Joan’s expression softened. “Forgive me. Yes, of course.” She sighed. “It’s not an excuse, but aside from my brother, you’re the only one who knows, and you’re also the only one with an opinion that truly matters to me.” Her eyes dropped to her hands as she picked at her gloves. “I know it’s strange, and not the usual set of activities for a lady, but I can’t imagine doing anything else.” She lifted a shoulder. “And I also know that…my skills…are not conventional. Morgan warned me…so often…about how my involvement with the war office could be taken as less than ladylike, and likely make me the object of scorn. It’s not the usual vocation of a gently bred woman. Intrigue is far more dangerous than needlework.”

Rowles could easily imagine Morgan’s worries; he shared a few as well.

“But I’m not any of those things,” she continued. “I’m just…me. And for some reason, God gave me a skill. Not using it to help others seems such a waste. So, here I am.”

Rowles nodded once, then reached out, grasped her fidgeting hands within his, and squeezed once, twice, then held her fingers. “One of the very first things that captured my attention about you was your ability to see through me, the world, the injustices that surround us. It makes sense now, that you are able to peel back the lies to see the truth beneath, but I’ll never forget how you looked at me, your eyes piercing my very soul while we waltzed that first time and you gave me a lovely gift.”

As he spoke, her body relaxed and she leaned against him, her shoulder settling against his arm. She gave a small laugh. “Morgan thought I’d given myself away with that comment. It was too ‘telling,’ he’d said.”

“It was, but not in the way he likely assumed. It gave me hope. It removed the lie that I’d been feeding with my fear. It set me free in so many ways. Because even though I didn’t know you well, I believed you.”

“I was telling the truth.”

“I know.” He leaned over and kissed the top of her head, inhaling the sweet scent of lemon. “I know you were. And that’s why it was so powerful. There’s a verse, one that I use in my lectures quite frequently, especially when we are talking about social issues or current problems—‘The truth shall make you free.’”

Joan nodded. “It does.”