he’s asking for you.”
Her face, always pale, shone nearly translucent in the low light and a track of tears glimmered on her cheeks. She nodded and moved forward. The swoosh of her skirts rustled through the booming silence. He waited for her to pass, then closed the door behind them.
She lingered for a moment on the edge of the room, but after a moment she fearlessly approached the bed and knelt. That peaceful beauty of hers lightened the room. Then she smiled, even through her sorrow. “My lord?”
“Darling girl.” Lord Carin breathed.
She caressed his arm, bent, and pressed a kiss to the top of his hand.
“Ian,” his lordship said, his voice still commanding despite its weakness.
Ian knelt beside Eva, careful not to crush her gown.
Lord Carin looked first at Eva, then at Ian. “I have loved you both well. You were the brightest, the best, outshining my own children—”
“My lord—” Eva began.
“No,” Lord Carin said roughly. “To my shame it’s true. I failed my sons. You two were so easy to love that I failed to labor for my sons. I gave you all my love and left them in the shadows and I cannot die in peace knowing what I have done to them.”
Eva frowned, her brow furrowing with distress. “I would not have you die so.”
“Then promise me something.” Lord Carin’s gaze burned with desperate fervor. “Both of you.”
Ian had never thought to shirk from anything LordCarin might ask, but suddenly he felt his future in the balance. Yet there was nothing he would not do. Not for the man who’d given him everything. “Whatever you wish.”
“Hamilton is going to India. Joined the Khyber Rifles.”
“Yes.” Ian knew this. Everyone did. Despite being the eldest son, Hamilton was to go two months after his wedding to Eva. It was largely hoped that service in such a prestigious corps would set him to rights. Lord Carin had pulled in many favors to buy his son’s commission in that hallowed group of men.
“I’ve arranged for you to go with him, Ian. An officer in your own right. And I want you to help him.” Lord Carin shifted on the bed, suddenly agitated. “You must. You must put your own pride aside. Help him become the man he was meant to be. Hamilton must . . . must find himself.” Lord Carin’s hand shot out, grabbing Ian’s. “Swear you will do all in your power to save him.”
Ian stared at the man who could have been his father and felt a roar of anger and helplessness charging up his throat. He swallowed it back. He owed this man so much. But more than that, he loved him. And if he had indeed stolen Hamilton’s place, the least he could do was help him now. “I promise.”
Lord Carin nodded, his body relaxing. “And you, sweet Eva? You will be a good wife to Hamilton. You will marry him, and shape him as only a good wife can?”
She paused for a moment, her gaze flying to Ian. But that resolved look didn’t linger. Her spine straightened. “I shall do my duty, my lord, and be the best of wives.”
Ian fought the burning urge to shout no. But Eva had been on this path her whole life. She’d made her choice, and no matter what he said, nothing would change that. Not even if he told her what had happened with the horse. She’d chosen her duty, and so he couldn’t tell her. Ever.
He wouldn’t ruin her marriage before it had even begun.
Lord Carin rested his head back on the pillow. Peace eased his features. “Thank you, my children. Now go. I love you both. And I am sorry that I have failed you. I never should have loved you above my own children. I should have loved you all equally. If I had, I would need not ask such things of you now.”
Ian looked down on Eva, her face smooth and unreadable as a statue. She didn’t love Hamilton. She couldn’t. Oh, she could never be his . . . But somewhere deep in his heart, Ian had always secretly hoped that a corner of her heart was just for him. Even if she had to do her duty, fulfilling a promise made long
Her face, always pale, shone nearly translucent in the low light and a track of tears glimmered on her cheeks. She nodded and moved forward. The swoosh of her skirts rustled through the booming silence. He waited for her to pass, then closed the door behind them.
She lingered for a moment on the edge of the room, but after a moment she fearlessly approached the bed and knelt. That peaceful beauty of hers lightened the room. Then she smiled, even through her sorrow. “My lord?”
“Darling girl.” Lord Carin breathed.
She caressed his arm, bent, and pressed a kiss to the top of his hand.
“Ian,” his lordship said, his voice still commanding despite its weakness.
Ian knelt beside Eva, careful not to crush her gown.
Lord Carin looked first at Eva, then at Ian. “I have loved you both well. You were the brightest, the best, outshining my own children—”
“My lord—” Eva began.
“No,” Lord Carin said roughly. “To my shame it’s true. I failed my sons. You two were so easy to love that I failed to labor for my sons. I gave you all my love and left them in the shadows and I cannot die in peace knowing what I have done to them.”
Eva frowned, her brow furrowing with distress. “I would not have you die so.”
“Then promise me something.” Lord Carin’s gaze burned with desperate fervor. “Both of you.”
Ian had never thought to shirk from anything LordCarin might ask, but suddenly he felt his future in the balance. Yet there was nothing he would not do. Not for the man who’d given him everything. “Whatever you wish.”
“Hamilton is going to India. Joined the Khyber Rifles.”
“Yes.” Ian knew this. Everyone did. Despite being the eldest son, Hamilton was to go two months after his wedding to Eva. It was largely hoped that service in such a prestigious corps would set him to rights. Lord Carin had pulled in many favors to buy his son’s commission in that hallowed group of men.
“I’ve arranged for you to go with him, Ian. An officer in your own right. And I want you to help him.” Lord Carin shifted on the bed, suddenly agitated. “You must. You must put your own pride aside. Help him become the man he was meant to be. Hamilton must . . . must find himself.” Lord Carin’s hand shot out, grabbing Ian’s. “Swear you will do all in your power to save him.”
Ian stared at the man who could have been his father and felt a roar of anger and helplessness charging up his throat. He swallowed it back. He owed this man so much. But more than that, he loved him. And if he had indeed stolen Hamilton’s place, the least he could do was help him now. “I promise.”
Lord Carin nodded, his body relaxing. “And you, sweet Eva? You will be a good wife to Hamilton. You will marry him, and shape him as only a good wife can?”
She paused for a moment, her gaze flying to Ian. But that resolved look didn’t linger. Her spine straightened. “I shall do my duty, my lord, and be the best of wives.”
Ian fought the burning urge to shout no. But Eva had been on this path her whole life. She’d made her choice, and no matter what he said, nothing would change that. Not even if he told her what had happened with the horse. She’d chosen her duty, and so he couldn’t tell her. Ever.
He wouldn’t ruin her marriage before it had even begun.
Lord Carin rested his head back on the pillow. Peace eased his features. “Thank you, my children. Now go. I love you both. And I am sorry that I have failed you. I never should have loved you above my own children. I should have loved you all equally. If I had, I would need not ask such things of you now.”
Ian looked down on Eva, her face smooth and unreadable as a statue. She didn’t love Hamilton. She couldn’t. Oh, she could never be his . . . But somewhere deep in his heart, Ian had always secretly hoped that a corner of her heart was just for him. Even if she had to do her duty, fulfilling a promise made long
Similar Books
