Looking around, Nathan noted they’d drawn some curious looks. Placing Beth’s hand on his arm, he thought it best they moved. They walked in silence for several minutes until the tension in her eased.
“Pigs? Care to tell me what that was about?”
He led, and she followed. Had he continued to yell at her or demand answers, she would walk away from him. He wasn’t letting her do that again. He needed to calm down, as did she, so they simply walked through the guests at the fair until that was achieved.
“Mr. Valentine did not care for them, so he ran.”
“Leaving his jacket behind?”
“Yes.”
“He took his jacket off while seducing you, didn’t he?”
She said nothing in reply to that.
“My only regret is that I did not see the pigs scaring him,” he lied. His regret was he didn’t make Valentine pay for what he’d done to Beth.
Her laugh was forced, but a laugh just the same. She then sighed.
“You didn’t need to threaten him, but I thank you for it, Nathan.”
He dipped into his pocket and pulled out a bag, handing it to her.
She popped a peppermint stick in her mouth and sucked; he did the same, all the while working through how he could ask the question he needed to. In the end, he went for the direct approach.
“Do you know where Mr. Valentine’s book is, Beth?”
“No.” She hadn’t hesitated, and while he thought she was telling the truth, he couldn’t be certain. She was a different woman from the one he’d thought he’d known.
“My brothers and I can be trusted, Beth. You can come to us should you need anything.” Nathan wanted her to know he was there for her.
“I have no need of your help, but thank you.”
“You are hiding something from me,” Nathan said softly so only she could hear. “I know you well enough to see that.”
“Maybe that was once true, but not now.”
“Because three years ago you were trying to be who I wanted you to be?”
“Nathan, there is no point in any of this. It is done. We must move on.”
“How is that possible when every time I meet you, instead of answers, I have more questions. I never wanted you to be anyone you didn’t want to be, Beth,” he added.
“We are raised to meet expectations,” she said, looking ahead where a man was breathing fire and children were looking on in awe. “Schooled in the right way to behave for our future husbands. I was no different.”
He’d known that was true of many women, and yet not once had he thought Beth anything other than she appeared to be.
“I’m sorry I led you to believe I wanted you to behave in any way but who you really are, Beth. That was never my intention.” He’d not known. Not seen she was trying to be who she believed he’d wanted her to be. But he should have. He’d been arrogant, seeing only her adoration. To his shame, he realized it had stroked his ego to have a woman so devoted at his side.
“Beth!”
Mary Blake was hurrying toward them with Zach and Michael on her heels. She grabbed Beth, hugging her hard.
“What possessed you to run from me in such a harebrained manner!”
Nathan let the woman have their reunion and went to his brothers.
“She was with Valentine.”
