Alexei shrugged. “Probably because your uncle threatened the man to within an inch of his life, or maybe he bribed him. Whatever the case, the jailer doesn’t know about the seal-harvesting ledgers and probably thought it unlikely your uncle would end up in prison long-term, meaning your uncle’s threats carried enough weight that he got released.”
“Did he come looking for me again?” She glanced at the door. “What does he want?”
Alexei shook his head. “Nothing, apparently. He left Sitka on the first ship out of the harbor this morning.”
“He...” She lay back on her pillows. “But why did he leave? Where is he going?”
“Nobody seems to know.”
“Could he go to Washington, DC? Could he be after my mother’s money?” She sprang into a sitting position, ignoring the fire in her ribs, and threw off her covers. “I have to leave.”
Yuri moved to stand directly in front of her, blocking her ability to stand, never mind that she wasn’t sure she could stand in the first place. “You’re not going anywhere like this.”
“But I have to.”
Yuri gave her a stern look. “You’re too unwell to travel.”
“But what if?—”
“No. You’re staying here.”
“For today, yes, and probably tomorrow too,” Alexei said. He’d taken a position against the wall, arms crossed as he surveyed the room. “But she needs to leave as soon as possible, Nathan.”
Dr. Reid scowled at Alexei. “That would be six weeks. Maybe eight.”
“No. It has to be sooner.” Alexei scrubbed a hand over his face. “We don’t know how long her father will be in jail. We have another week at best until the judge and Marshal Hibbs return, and there’s no saying what will happen after that. If we knew when Secretary Gray would be arriving, that might help. Both Caldwells will likely be arrested again as soon as we show him the seal-harvesting ledgers. But in the meantime, we don’t know what her uncle is up to or how long he’ll be gone. And we don’t know when her fiancé will return either.”
“There is no way Rosalind can get the medical care she needs on a ship or train.” Dr. Reid slung a hand on his hip.
Alexei shook his head. “Rosalind was injured three days ago. The longest we can risk keeping her here is another four, maybe five days. Teach Yuri how to do anything that will need to be done after that.”
Rosalind’s mouth fell open. Teach Yuri how to care for her? Did Alexei realize she’d just had her ribs wrapped? That not even Dr. Reid had been involved in the process? Kate had done it. She wore only her chemise and bloomers beneath the bindings. It wasn’t exactly the type of thing a woman wanted a man to do.
Kate must have been thinking the same thing, because she stepped forward, her brows pinched. “Are you sure you want me to teach Yuri how to wrap her ribs? That isn’t exactly... er... appropriate for a couple that isn’t married.”
Dr. Reid arched an eyebrow at Alexei. “Sending the two of them across the country together isn’t exactly appropriate either.”
“I’m aware.” Alexei looked between her and Yuri. “That’s why they’re going to get married.”
“No.” The word erupted from Yuri’s mouth.
Heat pricked Rosalind’s eyes. She wasn’t sure how she felt about marrying Yuri, but did he have to reject her so quickly? He hadn’t even taken a full second to think about the idea.
Or maybe she did know how she felt about marrying him. He was kind and loyal and generous. He got upset from time to time, but never so angry that he would hit her or choke her or harm her in any way. She’d been telling herself for months that she wanted to escape her father and find a man like Yuri to marry.
But to marry Yuri himself? That almost seemed like too much to hope for, like she was being given a blessing that was too big and too good and something she didn’t deserve.
She tucked her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, trying to focus on the pattern of the quilt despite the tears blurring her vision. Did nobody want her? Was she only ever resigned to being a burden? Or if not a burden, then a bargaining chip in some kind of business or political marriage?
Was she asking too much to be wanted? To belong somewhere? To be loved for who she was?
And she’d never met a family so good at loving others as the Amoses—or a man so good at making people feel loved and accepted as Yuri.
“Can I have a word with you, Alexei?” Yuri snapped. “In private.”
He stalked toward the door without waiting for his brother to follow, and all Rosalind could do was sit there and watch the man she just might be in love with walk away after refusing to marry her.
“What are you thinking?”Yuri whirled on Alexei the second the door to Rosalind’s room closed behind him.
