have been an invitation to a man like Richard, and she’d called herself a fool many times during the past two hours for doing just that. But if she’d learned one thing over the years, it was that once something had happened, it couldn’t be undone.
She had known he would come. In a way, she’d been waiting.
And where he was, there was danger for her.
With pulses racing, she met his gaze squarely. “What took you so long?”
He smiled. “SwanSea is a pretty big place, and by the time I got downstairs, there was no sign of you.”
That’s how she’d wanted it. She’d struck out blindly, away from the people, away from him. She’d walked across rolling green meadows dotted by wild aster and goldenrod. Bluebirds and blackbirds had swooped above her, darting between tall pines and majestic firs. At one point, two white-tailed deer darted across her path. She’d been enchanted by everything she saw, but she hadn’t remained at any one place for longer than a few minutes. Leonora’s crypt had been the only sight that had enticed her to come closer, to linger.
She should have kept moving.
“So how did you find me?”
“I looked in the most isolated places.”
A nod acknowledged his discernment.
“So what do you find so sad?” he repeated.
“The fact that Leonora Deverell died at such a young age.”
“It happened over ninety years ago, Liana. ”
“I don’t care how long ago it happened, it’s still sad. Leonora had a little boy and a husband who loved her very much.” All the things she as a young girl had once yearned for, but had had to face that she would never have.
“How do you know her husband loved her?” he asked with amusement.
She shrugged and conceded, “It’s an assumption.”
“Based on what?” When she didn’t answer, he went on, “I’m not trying to get into an argument with you, Liana. I’m just really interested in what has given you the idea that a man you never knew loved his wife.”
She was sure his reasons for asking were argumentative, but in this instance, she didn’t care. Perhaps if she put her feelings into words, it would help her understand why she was so drawn to this forlorn, forgotten place. “Well, first of all, Leonora was the first Deverell to die after SwanSea was built, so Edward had a choice of where he could locate the family cemetery. He placed her crypt as far away as possible from the house so that he wouldn’t have to see it and be reminded of his pain.”
“I don’t know many people who would place a cemetery where they could look out the windows of their house and see it,” he said dryly. “It’s just too depressing.”
“Maybe. But look where the rest of the family plots are. ” With a wave of her hand, she indicated a larger, more impressive crypt and several tall, elaborately carved gravestones placed some distance away. “He kept Leonora’s apart. ”
He cocked an eyebrow. “Because he thought her so special?”
“I think so. ”
“Then, why is his crypt bigger than hers?”
“Her death was unexpected. The workmen would have had to throw this up literally almost overnight.” She poked at the base of the crypt with her toe. “See? The masonry is crumbling. Shoddy workmanship. And look at this.” She reached for the big heavy lock on the two doors and tugged. “This is almost rusted through. A good tug would break it.”
“Why are you so interested in this place?”
“I don’t know,” she said, equally baffled. “SwanSea has such a unique character and atmosphere to it. I sensed sadness in the gazebo, and here I sense tragedy.” Her head turned in the direction of the house, though she couldn’t see it. “There have been times of shadows as well as times of sunlight here.”
His amusement took on an edge of fascination. “Are you normally so sensitive to places?”
She shrugged. “I can’t remember another place affecting me as much. It’s almost as if I were familiar with SwanSea before I
She had known he would come. In a way, she’d been waiting.
And where he was, there was danger for her.
With pulses racing, she met his gaze squarely. “What took you so long?”
He smiled. “SwanSea is a pretty big place, and by the time I got downstairs, there was no sign of you.”
That’s how she’d wanted it. She’d struck out blindly, away from the people, away from him. She’d walked across rolling green meadows dotted by wild aster and goldenrod. Bluebirds and blackbirds had swooped above her, darting between tall pines and majestic firs. At one point, two white-tailed deer darted across her path. She’d been enchanted by everything she saw, but she hadn’t remained at any one place for longer than a few minutes. Leonora’s crypt had been the only sight that had enticed her to come closer, to linger.
She should have kept moving.
“So how did you find me?”
“I looked in the most isolated places.”
A nod acknowledged his discernment.
“So what do you find so sad?” he repeated.
“The fact that Leonora Deverell died at such a young age.”
“It happened over ninety years ago, Liana. ”
“I don’t care how long ago it happened, it’s still sad. Leonora had a little boy and a husband who loved her very much.” All the things she as a young girl had once yearned for, but had had to face that she would never have.
“How do you know her husband loved her?” he asked with amusement.
She shrugged and conceded, “It’s an assumption.”
“Based on what?” When she didn’t answer, he went on, “I’m not trying to get into an argument with you, Liana. I’m just really interested in what has given you the idea that a man you never knew loved his wife.”
She was sure his reasons for asking were argumentative, but in this instance, she didn’t care. Perhaps if she put her feelings into words, it would help her understand why she was so drawn to this forlorn, forgotten place. “Well, first of all, Leonora was the first Deverell to die after SwanSea was built, so Edward had a choice of where he could locate the family cemetery. He placed her crypt as far away as possible from the house so that he wouldn’t have to see it and be reminded of his pain.”
“I don’t know many people who would place a cemetery where they could look out the windows of their house and see it,” he said dryly. “It’s just too depressing.”
“Maybe. But look where the rest of the family plots are. ” With a wave of her hand, she indicated a larger, more impressive crypt and several tall, elaborately carved gravestones placed some distance away. “He kept Leonora’s apart. ”
He cocked an eyebrow. “Because he thought her so special?”
“I think so. ”
“Then, why is his crypt bigger than hers?”
“Her death was unexpected. The workmen would have had to throw this up literally almost overnight.” She poked at the base of the crypt with her toe. “See? The masonry is crumbling. Shoddy workmanship. And look at this.” She reached for the big heavy lock on the two doors and tugged. “This is almost rusted through. A good tug would break it.”
“Why are you so interested in this place?”
“I don’t know,” she said, equally baffled. “SwanSea has such a unique character and atmosphere to it. I sensed sadness in the gazebo, and here I sense tragedy.” Her head turned in the direction of the house, though she couldn’t see it. “There have been times of shadows as well as times of sunlight here.”
His amusement took on an edge of fascination. “Are you normally so sensitive to places?”
She shrugged. “I can’t remember another place affecting me as much. It’s almost as if I were familiar with SwanSea before I
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