won’t.”
“Try and stop me.” Jessica turned and squared her shoulders. “You have no hold over me. As I understand it, I am entirely on my own.”
“Jess.” His voice was lethally soft and he stirred in the chair. “I’m just going to say this once. As I’ve pointed out, I am tired. Very tired, if you want the truth. I am perfectly willing to let you have the bed upstairs but not willing to follow you out into the night to make sure you’re safe, which is what I’d be honor-bound to do.”
“Honor? You must be joking. Who could have less honor than you?”
With effort he clamped down on a surge of icy anger over the continued barrage of insults. “Plenty of men, I’m afraid. In any case, you’re here, and that is a fact. I’m here, and that is another fact. No one knows we’re here alone and the staff I hired won’t arrive until midday tomorrow. The only thing for both of us to do is to get whatever sleep we can and we’ll sort out the mess later. I’m sorry, but that’s the best I can come up with at this late hour.”
“It’s out of the question. One of us is leaving.”
“Absolutely not.” He reached for the brandy bottle without taking his gaze from her face. “And don’t even dream of testing me. I am not yet fully recovered and my shoulder is throbbing like a native drum thanks to you, but I believe I’m still twice your size, Jess.”
Silence. She stood staring at him with those great accusing eyes. Then her whole body seemed to slump. Her mouth twitched in what looked like regret. “I am sorry. At least about your shoulder. I wouldn’t have hit you there if I had known.”
“Apology accepted. Just go to bed.”
She nodded, looking suddenly very much like some of the young, shell-shocked soldiers he’d seen in battle. Groping for the doorway, she moved stiffly, her slender shoulders drooping.
“Good night,” he whispered softly but doubted she even heard him.
She couldn’t help it. No matter how she wanted to stem the tide, no matter that she told herself she expected no less of Robert, the truth was…devastating.
The tears came. She fought them valiantly, but lost the battle. Maybe it would do her good to just let it out.
Jessica lay in bed and began to weep in great gulping sobs. She pushed her face into the pillow but it didn’t help. She still made the betraying noises, cried the tears and felt the desolation settle into her soul.
Forget the house. It was just a place. But Robert, her only family, had left her without a word. He hadn’t cared enough to stay, to try and redeem anything from their family fortunes. Maybe he’d counted on Nathaniel, maybe he’d thought the future settled, but he hadn’t talked to her, or remained to make sure she was secure and cared for, or as much as said goodbye. Her sobs shook the entire bed.
She very truly felt more alone than at any time in her life.
But she wasn’t alone.
She hadn’t even heard the door open but she felt a gentle hand touch her back and the give of the bed as he sat down on it.
“Jessica, are you all right?”
Alex. He must have heard her and felt some sort of absurd pity.
She stiffened and mumbled hoarsely into the pillow, “I’m just fine.”
“Look, I don’t blame you for crying—”
Desperately she said, “I’m not crying, so you can leave now. I’m just…hungry.”
She heard the rumble of a soft laugh. “If I behaved like you, then I would have watered the whole peninsula for the last four years. Army rations are notoriously thin.”
“Don’t laugh at me.” She hiccupped embarrassingly.
“Jess, I am not laughing at you. And it is perfectly all right to cry. Your brother has always been a selfish ass and if I had him here, I would beat him senseless on your behalf. Everything he told me indicated your future was settled.”
She sniffed, fighting a fresh spate of tears. “I guess it is. I mean, Nathaniel asked for my hand and Robert said yes. But…” She gave a
“Try and stop me.” Jessica turned and squared her shoulders. “You have no hold over me. As I understand it, I am entirely on my own.”
“Jess.” His voice was lethally soft and he stirred in the chair. “I’m just going to say this once. As I’ve pointed out, I am tired. Very tired, if you want the truth. I am perfectly willing to let you have the bed upstairs but not willing to follow you out into the night to make sure you’re safe, which is what I’d be honor-bound to do.”
“Honor? You must be joking. Who could have less honor than you?”
With effort he clamped down on a surge of icy anger over the continued barrage of insults. “Plenty of men, I’m afraid. In any case, you’re here, and that is a fact. I’m here, and that is another fact. No one knows we’re here alone and the staff I hired won’t arrive until midday tomorrow. The only thing for both of us to do is to get whatever sleep we can and we’ll sort out the mess later. I’m sorry, but that’s the best I can come up with at this late hour.”
“It’s out of the question. One of us is leaving.”
“Absolutely not.” He reached for the brandy bottle without taking his gaze from her face. “And don’t even dream of testing me. I am not yet fully recovered and my shoulder is throbbing like a native drum thanks to you, but I believe I’m still twice your size, Jess.”
Silence. She stood staring at him with those great accusing eyes. Then her whole body seemed to slump. Her mouth twitched in what looked like regret. “I am sorry. At least about your shoulder. I wouldn’t have hit you there if I had known.”
“Apology accepted. Just go to bed.”
She nodded, looking suddenly very much like some of the young, shell-shocked soldiers he’d seen in battle. Groping for the doorway, she moved stiffly, her slender shoulders drooping.
“Good night,” he whispered softly but doubted she even heard him.
She couldn’t help it. No matter how she wanted to stem the tide, no matter that she told herself she expected no less of Robert, the truth was…devastating.
The tears came. She fought them valiantly, but lost the battle. Maybe it would do her good to just let it out.
Jessica lay in bed and began to weep in great gulping sobs. She pushed her face into the pillow but it didn’t help. She still made the betraying noises, cried the tears and felt the desolation settle into her soul.
Forget the house. It was just a place. But Robert, her only family, had left her without a word. He hadn’t cared enough to stay, to try and redeem anything from their family fortunes. Maybe he’d counted on Nathaniel, maybe he’d thought the future settled, but he hadn’t talked to her, or remained to make sure she was secure and cared for, or as much as said goodbye. Her sobs shook the entire bed.
She very truly felt more alone than at any time in her life.
But she wasn’t alone.
She hadn’t even heard the door open but she felt a gentle hand touch her back and the give of the bed as he sat down on it.
“Jessica, are you all right?”
Alex. He must have heard her and felt some sort of absurd pity.
She stiffened and mumbled hoarsely into the pillow, “I’m just fine.”
“Look, I don’t blame you for crying—”
Desperately she said, “I’m not crying, so you can leave now. I’m just…hungry.”
She heard the rumble of a soft laugh. “If I behaved like you, then I would have watered the whole peninsula for the last four years. Army rations are notoriously thin.”
“Don’t laugh at me.” She hiccupped embarrassingly.
“Jess, I am not laughing at you. And it is perfectly all right to cry. Your brother has always been a selfish ass and if I had him here, I would beat him senseless on your behalf. Everything he told me indicated your future was settled.”
She sniffed, fighting a fresh spate of tears. “I guess it is. I mean, Nathaniel asked for my hand and Robert said yes. But…” She gave a
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