Page 125 of The Sisters of Sea View
“Good.” He rose, and she was struck anew by his height. “You can help by boxing up these newspapers. I have let this pile gather dust too long as it is.”
Viola got unsteadily to her feet. “I don’t understand. Are you honestly all right? About Miss Truman leaving?”
“I am. It did not take me long to realize how she felt. I could see it in her face. Her unease whenever she forced herself to meet my gaze. The subtle curl of her lip when confronted with my scars. Nor did she like my home here. The lack of society and formal dinners and parties. Do you really think she would have been happy here? With me? No.”
“She would have gone through with it, if you had exerted yourself. Taken her out somewhere. Entertained her. Tried a little harder.”
“Very likely. And do you think I wanted that? To be united with a woman who could barely stand to look at me or remain in my company? Who shrank back whenever I came too close, though she tried to hide it under a guise of shyness, behind fluttering lashes and coy smiles? I was not fooled. I waited for her to say something, and when she did not, I hinted to her mother that I would agree to a quiet and amicable parting of ways. She took me up on it.”
“Miss Truman had tears in her eyes when I saw her.”
“That surprises me. So do you. Do you want me to go after her and beg her to change her mind?”
“What I want is of no account.”
“There you are wrong.”
For a moment, she stared at him, then anger flared. “I want no part of this. I have enough to feel guilty about in my life as it is.”
“You have nothing to feel guilty about. Miss Truman did not love me, and I certainly did not love her. I had been regretting my rash offer of marriage even before India. I believe it is half the reason I decided to go.”
“Oh.” Viola studied him warily, wanting to believe him. “Well... good. I was worried you would be devastated.”
He took her hand, pressing it warmly before releasing it. “I appreciate your concern more than you know. But I am well. And she will be happier in the long run, I am convinced.”
“I hope you are right.”
One corner of his mouth quirked. “Am I not always?”
“Definitely not,” she retorted. “Hardly ever.”
Colin joined them at the tail end of their conversation, leaning a casual shoulder on the doorframe. “I would not worry about Lucy Truman if I were you, Miss Vi. She will be right as rain in no time. And she’ll be engaged to some other eldest son in a fortnight, mark my words.”
But it wasn’t Miss Truman she was worried about.
Colin went on to tell his brother that Taggart wanted to hire someone to chop up a tree that had fallen in the recent gale.
“No need. I shall it do it myself, and you will help. You could do with some exercise too.”
“No doubt.” Colin straightened. “Very well. I’ll tell Taggart not to call in the cavalry, for the cavalry is already here.” He winked at Viola, pivoted in an impressive about-face, and departed the room.
For a long moment, Viola remained where she was, gazing at Major Hutton, the man who had come to her aid, lifting her from the sea.
“By the way,” she said, “what were you doing on the main beach the other day? I thought you preferred the western one?”
“I decided to swim nearer home, since no one was about. And thank God I did.”
Gratitude washed over her anew. “Thank you again for coming to my rescue.”
He slowly nodded. “Would that I could always do so.”
What did that mean? Conflicted, Viola turned to the desk, and her gaze fell to the letter the major had been writing when she arrived.
Mr. Bird,
I would like to meet with the surgeon you mentioned and learn more about his new methods. Please call at a date and time convenient to you both.
Sincerely,
