She took both from him, glanced over the note, then opened the bag. The coins shifted with a soft, heavy clink. Her breath caught. "Wow…"
Richard watched her fingers dip into the purse, touching the coins.
"I earned this…" she whispered.
Richard hummed softly. She looked up at him then, and the disbelief in her eyes nearly gutted him.
"Not with my body?" she asked.
His face changed at once. "Definitely not."
She looked back down at the coins. "Wow…"
Richard felt his throat tighten. Damn Beaumont. Damn every man who had taught her that coin in her hand must mean some part of her had been taken in return. Damn her father. Damn the world for making a woman astonished that work could be paid without shame attached to it.
"Hey…" Richard called gently. "Diana."
Finally, her eyes met his.
"You need to let go of that memory, okay?"
Her fingers closed around the coins. Her eyes glistened. Richard reached for her hand.
