fail someone, Stephen.’

He lowered his voice, hating the sudden sadness in her eyes ‘If you are thinking about your children, you have not failed them. You left your husband, because you were doing right by them, protecting them, and now they will stay with their mother, where they belong. Where they will want to be, once they are old enough to understand their father’s actions.’

Tears glazed her eyes even as she softly smiled. ‘You’re sweet.’

He smiled and shook his head. ‘Well, that’s the first time a person has called me sweet.’

‘I find that hard to believe.’ She raised onto her toes and pressed a light kiss to his cheek. ‘I’ll see you at the store on Monday and we’ll talk further.’

He nodded, stunned into silence.

Her lips had been soft and warm. Gentle, yet filled with purpose.

Damnation.

He was in deeper trouble than ever.