wide-eyed.
"I know that the ship is about to sail and I know that I must be on it or I shall be left behind. But I cannot
get to the ship. I keep looking at my watch but I know that no matter what I do, I will not be able to
reach the vessel on my own. If someone does not rescue me, I will be left alone on my island."
Olympia looked up quickly. "I have had dreams like that," she whispered. "One knows one will be alone
forever and one can hardly bear the knowledge."
"Yes. Very unpleasant." Jared stared down at her. For an unguarded instant a remote loneliness as well
as a deep, raging hunger gleamed in his shadowed gaze.
Olympia knew in that moment that she had not misjudged him after all. She and Jared shared a bond that
could not yet be translated into words. She wondered if he understood that as clearly as she did.
"But it is only a dream, Aunt Olympia," Hugh assured her.
Olympia shook off the enthrallment that had descended on her and smiled at Hugh. "Quite right. Mere
dreams. Now then, I believe that is quite enough discussion on the subject." She rose from the bed. "If
you are certain that you will be able to go back to sleep, Hugh, we shall take our leave."
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"I shall be fine, Aunt Olympia." Hugh snuggled down beneath the covers.
"Very well, then." Olympia bent down to kiss his forehead. Hugh grimaced as he always did, but he did
not turn away. "We shall see you at breakfast."
Hugh waited until Olympia had put out the candle and started toward the door. "Aunt Olympia?"
"Yes, dear?" She turned to look at him.
"Robert says Ethan and I must be brave because you will likely grow tired of us eventually and decide to
send us off to our relatives in Yorkshire. I was wondering how long you think it will be before you do
grow tired of having us about the place."
Olympia's throat tightened. "I shall never grow tired of having you about the place. Indeed, I do not
know how I got along before you came here to live with me."
"Is that true?" Hugh demanded eagerly.
"Oh, yes, Hugh," Olympia said with grave honesty. "It's true. Life was extremely dull around here before
you and your brothers arrived. I can think of nothing that would dampen my spirits more than to have you
three leave."
"Are you certain?" Hugh asked anxiously.
"I vow, if you and Ethan and Robert were to go away, I would quickly turn into a very odd bluestocking
who would have to be content to find all her excitement in her books."
"That's not true," Hugh said with startling vehemence. "You are not odd. Charles Bristow said you were
and I hit him because it's not true. It's not. You are very nice, Aunt Olympia."
Olympia was shocked. "Is that why you got into a fight with Charles Bristow? Because he said I was
odd?"
Hugh's suddenly abashed glance slid to Jared. "I did not mean to tell you. Mr. Chillhurst said I was right
not to discuss it with you when it happened."
"Quite right," Jared said. "A gentleman who engages in a duel to defend a lady's honor does not discuss
the fight with her either before or after the occasion."
"Good grief." Olympia was outraged, "I will not tolerate anyone getting into a fight on my behalf. Is that
quite clear?"
Hugh sighed. "It does not matter. I lost. But Mr. Chillhurst says he will teach me some tricks that will
help me do a better job of it next time."
Olympia glared at Jared. "Did he, indeed?"
"Do not concern yourself, Miss Wingfield," Jared said.
"You keep saying that, but I am beginning to wonder if I had not better pay much closer attention to the
lessons you are teaching to my nephews."
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
Jared arched a brow. "Perhaps it would be best if we discussed this alone, Miss Wingfield. Good night,
Hugh."
"Good night, sir."
Olympia stepped stiffly out into the hall. Jared followed and quietly closed the door of the bedchamber.
"Really, Mr.
"I know that the ship is about to sail and I know that I must be on it or I shall be left behind. But I cannot
get to the ship. I keep looking at my watch but I know that no matter what I do, I will not be able to
reach the vessel on my own. If someone does not rescue me, I will be left alone on my island."
Olympia looked up quickly. "I have had dreams like that," she whispered. "One knows one will be alone
forever and one can hardly bear the knowledge."
"Yes. Very unpleasant." Jared stared down at her. For an unguarded instant a remote loneliness as well
as a deep, raging hunger gleamed in his shadowed gaze.
Olympia knew in that moment that she had not misjudged him after all. She and Jared shared a bond that
could not yet be translated into words. She wondered if he understood that as clearly as she did.
"But it is only a dream, Aunt Olympia," Hugh assured her.
Olympia shook off the enthrallment that had descended on her and smiled at Hugh. "Quite right. Mere
dreams. Now then, I believe that is quite enough discussion on the subject." She rose from the bed. "If
you are certain that you will be able to go back to sleep, Hugh, we shall take our leave."
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"I shall be fine, Aunt Olympia." Hugh snuggled down beneath the covers.
"Very well, then." Olympia bent down to kiss his forehead. Hugh grimaced as he always did, but he did
not turn away. "We shall see you at breakfast."
Hugh waited until Olympia had put out the candle and started toward the door. "Aunt Olympia?"
"Yes, dear?" She turned to look at him.
"Robert says Ethan and I must be brave because you will likely grow tired of us eventually and decide to
send us off to our relatives in Yorkshire. I was wondering how long you think it will be before you do
grow tired of having us about the place."
Olympia's throat tightened. "I shall never grow tired of having you about the place. Indeed, I do not
know how I got along before you came here to live with me."
"Is that true?" Hugh demanded eagerly.
"Oh, yes, Hugh," Olympia said with grave honesty. "It's true. Life was extremely dull around here before
you and your brothers arrived. I can think of nothing that would dampen my spirits more than to have you
three leave."
"Are you certain?" Hugh asked anxiously.
"I vow, if you and Ethan and Robert were to go away, I would quickly turn into a very odd bluestocking
who would have to be content to find all her excitement in her books."
"That's not true," Hugh said with startling vehemence. "You are not odd. Charles Bristow said you were
and I hit him because it's not true. It's not. You are very nice, Aunt Olympia."
Olympia was shocked. "Is that why you got into a fight with Charles Bristow? Because he said I was
odd?"
Hugh's suddenly abashed glance slid to Jared. "I did not mean to tell you. Mr. Chillhurst said I was right
not to discuss it with you when it happened."
"Quite right," Jared said. "A gentleman who engages in a duel to defend a lady's honor does not discuss
the fight with her either before or after the occasion."
"Good grief." Olympia was outraged, "I will not tolerate anyone getting into a fight on my behalf. Is that
quite clear?"
Hugh sighed. "It does not matter. I lost. But Mr. Chillhurst says he will teach me some tricks that will
help me do a better job of it next time."
Olympia glared at Jared. "Did he, indeed?"
"Do not concern yourself, Miss Wingfield," Jared said.
"You keep saying that, but I am beginning to wonder if I had not better pay much closer attention to the
lessons you are teaching to my nephews."
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
Jared arched a brow. "Perhaps it would be best if we discussed this alone, Miss Wingfield. Good night,
Hugh."
"Good night, sir."
Olympia stepped stiffly out into the hall. Jared followed and quietly closed the door of the bedchamber.
"Really, Mr.
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