Page 106 of Feathers in the Wind
“Drat these cursed midges!” Deliverance unsuccessfully tried to dash the tears from her eyes while pretending to swat midges. She probably hoped he didn’t notice.
His mother’s propensity to tears at the slightest provocation had inured him to a woman’s tears but in Deliverance, tears seemed so out of character.
He laid a hand on her shoulder. “Deliverance?”
She swallowed. “My brother died here. He came swimming on a warm, summer day like today and... and... he drowned.”
Luke stared at her. He had not expected such a confidence. He looked across the still, deep pool, seeing the beautiful place through her eyes as a dark and foreboding place of grief and tragedy.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “How old was he?”
“Thirteen. He was my twin. My mother was grief stricken. She never recovered and died the next winter. Father was away so much with parliament and county duties. It all fell to me...” She trailed off, fresh tears catching at the corners of her eyes.
He slid his hand from her shoulder around the back of her neck, drawing her in to him. She rested her head against his chest and they stood together looking out over the still water, as a brightly coloured kingfisher dived into the water coming up with a wriggling fish in its bill.
Deliverance stiffened, extricating herself from his arm. Once again, the woman she wanted the world to know. She turned to stride along the path ahead of him, her head bowed.
Luke stood for a moment watching her. At fourteen, Deliverance Felton had found herself mother to her younger sister and mistress of this rambling castle. No, he thought, life had not dealt fairly with her.
He caught up with her and they walked side by side in silence to a place where the tree line broke and a green expanse of grass and wildflowers ran down to the river bank. Deliverance sat down and drew her knees up, wrapping her arms around them. Luke sprawled beside her, plucking at the long grass stems and chewing their ends, a childhood habit.
Deliverance leaned her head on her knees and looked at him.
“I suppose you think I cannot bear to go anywhere near the pool,” she said.
He looked up at her; a frown puckered her forehead. “I love going there. I go when I need to think.” She stopped and looked away. “You’ll laugh...”
“I won’t,” Luke promised.
“If I have a problem, I come here to talk to James.”
“He was your brother and your twin. It’s natural that you still feel the connection with him.”
She tore at the grass around her shoe, a slight colour staining her pale cheeks. “It calms me. I can always see the solution to my problems when I’ve sat with James.” She looked up, scanning his face. “I’ve told no one about that before, not even Pen.”
“I am honoured,” he said. “Accept my assurance that your confidence will go no further.” “Thank you for understanding.”
The heat rose to Luke’s face, and he coughed to cover his embarrassment. Any other woman and he probably would have laughed and ribbed her about her fancies but not Deliverance. She had told him something about herself that she had not even told her closest confidante. He appreciated the value of the trust she had placed in him. It was to be treasured.
Deliverance stretched and lay down in the grass beside him. “It all seems so peaceful. This was a good idea, thank you, Luke... Captain Collyer.”
He smiled. “Luke is fine. May I claim a similar familiarity?”
She nodded. “That seems fair.”
“Deliverance Felton. Deliverance...” He tried her name on his tongue and looked down at her, smiling. “What were your parents thinking when they named you and your sister?”
Deliverance smiled. “My mother’s choice, I think. She came from a very strict puritan family. My brother ended up with the perfectly acceptable name of James. My family calls me Liv. I… I wouldn’t mind if you did as well.”
“Liv?” Luke tried the shortened name out. He twirled the feathery grass stem in his fingers and reached out and batted her on the nose with it. “No, I like Deliverance. The right to contract a person’s name has to be earned, I think.”
Deliverance swatted the grass away. “Stop that!”
He rolled on to his back beside her with his ankles crossed. Above them, small, fluffy white clouds scudded across a sky the colour of Deliverance’s eyes, like lambs playing in a field.
“So, what will become of the castle and estate when your father dies?” Luke asked
“It’s not entailed. I believe it will come to me...I hope it will come to me. I’ve tried to show father that I’m worthy.” She paused. “Sorry, that sounded grasping.”
