“If I hadn’t been so blinded by my ambition,” he continued. “By being the man I thought she wanted, I would have found her that much sooner. All I had to do was look inside my own heart.” Then he turned to Lottie. “Luckily she forgave my ineptitude in the end. Didn’t you, my darling?”

She hated how easily he manipulated her, and how very much she ached for all of it to be true. If only she could forgive him. If only he would ever ask her to.

Alec reached out and gently brushed his thumb across her cheek, catching the lone tear that had escaped.

“Yes,” she whispered, closing her watery eyes against the rest. “Yes, I did.”

And in that moment, it was indeed the truth.

The wine Alec had shared with Signore Cardinelli in the dining car must have gone straight to his head. He was used to spinning tales at the drop of a hat and had a reservoir of stories to draw from, but most of what he had told Mrs. Huntington was true. As was the pain in Lottie’s voice when she spoke of his long silence. And her forgiveness.

How easy he made their reconciliation sound. If only that was all it took. If only uttering a few words could be enough. But they weren’t those people.

Lottie’s eyes fluttered open, and she looked down. He had taken her hand in his, where her single tear had stained his glove. His very soul burned with the need to kiss away the rest still brimming there, but he merely gave her hand a gentle squeeze before he turned to Mrs. Huntington.

The woman was looking between them with something akin to awe. “My, that is quite a story.” Then she glanced out the window. The train had begun to slow down as they approached the station. “Oh! I must go find Miss Abbott. I told her we would depart together. Her mother will never forgive me if I lose her to a Venetian.” She gave them a genuine smile as she rose. “It has been a most sincere pleasure to meet you both. I hope you enjoy Venice and wish you every happiness on your marriage. I daresay you’ve earned it.”

“Thank you,” Alec said, while Lottie gave her a weak smile.

Alec had uttered a thousand lies and pretended to be a dozen different men over the last few years, but never had he wanted something so much to be true.

As soon as the door shut behind Mrs. Huntington, Lottie tore her hand from his hold and moved to the now-empty seat. Alec tried to catch her eye as she busied herself with smoothing her hat brim.

It wasn’t a lie. I meant every word.

“Lottie.”

Did my silence really torture you so?

Her fingers curled ever so slightly, but she didn’t look up.

Forgive me.