Her cheeks flushed and an escaped tendril of hair blowing gently in the breeze, she looked so very lovely, even as she fixedly avoided his gaze. “It’s clear now,” she said, her voice hollowed of its laughter.
Nothing, in fact, was clear now.
But he supposed she was speaking of the road.
In silence, they began walking in a strange limbo state, as if too much had been spoken and yet not enough. The sun dipped low enough to meet the horizon to the west. The minutes of light they had left were numbered.
“We can only hope,” he said, “Mr. Scunt’s assessment of miles was closer to three than six.”
Artemis gave a grunt of acknowledgement, but nothing more.
So, on they walked.
His leg felt better than it had all day. It preferred motion to stasis.
“Here’s the thing,” said Artemis of a sudden. “You aren’t married either.”
“I’ve had other concerns,” he said, his tone carefully neutral. His other concerns were painfully apparent.
The two vertical lines between her eyebrows, however, were anything but neutral. She’d given it some thought, and she had a point to make. “You’re from a titled and illustrious family.”
“I believe the adjectives you’re looking for arenotoriousandpenurious.”
His levity did nothing to diminish her intensity. “You could easily find an heiress to marry.”
“I would be all too willing to entertain your definition ofeasily.”
She wasn’t finished. “And your money problem would be solved.”
If they were to have this conversation—and apparently they were—then there were a few truths she needed to understand. “My brother is the one holding the title. I’m a second son and a soldier.” No, that wasn’t true—not anymore. “A former soldier,” he corrected. And here was the toughest truth of all … “I’m quite an unnecessary person in the eyes of the world.”
Her head tipped to the side, and her eyes narrowed. “Are you feeling sorry for yourself?”
Was that what he was doing?
A thought for another time. Now, it was best he stuck to his point. “I’m not marrying anyone.”
How strange it felt to be speaking those words to this woman.
And in a stranger way, a relief.
And also a stab in his heart.
All those things knotted together.
“You don’t want a family?” Accusation dissolved from her voice with every word.
“I have family.” This was clear, at least.
She waited for him to say more.
“My sister is my family.”
“And the arrangement with Sir Abstrupus is about her, no?”
“Aye.”
“I don’t understand something about that, actually.”
