Page 76 of The Nature of a Lady
He said it gently. And she could appreciate his care. But that didn’t sting either, not much. The thought of Cador as a father and his pretty, city wife at his side. Little ones that weren’t hers squalling for his attention.
She blew out a breath. She didn’t wish him misery—and not with the hope that happiness would silence his muse either. She was simply glad his little family was in London and not here. She may have, at some point in these past weeks home, managed to forgive him. But she didn’t have any desire to see him. “But you said he was published?”
“Not by the company he’s working for—just a little press that did an initial printing of two hundred copies, none of which have sold. Well, one. Mam bought one, of course.”
A chuckle tickled her throat. “As she should. And shouldn’t you have bought another?”
Casek’s eyes flashed. “I told him when he tossed you over that I was on your side, not his. That if he’d broken your heart, I’d wash my hands of him.”
He had? “Caz.” She ducked under the boom and moved to his side. “He’s your twin brother.”
“He hurt you. It isn’t forgivable.”
“And yet if he hadn’t”—she lifted a hand and let her fingertips drift over the taut muscle of his forearm—“those would bemybabies he’s writing home about.Mehe’d be complaining of. Is that what you’d prefer?”
His arm went even tauter. “That isn’t fair, Benna.”
“What isn’t?”
“Asking a question like that when I can’t kiss you to prove what I’d prefer. I promised you’d do the next kissing.”
She didn’t know if it was the sea air or the sunshine or him, but she could nearly forget the pounding in her skull. “Maybe I will.”
That smirk she shouldn’t like so much tilted his lips. “That isn’t fair either. You’re in no condition to fully appreciate it—and I don’t want you coming away with any negative impressions that are the fault of your injury and not me.”
She highly doubted that would happen. But then, Oliver and Libby were within sight, just behind them, and she didn’t much fancy having an audience when she kissed him. For that matter, she liked the thought of his arms coming about her, which they couldn’t do while his hands were tangled with the tack.
So, for now, she simply stretched up, pressed a light kiss to his lips, and settled at his side. “There. To free you from the promise. So that next time I say something provoking, you can prove whatever you need to.”
Even that light touch sent a tingle through her. One that made her think everyone had been wrong five years ago. And Libby had been right—flying would be a good thing indeed.
Libby. A bit of the elation fluttered away at the thought of her. She looked behind them to where theAdelleskimmed along on the same breeze. She and Oliver were talking, her arms gesturing in demonstration of whatever she was saying. Ollie was grinning down at her, happy in that moment despite it all.
“What’s wrong, my love?”
She faced forward again and leaned her aching head against his shoulder, in the place that she’d come to think of as hers the other night when he’d cradled her there for hours while they waited for the doctor to return from a birthing. “I’ve a few bridges to mend, that’s all. I upset her the other day. Made her question whether we’re friends. Maybe because I wasn’t certain myself, she being my employer.”
“She won’t be that for long though, will she? If you’re staying?”
There were more questions there than the ones he asked—a probing of whether she’d meant her offhanded agreement earlier. But she had. And he had a point now. “You’re right. Without that between us, things will be different. In a good way.”
She could call herLibby. Not spare so many thoughts to what her mother or brother would say and putherfirst, as she would any other friend. She could let herself fully appreciate all she’d done while here to help with the Beth mystery. The way she’d taken so quickly to the people Mabena held most dear. She could tear down the barrier she’d kept so carefully between them.
But how to tell her so? She debated it the rest of the way to St. Mary’s. Fighting with someone was easy enough, but making up? When it required words and not just a mutual decision to ignore the row and move on, as she and Beth had always done? That was altogether different.
She still wasn’t certain how best to handle it when they were all on shore at the quay in Hugh Town, but when Oliver declared he’d better hasten to the pharmacy before they closed for the day and Casek said he’d better check at the ferry office to see if any more shipments for the school had come in, she decided there was no time like the present for making the first strides.
And so she linked her arm through Libby’s—something she’d never done before—and gave her a smile. “I’m sorry we’ll miss the race tomorrow morning. If you want to just collect Darling and go back, we can.” It wasn’t what she’d said earlier when they’d asked her. Then, she’d simply wanted to escape her parents’ good-naturedfussing for a few days. But friendship required a bit of self-sacrifice now and then.
Libby softened a bit, though her returning smile was still forced. “It’s all right. Oliver doesn’t mean to participate anyway. He convinced Mr. Menna to take his seat.”
“The things I missed while I slept off a headache!” Mabena gave the slightest shake of her head—all she dared. “Mr. Menna can outrow any of them.”
“That’s what Oliver said.” Libby’s smile faded into a sigh. “Though I’ll want to go back soon. To see how Mamm-wynn’s doing.”
“Any time you like. I ought to be right as rain again by tomorrow. What?” she added at the dubious look Libby sent her. “I’ve the hardest head on the islands. Ask anybody. A little knock on it can’t keep me down for long.”
Libby shookherhead with enviable generosity of movement. Let a beat of silence speak for her. Then said, so softly Mabena could scarcely hear it over the breeze, “You’re not leaving again, are you? At the end of summer, I mean.”
