He swallowed, his throat dry. “I know this is a lot to consider. But please know that I would strive to be a good husband to you. To provide for you and protect you, always.” The words sounded stilted to his own ears, but he needed her to understand.
Her expression softened. “I don’t doubt that, Mr. Balfour. You’ve shown me nothing but kindness since I arrived.” She hesitated, as if weighing her next words. “I need to be certain it’s the right path though. For both of us.”
With that, she slipped into the house, leaving him alone on the porch with the turmoil of his thoughts.
He turned back to the mountains, their peaks stretching up into the clouds. He’d always found solace in their steadfast presence, but now they only reminded him of the uncertainties looming before him.
England. The dukedom. A wife. They were all part of a life he’d never wanted, a role he’d never asked for.
Yet here he stood, disappointed that his first step on this new path hadn’t been a resounding victory.
CHAPTER 10
Mandie sat at the dining table the next morning, cradling a porcelain teacup as she breathed in the faint scent of chamomile.
The brothers dug into breakfast, forks clinking against plates of eggs and bacon, their voices a lively tangle of laughter and teasing.
Bea hummed softly in the kitchen amidst the rhythmic clatter of a wooden spoon against a pot.
Mandie shifted in her chair, the ache behind her eyes still pulsing a little—a stubborn echo of her injury. She sipped her tea, the warmth soothing her throat, and watched the brothers.
Back in Savannah, breakfast had been a hushed affair, full of starched linens, polished silver, and the murmurs of polite conversation…lacking that last bit after Nicholas passed.
Here, it was all noise and motion—James wiping grease from his chin, Thomas gesturing with a biscuit, Robert nodding along like a patient oak. She felt like a sparrow among hawks, out of place yet oddly drawn to their rugged warmth.
Enoch sat to her right, his broad shoulders a steady anchor. He caught her eye and tipped his head, voice low. “Sleep all right?”
“Well enough.” She kept her tone soft with the smooth, careful diction her mother had drilled into her. Yet further small talk fled her mind.
His proposal from yesterday hung like a shadow—she’d have to give him an answer soon. But marrying a man she didn’t know? She couldn’t fathom why she would have planned to do so in the first place. And until she knew every reason, she couldn’t make such a rash decision.
She needed to send a telegram to her parents, figure out why she’d come to this wild place. They might not even know where she was, might be sick with worry for her safety.
Mandie cleared her throat. “I was wondering if one of you might be willing to take me to town. I need to send a note to my family. They may be worried about me.”
Enoch’s brow furrowed. “It’s a long ride, and you’re still recovering. But one of us can take the message to the telegraph office for you.”
Mandie hesitated. That should suffice, at least for a start. “Thank you. I suppose that will do for now.”
Bea slipped in, setting a basket of fresh biscuits on the table. “Eat something, Mandie. You’re still too pale.”
Mandie offered a small smile, reaching for a biscuit she didn’t want. “Thank you, Bea. It smells heavenly.” She broke off a small piece, nibbling to please the housekeeper, though her stomach churned—probably from the lingering dizziness.
A sharp thud of hooves sounded outside, and all four men froze mid-bite. The sound pounded closer until it rattled the windowpanes.
Enoch rose first, his chair scraping as he stepped to the window. “Mr. Jenkins.” Tension laced his voice.
Mandie’s pulse quickened. Wasn’t that the surname of the woman Bea had said she would go help with her birthing whenthe time came?A visit from her husband this early in the morning couldn’t be good.
Enoch strode into the great room, and Mandie rose and followed with the others.
He pulled open the front door just as Mr. Jenkins reached the porch.
The man’s face was pale, his eyes wide with urgency. “It’s Mary. The baby’s coming early. Her pains have started.”
Bea stepped forward, wiping her hands on her apron. “I’ll get my things. James, will you saddle my horse, please?” Without waiting for an answer, she turned and hurried toward her chamber.
As his brother trotted through the door toward the barn, Enoch turned to Mr. Jenkins. “You’re in good hands with Mrs. Wang. I’m sure Mary and the baby will be fine.”
