Her chest ached, her soul was battered. She wasn’t deserving of all the dreams her family had dreamt for her. She felt like an imposter. Her past was a lie, and while she understood why her family had sought to spare her the truth, even loved them for it, she felt unmoored.

As soon as the clock struck six, she headed for the door. She’d nearly reached it when it suddenly opened, and Matthew walked through carrying two wicker baskets, one lidded, the other overflowing with a cornucopia of flowers.

“Closing up for the day?” he asked.

“Unless you need a book.”

“Not tonight. I thought you might like to join me for dinner.”

“I’m really not in the mood for the pub.”

“I thought you might not be.” He held up the lidded basket. “So I’ve brought the pub to you.”

Her heart gave a little squeeze at his kindness. “Oh, Matthew, I don’t think I’ll be good company.”

“I’m not expecting you to be, but I also suspect you’ve not eaten today, and you do need to eat.”

Only then did she realize he had the right of it. She had no appetite but didn’t want to grow faint from lack of nourishment. “Is there enough in the basket for both of us?”

“Yes.”

“Would you like to come upstairs, then?”

“I thought you’d never ask.”

“You are going to behave.”

His smile held a bit of deviltry. “Only if you want me to.”

She couldn’t help herself. She laughed, and oh it felt so good, especially as she’d thought she might never find the wherewithal to laugh again. Reaching around him, she locked the door and then closed her hand around the handle of the basket holding the flowers. “I’ll take this.”

“You might as well. They’re yours.”

“I’ve never seen so many in one place. Or such an assortment.” A myriad of colors greeted her when she looked down. “You must have pleased many a street flower girl today.”

Matthew had actually had his gardener snip them from the gardens at his London residence. He’d wanted at least one of every variety and every color. When he’d left her earlier, he’d had the sense that she was still struggling with the facts of her origins and he wasn’t about to leave her languishing in self-doubt.