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She contemplated his words. They made sense. Clearly he would have been suspicious. She would have been the same if the roles were reversed. “That’s understandable, considering how I arrived. You are very kind to offer me assistance.”

“Have ye eaten aught hearty today? Ye mentioned snacks at the modiste. But ye need food. Good, healthy sustenance for the bairn.” He stood, grasped her hand and pulled her up. “Let’s go see what Cook has for ye.”

She worried her lip, unsure if he understood everything he could be getting himself into.

Sensing her hesitation, he turned her to face him. “What is wrong?”

She’d already laid out her life story before him. The good, the bad. The horrible. She might as well be forthright with any questions she had going forward.

“What are we doing?” She pointed her index finger back and forth between them. “What is this?”

“Well,” he drawled, drawing her close with his arms wrapped around her waist. “I guess ye could call it courting. I havena any experience in that, but that is the first step, am I correct?”

“Are you suggesting what I think you are?” she whispered, her heart skipping a beat. But there were so many hurdles for them to jump through to get to any secure future she didn’t dare hope for a relationship between the two of them.

“If ye are thinking marriage, then aye.” He pulled her in for a hug, and she took comfort in his warm embrace, her head resting on his chest. She could feel his warmth. Feel the thump of his heart. His lips in her hair. She closed her eyes and savored the moment.

“But how? And do you know what that means?” She pushed back so she could meet his eyes. “What you are burdening yourself with?”

“We will figure out the semantics in dealing with Victor. There’s divorce, and whilst no’ common, ’tis possible.

Again, I have friends that have a lot of pull when it comes to matters such as these.

They hold sway and if we canna get Victor to acquiesce and agree to a divorce, we will force him to. ”

She widened her eyes. “I do not want to cause any trouble.”

“Lass,” he chuckled. “When will ye realize ye are worth it?”

Was she? She’d spent years listening to her worth was only in the monetary value she brought to the marriage.

“I can sense that ye are trying to justify that in your mind. Dinna do that to yourself. Dinna let him win when ye’ve finally found your freedom.”

She laid her head on his chest once again. Gunn’s hands gently ran up and down her back, soothing her nerves. “And the babe?” she asked quietly.

“I have always wanted children.”

It was a statement. Said with conviction. No waver in his voice.

“That is a lot to accept. A child that is not yours. You would raise it as your own?”

“’Tis no’ the bairn’s fault how he or she came to be in the world. What matters is they have two loving parents to raise them and shower them with affection.”

“I.” She was at a loss for words. Gunn was almost too good to be true. How had she gotten so lucky? Out of all the pubs she could have entered, she went into the one that would prove to be her future.

“Say naught, lass. ’Tis a lot to digest. But I promise ye, all will work out in the end. Now, let’s go get ye something to eat. Ye’re eating for two, after all.”

She let Gunn take her hand and lead her to the kitchen.

Lizzie was in the drawing room as they passed. She jumped up from her chair where she’d been playing solitaire. “Where have ye two been?” she asked, her hands on her hips before her eyes darted from one to the other, narrowing as her suspicion grew.

Gunn turned to Jocelyn. “Mayhap ye and Lizzie have much to discuss. How about ye do that o’er food?” He smiled. “I shall contact Malcolm.”

“Why do ye need Malcolm?”

But Gunn just dipped his head and placed a soft, lingering kiss on Jocelyn’s cheek. “Eat. And I mean it.” Then he disappeared down the hall.

“What is going on?” Lizzie demanded. “Something has happened.”

Jocelyn giggled. “I have lots to tell you. Much has happened since we arrived home.”

Over tea, dried meat, cheese, and fruit, Jocelyn explained all that had transpired since they’d arrived home from the modiste. With eyes wide, Lizzie listened intently, sometimes gasping, other times clapping her hands in delight.

“Ye just wait. The ladies are going to love this story. And a bairn!” She clapped again. “Happy times indeed.”

“You don’t think it is too much? For Gunn, I mean.”

“Nay. Gunn is strong. Also, determined. When he says he’s going to do something, he will fight to the teeth to get it done.”

