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will be about this time of night. We are rather isolated here. Gaston found a cane for you. It should help you keep your balance.”
    Reed rose from his chair slowly. Fleur departed to fetch her wrap. Gaston left the dining room and returned moments later with the cane and Reed’s jacket. When Fleur arrived, she took his arm.
    “Are you ready?”
    “Whenever you are.”
    Gaston opened the door and together they walked into the night. “Where shall we go?” Reed asked.
    “Down the lane a bit. The grassy area will be too uneven for you to traverse, but you should be able to manage the dirt lane without difficulty.”
    They strolled, arm in arm, beneath a heaven bright with moonlight and twinkling stars. Reed breathed deeply of the fragrant night air, grateful that his maker had not granted his wish to die. It seemed as if he had waited a lifetime to walk beside Fleur on a soft summer night such as this.
    Despite his pleasure at being outside, Reed soon felt himself begin to tire. Fleur must have noticed his flagging steps for she said, “There’s a fallen log beside the lane. Would you like to stop and rest before we start back?”
    “I don’t like to think I am such a weakling, but yes, I’d better stop and rest. Besides, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you, and I rarely see you alone anymore.”
    They ambled over to the fallen log. Reed eased himself down gingerly; Fleur sat beside him. “What did you wish to talk about?” She asked once they were settled.
    “You. I’ve had a lot of time to think. I want you to leave France when I do. It isn’t safe here for you. I can’t believe Porter hasn’t insisted that you return to England.”
    Fleur glanced at him, then looked away. “Lord Porter did suggest that I return, but my work here isn’t done. This cottage belongs to Lisette, a mere citizen, and I am but a simple widow. No one here is curious about me. As long my country needs me, I will remain.”
    “You are but one woman, Fleur.”
    Fleur shrugged. “I do what I can.”
    “How much longer can the Black Widow remain anonymous? I don’t like it, Fleur. The least I can do to repay you for saving my life is to see you safely settled in England.”
    Fleur shook her head. “You owe me nothing, Reed. I don’t do this for personal gain. Saving lives is my way of making sure Pierre did not die in vain. Go home when the time comes and forget about me. I will be fine.”
    Reed searched her face. If only someone loved him as much as Fleur had loved her husband. “You must have loved your Pierre very much.”
    She flushed and looked away. “Pierre did not deserve to die. He was a good man.”
    She looked so sad, so utterly alone, that Reed couldn’t help himself. Reaching out with his uninjured arm, he caressed her face, tracing her lips with the pad of his thumb.
    “You are flirting with danger as long as you remain in France.”
    She turned her cheek into his palm. “It’s been a long time since a man touched me with affection.” Her whispered words held a poignant note.
    “Return with me to England and I’ll make sure you find a man who will appreciate you. You deserve someone to love you.”
    “I had someone who loved me.”
    He brought his hand to the back of her neck, urging her closer, until he could feel the sweet touch of her breath. “You will find another.”
    Resisting Fleur was impossible, even for a man still too weak to do what he truly wanted to do with Fleur. She needed a virile man, but he wasn’t that man yet. Had she taken any of the other men she had rescued to her bed?
    Fleur held her breath. The look in Reed’s eyes captivated her. She couldn’t have moved if she’d wanted to. She knew he was going to kiss her, and she wanted it. Yearned for it. She’d been so lonely since Pierre’s death. She hadn’t realized just how lonely until Reed came along. Their eyes met and clung.
    None of the other men she had rescued affected her as Reed did. What was there