It was time to drag himself upright and assume his duties again, because tonight he had spotted something that couldn’t be ignored. Despite Caroline’s radiant assertion that Luke was entirely innocent and had been acting only for the good, it wasn’t true. He had no doubt Luke Delacroix’s shrewd nature might sweep the entire matter under the rug unless Nathaniel acted. Caroline’s first loyalty was going to be to her brother, but Nathaniel would act in the best interests of the nation. This needed to be handled delicately.

A little over an hour later he spotted Caroline slipping outside, sparking a quick flash of well-being at the sight of her. How he adored her! He stood, raising a hand to catch her attention on the dimly lit street. Even from here, he could see her smiling as she darted toward him, hands outstretched.

“How are you feeling?” she asked as she grasped both his hands, springing up to give him a kiss on the cheek. She smelled like lemon soap and happiness.

“Better.” It was the only word he could think of to describe the strange whirlwind of emotions that had careened from despondency to joy and then anger at the way Mrs. McKinley had treated Caroline. Everything about tonight had been overwhelming.

“Luke has gone to bed for the night,” Caroline said. “Let’s walk along the harbor where we can be alone.”

She took his arm and led him a few blocks down the street to a wooden boardwalk stretching along the harbor wall. Moonlight glinted on the water, and the gentle slosh of the incoming tide sounded against the old rocks. She turned to step into his arms, and for a few moments they simply held each other. It felt like they were the only two people in the world.

“It’s after September 15th,” she said against his shoulder. “We can start living our lives like normal people. No more working around the clock or sleeping in dormitories with half a dozen others. No more prohibitions against seeing each other. We can behave and court like ordinary people.”

He stepped back to get a better view of her, loving the way the moonlight illuminated her face. “And how should an ordinary man court the most charming woman in the city?” he asked, a smile beginning to tug at his mouth.

“Little presents. I love little presents.”

He nodded sagely. “I can do little presents. What else?”

“You could give me a kiss now and—”

He cut her off with a deep kiss. He could feel her smiling against his mouth, and eventually he had to pull back because he started smiling too.

“Keep going,” he coaxed. “I’m learning, and I want to do this right.”

“You could take me on outings.” She shivered a little while looking up at him.