That old life had moved on from her, and like an ancient monolith, she stood forgotten. But she wasn’t sure she agreed with Ethan’s optimism—that she could sculpt anew the hewn stone that was her life.
She felt it then . . . the heavy weight of what Ethan saw . . . what her husband expected.
Fox wanted her to build him a home—delicious meals on the table, decorative vases with flowers, liveried servants at the ready—
And Leah could and would do that. It was what she had vowed when she married him.
She had simply assumed that Fox would carve a space in the home for her, too.
But in that . . . she appeared to have been mistaken.
9
Leah woke the following morning to something batting her right cheek. Something soft, yet slightly cold.
She swatted it away and opened her eyes.
A glittering feline gaze examined her, only inches from her nose. A paw tapped her cheek again.
Leah lurched back, pressing a hand to her chest.
Mr. Dandy sat on the pillow beside her head, his pale eyes narrowed, tail swishing an arching pendulum.
Blasted cat, indeed.
Leah swallowed, willing her racing heart to slow.
Only then did she turn her head in the other direction.
This time, she actually shrieked, clutching the counterpane to her chest.
A girl leaned on the opposite side of the bed, staring at Leah with the same unnerving intensity as the cat. She even vaguely resembled the animal—bright blue eyes, long golden hair, round face, white nightdress.
Leah looked back and forth between the cat on one side and the girl on the other. Both were utterly adorable.
“Are you the lady the captain said was coming?” the girl asked in a piping, English-accented voice. “Are you to be my new nurse?”
Wasn’t that the question? WhowasLeah to this girl?
More importantly, how did Fox want Leah to handle this?
“I am Leah, Captain Carnegie’s new wife,” she replied, opting for the simplest truth. “Are ye Madeline then?”
“Yes. That’s Mr. Dandylion McFluffles.” Madeline, seemingly unconcerned about Leah’s abrupt presence in her life, pointed at the cat still sitting on the pillow. “He is not to be trusted.”
Mr. Dandy flicked his tail and gave Leah a look that could only be described as a death stare.
Leah revised her opinion of the cat’s adorableness.Untrustworthy,or perhapsmenacing,seemed more appropriate adjectives.
“So you will not be my nursemaid?” Madeline grabbed onto the coverlet and pulled herself upward, scrabbling onto the bed.
Leah shook her head.
Madeline reached for the cat, but Mr. Dandy lazily hopped from the counterpane to the bedside table to the window seat before setting in to groom his long, snow-white fur. The girl studied the cat, brow furrowing.
“Are you to be my new mamma then?” Madeline turned to look at Leah.
Gracious. The wee lass was certainly direct.
