Page 8 of The Moonstone Major
Her lovely eyes rounded in surprise. “I wouldn’t ever.”
“Lady Chloe, I—”
“And do stop calling me Lady Chloe. Why are you suddenly so formal around me? I have always been simply Chloe to you, and you have always been Fionn to me unless we are in company.”
He sighed. “That was fine before. But you are now of marriageable age and above my station. We should not be so familiar with each other even when alone.”
“Fionn, I will hit you if you say that again.”
“Ha! Ungrateful chit. Did I not just save your life?” He laughed, a deep, rumbling chuckle. Perhaps he was being too hard on her, and quite unfairly. It was not her fault he was struggling with these impossibly strong feelings for her.
But the true danger was in the fear she might reciprocate them.
He was no brash coxcomb, but he knew he was nice looking and women fancied him. Finding one to warm his bed had never been a chore.
However, it was different with Chloe. She was not some passing infatuation or casual dalliance.
That she might reciprocate his feelings elated him and also filled him with dread, for their affection for each other could never lead anywhere.
“Yes, you saved my life. But Fionn, this is exactly the reason why we shall always remain close friends. Why are you frowning? Don’t you want us to remain friends? Or do you have a special lady who might not like us to be so familiar with each other?” She yelped as the wagon hit a rut that rattled through the footboards.
Fionn immediately put his arm around her. “Sorry. The road is a little uneven.”
She waited a moment for him to answer her question. “Well?”
He arched a dark eyebrow. “Well, what?”
“Have you a lady you care for?”
“That is none of your business, Chloe.”
“On the contrary, it is completely my business, because I… Friends ought to care about each other. Have you ever thought of marrying?”
“No.”
Blessed saints.
This was worse than he realized.
Was she suggestingshewanted to marry him?
And now it was important for her to know whether she had competition? Hah! If only she realized how desperately he adored her. How could there ever be anyone else for him?
“Well, if you do not see fit to confide in me, then I shall keep all my secrets from you and never tell you if I am being courted by anyone.”
He chuckled. “I know you are not.”
She frowned at him. “What makes you so certain?”
“Because you would have told me.”
She tipped her chin into the air. “No longer. From this moment forward, I shall keep everything to myself.”
“I doubt it. You never keep anything from me. Most of your letters to me were pages long.”
“And yet you never saw fit to respond to any of them.” She was hurt by this, and it clearly showed on her lovely face. “I did not mean to pester you. I thought you would enjoy knowing all that was going on in Moonstone Landing.”
He took her hand and gave it a light squeeze. “Pay no attention to me. I’m just a surly oaf. I did enjoy your letters. I’ve saved every one of them.”
