Page 25 of The Moonstone Hero
She had never lied to Imogen before and felt awful about it. Sick about it, actually.
“Then what was it if it wasn’t a kiss?”
“I don’t know.” She avoided her sister’s impudent grin and took a moment to retrieve a freshly baked lemon cake from Mrs. Halsey’s display. After paying for it, she walked outside to wait while Mr. Halsey packed the rest of the cakes onto Mr. Hawke’s wagon.
Imogen followed her out, still pressing her for information. “Come on, Ella. We never keep secrets from each other.”
“There are no secrets to tell, Imogen. Caden Seaton’s problem is that he is deeply tormented, just as Uncle Cormac was when he returned from the war and lost his arm. He struggled so hard with his loss of dignity. But I think Caden is struggling with his loss of humanity.”
“Oh, that is serious.”
Ella studied her sister’s worried expression. “I know. This is why it is so important to give him some breathing room and allow him to adjust to life in England at his own pace.”
“Uncle Cormac raged at the world. He was so angry when he lost his arm,” Imogen said.
“Caden is much the same. He’s just as angry. Sometimes, he explodes in frustration. Mostly, he is withdrawn and quiet about it. I don’t know which is worse.” Ella waved Mr. Hawke on and watched as he drove his rickety wagon to the hospital to delivertheir supplies. That trusty wagon had been on its last legs for years now. But somehow, it kept going.
The hospital was not a long walk for Ella and Imogen. They often fell into the routine of coming into town with Mr. Hawke. Even though he was the Moonstone Cottage caretaker, he and his wife had always looked after Henley, Phoebe, and Chloe, the Killigrew sisters who had inherited the cottage from their Aunt Henleigh. Even though the three sisters were all grown up now, married and with children of their own, the Hawkes still considered it their duty to look after them. Since Phoebe had married their Uncle Cormac, the Hawkes now took it upon themselves to look after Ella and Imogen, as well.
They did not mind at all. They had fallen into a pleasant routine. Mr. Hawke would drop them off in front of Mrs. Halsey’s shop, and then leave them to tend to their chores while he picked up supplies. If Ella and Imogen had a lot to do, then Mr. Hawke would simply return at the end of the day to pick them up in front of the tea shop.
Mostly, she and Imogen volunteered at the hospital, since these soldiers seemed to do better with a woman’s touch. All they did was read to the injured men, or merely sit by their bedside and talk to them. They did none of the dirtier work, such as cleaning bedpans or changing their bandages, since Fionn would not allow it.
But he did appreciate their offering conversation to many of these soldiers, who felt alone and unsure of what they would encounter upon returning to their homes.
This routine also gave Ella and Imogen a little freedom to explore on their own. Not that they were all that adventurous or ever really unsupervised, for the villagers always kept their eyes on them, and someone always knew where they were.
They never strayed far. If they were not helping out at the hospital, they were usually walking along the docks to watch thefishing vessels sail in and out. Sometimes an enormous navy frigate would sail in, the fighting ship dwarfing the other vessels in the harbor as it silently cut through the water, its white sails catching the wind.
But most days, there was little excitement, so she and Imogen would browse the fish market and stop at the local shops. They usually ended their day with tea and cakes at Mrs. Halsey’s tea shop, where Mr. Hawke would pick them up.
Despite this quieter country life, they never seemed to run out of topics to discuss.
“I am going to have Caden sit outdoors with me while the recital is going on,” Ella said. “We’ll be in full view of everyone, so nothing untoward is going to happen. He is in desperate need of sunshine on his face and happy moments to fill his soul.”
“Shall I join you?”
“I would rather you didn’t. Do you mind terribly? He will never confide in me while in the presence of others.” They had reached the docks, and now turned right to walk past the fishmongers and up a slight hill toward the ancient Fort Arundel and the army hospital just beyond it.
“Has Fionn asked you to pry information out of him?” Imogen asked.
“Not specifically. Caden’s superior officers are trying to find out what happened to him and his men, but they are having trouble getting a report out of him. He won’t talk about it to anyone. Fionn mentioned it would be helpful if I could get him to open up. But I am not going to betray a confidence.”
Imogen nodded. “He needs to trust you.”
“Yes, I think that is most important of all. He has to trust someone, and I hope it will be me. He remembered me from my debut Season last year. It seems he found me tolerable.”
Imogen’s dark curls bobbed as she shook her head and laughed. “That is quite some recommendation.”
Ella laughed too. “He thought less of the other debutantes, so I suppose I ought to be flattered. But he seems to want my company, so this has to mean something. Not love or courtship or anything that significant. Perhaps a friend to trust. This is a major step in itself, that he feels comfortable around me. I am never going to betray him. If Caden doesn’t want me to repeat what he tells me, then I won’t.”
“I think trust is just as important as love, don’t you think, Ella?”
“I do. But don’t get any fancy ideas about us, Imogen. He has a long way to go before he recovers. From what I gather, he is the only survivor of a battle that wiped out his entire regiment.”
Imogen stopped to stare at her. “Oh, that is awful.”
Ella nodded. “He is keeping the pain of it bottled up inside, and that worries me. He needs to release his anguish before he erupts like a volcano. I would hate to be standing next to him when he explodes.”
