Page 71 of The Moonstone Major
Even in her jealous harpy moment, she did not doubt her importance to him or that he loved her…although it would be nice to hear him say it once.
Her fear was always that he would do a foolishly noble thing for her protection and give her up. Her happiness mattered most to him, and he would not hesitate to sacrifice his own desires if he thought she would be better off for it.
Well, she’d got his prideful requirements down to just one, and that was a big step forward toward a marriage proposal. She thought even holding back for that one thing was a pointless endeavor. There was no magical talisman to a happy union. Even if he had come to her with a title and fortune of equal stature to her brothers-in-law, who was to say theirs would be a happy marriage?
She had seen her parents and now her sisters in their marriages. It took devotion, commitment, and a willingness to put the other ahead of their own needs. Sacrifice. Those requirements applied no matter how rich or titled someone might be.
She supposed the real question worrying Fionn was, how much would she sacrifice for him? Her answer was anything and everything. But he thought there were limits to her ability to sacrifice for him.
Perhaps he was right to be cautious and force her to think about the realities of their marriage. Becoming the wife of an army major and learning to do without the luxuries she had always had within arm’s reach would be an adjustment.
She was not going to be pigheaded about it and deny the obvious. Even though she and her sisters had led simple lives after their father’s death, all she ever had to do was ring for a maid if she wanted something. Nor did their meals magically appear with the snap of their fingers, for they always had a cook in their employ.
A maid and a cook, that was all. But it was still more than most people could ever afford.
She sighed.
Learning to fend for herself would be a challenge she realized while standing alone in the courtyard, watching him ride off on Sophocles in the fading light.
What would those boxes turn up tomorrow?
Chapter Fourteen
Fionn stood inhis office the following morning and stared at the blackening clouds gathering strength overhead. He had never seen any quite so dark or amassing with such menace, and knew they signified a bad storm on the way. The clock on his mantel had just chimed ten o’clock. The day’s construction had started a mere two hours ago, but he knew it would have to be cut short and his men now put to work protecting the building materials and safely tying down their equipment.
He strode to the hospital site and ordered the men to stop their labors and immediately start covering everything they could find. Tools, supplies, hoists. The wooden beams meant to reinforce the existing roof supports were most important and needed to be protected, for they would be useless if they got wet. Rot would set into the wood, and having to replace them with new beams would cause months of delay.
Indeed, one bad storm could set back the entire timetable for as much as a year.
He worked beside his men for the next hour to secure all their building materials, and once that was done, called over Sergeant Crane. “Constable Angel might need help,” he said, now shouting over the blustery wind. “Send some men over to him, and send Cray and Folger to the Kestrel Inn stable to watch over our horses for the duration of the storm. The other men should return to the barracks and remain them there until the storm passes.”
“Aye, Major Brennan.” The sergeant turned to the soldiers and barked the orders, which were met with relief from most, since they had been working hard to lay the foundation and get as far along in the construction as they could before the cold weather set in.
Fionn assigned a few more men to remain on guard in the watchtower and report if anything collapsed. “Just make note of any damage, but do nothing else unless a life is in imminent danger.”
His lame leg could always feel changes in the weather, particularly an oncoming rain. But this approaching rain was much more than a mere shower. His leg hurt worse than anything he had felt in a long while. There was nothing any of them could do, or should do, but stand ready to assist the villagers, if requested, and be prepared to repair any damage once the storm passed.
He wasn’t about to allow his men anywhere near the framed-out structure before the weather calmed, for he would then have a collapsed building and dead or injured soldiers to dig out.
Fionn thought about Chloe.
She was likely at the cottage and not paying attention to the looming storm.
He had given his officers their instructions, and the sergeants had ordered the last of his men to the safety of the barracks. There was nothing more for him to do but wait out the impending torrent.
Since he was not going to accomplish anything more today, he left the fort and rode at a gallop for home. Leaves swirled around him, and several tree branches had already broken under the force of the particularly fierce wind as he neared Moonstone Cottage.
Chloe smiled up at him when he strode in. “Fionn, what brings you here? I did not expect you.”
“Nor did I, but there is a tempest brewing and I need to get you safely home before it hits.” He glanced around, for the cottage felt remarkably silent. “Where are the Hawkes?”
“They went to St. Austell Grange to help Hen prepare for her party.”
“So you were left alone?”
“Yes.”
“All alone?”
