“Aye, it seems you took a bang to the head. The shoulder as well. Do you remember how it happened? Anything at all?”
Even as they’d spoken, images had begun to emerge from the fog in her brain.
“I remember… I remember leaving Highfield, and…” She looked inward, an image dancing on the edge of her memory. A gray shape in the mist. “There was someone, I think, hidden bythe mist. She startled Byron, but I’m not sure if… I cannot quite remember…”
“She?”
“I think…” The memory blurred and faded. Was her mind playing tricks? Another memory arose, that of birds and the flutter of wings. “Yes, I think so, but I’m not certain. Is Byron all right?”
“Byron is fine,” Maxwell replied. “He came home on his own, and thank God he did, or you might have lain up there a good while longer. Scared the hell out of me when I realized what must have happened.”
Something didn’t quite make sense. “This happened yesterday, you said?”
“Aye.”
“So today is… Friday?”
Nodding, he glanced at the window. “Early morning.”
“I don’t understand.”
“What don’t you understand, love?”
“Well, I…” She cleared her throat. “Actually, could have a sip of water? I feel as though I’ve swallowed a bucketful of sand.”
“Of course.” He filled a glass from the jug on the bedside table. “Not sand, perhaps, but quite possibly a good mouthful of Yorkshire earth. Here, let me help you sit up. Easy, now.” He held the glass while she drank. “Better?”
“Much, thank you.” Exhausted from the effort, she relaxed against her pillows, still trying to sort things out in her head. “I’m confused. I thought you weren’t coming back till tonight.”
He cleared his throat and set the glass on the table. “That was the original plan, aye.”
“Oh.” She frowned, hearing something in his voice that said more than his words. “Things went well?”
“I’m sure they did.” Maxwell ran a hand through his hair and sat down again. “I expect I’ll get the final report from Finlay when he gets back tonight.”
Things still did not add up. “Why did you come home early?”
He heaved a sigh. “Because I realized there were issues here that needed my urgent attention.”
A tingle of trepidation ran down her spine. “What issues?”
“Us, my love. You and me. The understanding we had before we married.” He sighed. “I realized things have to change, Louisa. And they will, from now on.”
Her thoughts whirled in confusion. Had she misunderstood his earlier expressions of affection? Had they merely been used to cushion her against a subsequent upbraiding? Tears of disenchantment pricked the back of her eyes. “I regret embarrassing you at dinner, Max, but I was just so disappointed when—”
“Nay, hush, my sweet, don’t upset yourself.” He took hold of her hand. “You misunderstand. It’s me who needs to apologize.”
“For what?
“For the abysmal way I’ve treated you since we were married.” He kissed the back of her hand, his lips lingering there for a few moments. “My priorities have been utterly misplaced, and I intend to do things differently from now on. Or, at least, I intend totry, though I must ask for your patience. This… this concept of love is something very new to me.”
Love?Her breath caught in her throat. Was she dreaming? Had she heard him correctly? “You… you love me?”
“Very much,” he replied, “and last night, when I realized you hadn’t come home, I feared I might never get the chance to tell you justhowmuch. The fear that I’d lost you…” He shook his head. “Well, God knows, I never want to feel that way again. So, from now on, things are going to be different. Fin is willing to take on more responsibility and will do so unless my presenceis specifically required.” He grimaced. “Such as for the Glasgow meeting. That one, I’m afraid, absolutely demands my presence, and I deeply regret my oversight with the dates.”
“Oh, Max.” She smiled through her tears. “I can hardly believe what I’m hearing.”
“It’s long overdue, sweetheart.”
