you were seeing someone—least of all me.”
His exhale was loud, edged with frustration. “I had a rotten last term at university, including an accusation of cheating.” Rafe swept and an errant lock of hair back. “I didn’t cheat, Fanny.”
“No, of course you didn’t. I can’t imagine you cheating.” She furrowed her brow. “At schoolwork, anyway.”
A quick dart of eyes assured her he hadn’t missed the jibe. “The class instructor piled a mountain of extra work on me. Enough that I was forced to quit football.
“Then word came down from Queensferry. There was no money for a grand tour—so I cancelled the trip to the Continent with you.” A weary smile faded quickly. “And your dear chaperone, Cousin Claire.”
He picked up the ball of stolen clothing. “Come on, Fanny, we’re on the downside of the mountain.” They could barely hear the baying of the hounds. Occasionally, faint barks echoed through the hollows in the rolling landscape. At times, her heart would race and she would gulp in air, not so much from the dog’s cries, but from the story that unfolded as they made their way down the last slope of rugged terrain.
Rafe waited for her to catch up. “Who would you say Claire is closest to—as a friend?”
“She has several female companions she chums about with.” Fanny paused at the edge of a steep drop. “She thinks of me as her charge, wouldn’t you say?”
Rafe lifted her down from the jagged rock. “And her closest male friend?”
“That would be Nigel, of course. What are you getting at, Rafe?”
“During the spring and summer you were gone, I finished up the term, as did Nigel. Coincidentally—or not so coincidentally—he received a number of letters from Claire, two or three for every one I received from you.”
“You know how much I loathe correspondence.”
“That’s because you’re a terrible speller.” A trace of crooked smile surfaced briefly. “I was at a low point when Claire sent word: ‘Exciting news afoot.’ Nigel delighted in sharing her letter. ‘Fanny is seeing the Duke of Grafton. A whirlwind romance appears to be in the offing, and a formal promise is expected shortly.’
“I suppose I spiraled further downward.” Rafe jumped from one flat stepping-stone to another across the stream that fed the loch. “Watch your step.”
She picked up her skirts and followed close behind. “But Claire’s letter was meant as a tease. You deserved as much . . .” Her speech drifted off. “. . . for not coming with us.” Fanny chewed on her lower lip. “Honestly, Rafe, I had no idea . . .”
For a moment, he looked for all the world as if he was about to lose his only friend. “Nigel suggested a village pub crawl. Drink away the misery.” His gaze was dark, troubled. “Started off like any other night—letting off a bit of steam—perhaps I was more on edge than usual. Nigel introduced me to a young lady. There’s no delicate way of putting it, Fan—I took advantage of her, and a month later, paid the consequences.”
Even though Fanny was safely on the bank, shewobbled and swayed a bit. “I see.” Rafe reached out and guided her toward a patch of grassland. She let go of his hand and walked ahead.
“Fan, I didn’t know what to do—had no one to turn to. No chance of buying off the girl’s family. Not that I would have considered such a thing. Rather ironic, though—if there had been more than two bloody coins in the St. Aldwyn coffers, the family might have insisted on an arrangement.”
“But you kept it all a secret, Rafe. And then you . . .” Fanny stopped in the middle of the field and turned. “And then you married.”
“Yes.” He exhaled a long sigh. “Ceilia was sick for months after. In fact, she was never well. Neither mother nor child, as it turns out.” Absently, Rafe whipped a long twig through a tall stand of grass. “No good came from my indecent, immoral behavior, just suffering and death. I caused a great
His exhale was loud, edged with frustration. “I had a rotten last term at university, including an accusation of cheating.” Rafe swept and an errant lock of hair back. “I didn’t cheat, Fanny.”
“No, of course you didn’t. I can’t imagine you cheating.” She furrowed her brow. “At schoolwork, anyway.”
A quick dart of eyes assured her he hadn’t missed the jibe. “The class instructor piled a mountain of extra work on me. Enough that I was forced to quit football.
“Then word came down from Queensferry. There was no money for a grand tour—so I cancelled the trip to the Continent with you.” A weary smile faded quickly. “And your dear chaperone, Cousin Claire.”
He picked up the ball of stolen clothing. “Come on, Fanny, we’re on the downside of the mountain.” They could barely hear the baying of the hounds. Occasionally, faint barks echoed through the hollows in the rolling landscape. At times, her heart would race and she would gulp in air, not so much from the dog’s cries, but from the story that unfolded as they made their way down the last slope of rugged terrain.
Rafe waited for her to catch up. “Who would you say Claire is closest to—as a friend?”
“She has several female companions she chums about with.” Fanny paused at the edge of a steep drop. “She thinks of me as her charge, wouldn’t you say?”
Rafe lifted her down from the jagged rock. “And her closest male friend?”
“That would be Nigel, of course. What are you getting at, Rafe?”
“During the spring and summer you were gone, I finished up the term, as did Nigel. Coincidentally—or not so coincidentally—he received a number of letters from Claire, two or three for every one I received from you.”
“You know how much I loathe correspondence.”
“That’s because you’re a terrible speller.” A trace of crooked smile surfaced briefly. “I was at a low point when Claire sent word: ‘Exciting news afoot.’ Nigel delighted in sharing her letter. ‘Fanny is seeing the Duke of Grafton. A whirlwind romance appears to be in the offing, and a formal promise is expected shortly.’
“I suppose I spiraled further downward.” Rafe jumped from one flat stepping-stone to another across the stream that fed the loch. “Watch your step.”
She picked up her skirts and followed close behind. “But Claire’s letter was meant as a tease. You deserved as much . . .” Her speech drifted off. “. . . for not coming with us.” Fanny chewed on her lower lip. “Honestly, Rafe, I had no idea . . .”
For a moment, he looked for all the world as if he was about to lose his only friend. “Nigel suggested a village pub crawl. Drink away the misery.” His gaze was dark, troubled. “Started off like any other night—letting off a bit of steam—perhaps I was more on edge than usual. Nigel introduced me to a young lady. There’s no delicate way of putting it, Fan—I took advantage of her, and a month later, paid the consequences.”
Even though Fanny was safely on the bank, shewobbled and swayed a bit. “I see.” Rafe reached out and guided her toward a patch of grassland. She let go of his hand and walked ahead.
“Fan, I didn’t know what to do—had no one to turn to. No chance of buying off the girl’s family. Not that I would have considered such a thing. Rather ironic, though—if there had been more than two bloody coins in the St. Aldwyn coffers, the family might have insisted on an arrangement.”
“But you kept it all a secret, Rafe. And then you . . .” Fanny stopped in the middle of the field and turned. “And then you married.”
“Yes.” He exhaled a long sigh. “Ceilia was sick for months after. In fact, she was never well. Neither mother nor child, as it turns out.” Absently, Rafe whipped a long twig through a tall stand of grass. “No good came from my indecent, immoral behavior, just suffering and death. I caused a great
Similar Books
