Page 77 of The Nature of a Lady
And how could she know that when Mabena herself had scarcely come to the conclusion an hour ago?
Because ... theywerefriends. She sighed. “I can’t. This is home.”
Libby nodded. “I don’t know how you ever left to begin with. I mean, Ido. What with Cador and all. But...”
“I had to go. I’m glad I did. Glad I met you.” She bumped their shoulders together. “I never expected to make a friend, Libby. But I have, and I’m grateful for it. Grateful and ... and maybe it’s the head injury, but I’m beginning to think maybe it was for a greater purpose too. That the Lord meant for you to come here this summer.”
The way Libby’s brows knit, and the way she took her lower lip between her teeth, made her seem at once a little girl, dreadfully uncertain, and an old woman who had seen too much. “I’ve never heard you talk so.”
“It’s not my way—I always left that to Ollie. But that doesn’t change the truth of it. And the truth is that I’ve never seenyouasyou’ve been since you got here a month ago.” She pulled Libby to a halt, waiting until she looked over at her. “You don’t have to go either, you know. At the end of summer. I know that was your plan, that this was just a respite to give Sheridan time to come to his senses and strike down your brother’s idea. I know you wouldn’t want to leave your mother. But there’s a place for you here. I wouldn’t have believed it had someone asked me before, but that’s truth too.”
Libby looked away. But not away. NotfromMabena so much astothe islands. “When you left here, you didn’t give up your place. You could go somewhere new and still know this was home.” She met her gaze again. “I’m not so certain that would be the case for me, if I chose the Scillies.”
If she chose Oliver, she meant. And she could well be right. “You have the rest of the summer to weigh that, then. To decide what you can live without and what you can’t. And I’ll be at your side to talk it through with you, if you need. That’s what friends are for.”
Libby gave her a small, mellow grin that felt like a gift. “I imagine I’ll take you up on that.”
They turned to the path again and walked up it without any more conversation. No doubt Libby’s mind was spinning as quickly as Mabena’s. About just as many things. And in Mabena’s case, it brought the headache roaring to the forefront again. She was rather glad Libby had declined returning to Tresco tonight. She found herself craving a hot cup of tea, some silence, and the bed at the cottage she’d grown accustomed to.
When they turned the key in the lock and stepped inside, though, she knew there’d be no rest tonight.
Not given the two men sitting at their table. In particular, the one with his arms folded like iron gates over his chest.
21
Libby’s stomach knotted, her hands clenched, and she fought down the unreasonable urge to spin on her heel and run all the way back to the quay. “Bram! What are you doing here?”
Mabena clicked the door shut behind them—effectively cutting off her escape.
Her brother lifted one powerful eyebrow and kept right on glaring at her. “What amIdoing here? I’d think that’s fairly obvious.”
She wanted to be furious, to channel all the churning emotions into some strong response, like Mabena would have made. Instead, all she could think was that she’d never disobeyed her brother before coming here. Never disobeyed their father before him. Not willfully. And this was why. Thatlook.
Even so. If she obeyed him now, theotherman sitting in her sweet little kitchen would be her whole future. She darted one quick glance at Lord Sheridan to remind herself of why that would never do. And lifted her chin. “I’m not going back. I’ve let the cottage for the summer, and I’m going to enjoy it.”
“Meow!” A tiny bundle of stripes came tearing from her bedroom upon hearing her voice and probably would have climbed directly up her skirt if she hadn’t bent down to scoop him up. Darling curled into his favorite spot under her chin, butting his head against herand purring loudly. At leastsomeoneknew how to properly greet her after an absence.
Bram had opened his mouth, no doubt to issue some command she’d have to ignore despite the churning of her stomach, but he huffed out an incredulous breath instead. “Has that thing been here the whole time?”
“Thatthing?” She stroked a hand over the kitten’s vibrating back, lest he be insulted. “His name is Darling.”
Bram sent his eyes to the ceiling, looking fully exasperated. “Of course it is.”
“And what exactly do you mean by ‘the whole time’?” There, finally, the kitten’s purring was infusing her with a bit of confidence. “How long have you been here brooding and invading my privacy? And how did you get in?”
“Please.” He nodded toward the closed door, which made the sun streaming in the windows glint off his honeyed blond hair. “Mother provided me with your landlady’s information when she gave me your address. And given that this so-called privacy was purchased withmymoney, though without my knowledge, I don’t think you get to complain about...” He trailed off, narrowing his eyes at something behind her.
No. Someone. “Who is—wait.Moon?”
She’d forgotten how different her friend looked—the change had been so incremental. And so complete for weeks now. But her new appearance would be a shock to Bram, who’d never seen her in anything but her high-necked, prim-and-proper dresses, her hair neat and severe. Today, the injury had inspired her to keep her hair altogether down, and the wind on the trip had blown it into an absolute fury of curls. She really didn’t bear much of a resemblance to the Moon who’d served at Telford Hall, so Libby could hardly blame him for the momentary confusion.
Mabena sighed. “Good day, my lord. Lord Sheridan.” Her headache was audible in her voice. “I think I’d better put the kettle on.”
Never one to let confusion reign for long, Bram renewed his glare. “Don’t bother. We won’t be here long enough to need it.”
Libby wasn’t optimistic enough to think he meanthewould leave and leave her there.
Mabena ignored him, giving the table a wide berth on her way to the stove. “None for you, then. Very well. Lord Sheridan? Tea?”