Jocelyn sighed in relief. With a groan, she pushed her plate away. “I cannot eat another bite.”

“Ye ken Gunn is going to be constantly feeding ye from here on out? He’ll want to ensure ye have the healthiest bairn.”

“He is very kind. I only hope I can keep it all down.” She rubbed her stomach. “This meal seems fine, but the snacks at Madame Gossard’s did not settle well.”

“Mayhap they were too rich for your stomach. When e’eryone arrives, we’ll have to discuss stomach remedies with Gwen, Clarissa, and Willamina.

They’ll surely have some suggestions with dealing with that.

They’ve all had at least one bairn or one on the way.

” She sipped her tea and suddenly set her cup down with a clank.

“Your bairn will grow up with the others. How exciting is that?”

Jocelyn wasn’t sure. She wasn’t even sure if the others would accept her. What if they thought she was taking advantage of Gunn? It was something she didn’t want to think about right now.

Setting her napkin on the table, she pushed her chair back. “It has been a long day. I think I should get some rest.”

Thanking Cook for the meal, she made her way upstairs to her room. At the top of the stairs, a man waited near her door. He was vaguely familiar. Nervously, she looked around. No one else was there.

The man approached, greeting her with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Jocelyn?” he asked.

Immediately, she didn’t trust him. When she turned to go back downstairs, he rushed forward and grabbed her roughly by the arm. Putting a finger to her lips, he willed her to be silent.

“I would like a few words before you retire for the eve.”

The hairs on her arms stood up. She remembered where she’d seen him before. It was Gunn’s business manager. Theodore. The man stealing from Gunn. Had he found out that she’d uncovered his theft?

“What is it Gunn has ye working on? I ken he gave ye employment. Doing what?”

She snatched her arm back and jutted out her chin.

“I do not believe that is any concern of yours. If you’ll excuse me.” She moved to enter her room, but he blocked the way.

“I believe I asked ye a question,” he snarled, his eyes almost black in color.

“And I believe that I do not have to answer your question.”

Stalking forward, she couldn’t help but step back until she was flush against the wall.

“Listen,” he warned, his hands lifted to the wall, enclosing her as if she were in a cage. “I have kenned Gunn a long time. Much longer than ye. I warn ye against snooping around places ye shouldna be.”

“Are you threatening me? I’m sure Gunn would not appreciate such an action.”

He dropped his arms and stepped back, a sneer marring his face. “I would ne’er threaten a lady. But ye arena one, are ye?” he snapped. “Heed my warning.” Then he turned and disappeared quickly down the stairs.

Jocelyn placed her palm over her heart, it beat so fast under her hand. She took a deep breath and blew out slowly through her mouth, trying to calm herself. And repeated the action before entering her room and locking the door behind her.

Theodore was definitely scared of her uncovering his secret. Sadly, for him, it was far too late for that since not only had she done exactly that, Gunn was well aware of what he had been doing.

Gunn.

She should talk to him in the morning about Theodore’s visit. Or mayhap not. She sighed as she sat on her bed, contemplating what she should do. In the morning she’d decide what to do. For now, she wanted to get lost in happy memories.

Reaching into the drawer of the bedside table, she pulled out her mother’s diary and paged to the section where she wrote about meeting her father for the first time.

The entry was endearing. She talked about how dashing he was.

Courteous. Gentlemanly. She wrote that she knew she would marry him from that very first meeting.

It was as if all the stars had aligned in just the right way bringing them together.

It kind of matched up with the way Jocelyn had met Gunn. Serendipity perhaps. The universe was in alignment that night.

She wished her parents were still here. She missed them so much. She also believed they would have supported her in the actions she’d taken to get away from Victor. Would have actively joined forces with Gunn to remove Victor from her and the babe’s life.

Lying down, she snuggled into the pillow. Thoughts of Gunn meeting her parents. They would have liked him. Approved of him. She was sure of that.

As she slipped into a blissful sleep, images of Gunn holding her babe floated behind her eyelids. All was good.

She could only hope it stayed that way.