‘It did. Not any more.’
‘I’m sorry.’
They sat in silence, both aware of a change between them, yet fearful to speak of it. Instead Abel removed his bottle from his bag and offered it to Drake again. This time Drake took it. The water tasted good and quenched the thirst he did not know he had. He handed the bottle back and watched as Abel drank from it too. He felt the tension in his own body seep away. He was seeing Abel through new eyes, brought about by seeing how the man ticked. Abel was a man in need of some luck.
‘I’m leaving for Buckinghamshire today. I’m taking over a commission that has stalled due to the poor health of the designer. I will be taking on men to finish the job. Would you like to come with me?’ Abel frowned, but said nothing. ‘You will get bed, board, but the hours will be long and hard work.’
‘What sort of work?’
‘Digging, felling trees, transporting them, building walls. I will be moving on to another commission I have lined up, but will return at intervals to keep an eye on progress. I am offering the job in good faith, but in return I want reliability and hard work. The job will last for two years, but I reward hard workers by using them again.’
‘Leave Cornwall,’ Abel mused.
‘Yes, where no one knows your background or the recent reputation you have acquired. You will have a chance to build a new one.’
‘I don’t deserve such goodwill from you. I don’t know what to say.’
‘Yes, will suffice.’
Lost for words, Abel offered his hand. The men shook and the deal was done. Abel leaned back with a smile on his face. For the first time it reached his eyes. They sat listening to the rain and shared more water, chatting about nothing of importance as men do when seeking a respite from their daily trials. However, the sadness Drake felt at losing Evie must have still showed on his face as Abel suddenly returned to the day he had lost his sight.
‘Tilly told me you were going to elope with Miss Evelyn. Was that true?’
Drake saw no reason to lie. If they were to forge a new friendship, it should be built on trust and honesty.
‘Yes. I loved her.’ He ignored Abel’s low whistle. ‘You see, Abel, we are not so very different. The women we want are not ours to love.’
‘I ruined things for you. If it wasn’t for me you would be with her now.’
‘We will never know,’ replied Drake, thoughtfully. ‘We loved each other, but she is now married and no one should come between a husband and his wife. Not even me.’
Chapter Twenty-Four
1900, Cornwall, England
Evelyn found Mawgan writing in his study. She entered cautiously, unwilling to disturb his work, yet wishing to speak with him. As she waited for him to glance up, she let her gaze wander around the room. She rarely entered it for the simple fact that she never felt welcome.
Her husband spent much of his time here. It was his sanctuary and she often wondered if he used it to escape from her. From the dark red flocked wallpaper to the strong smell of cigar smoke lingering in the air, the room lacked any feminine touch and she knew that Mawgan liked it this way.
Mawgan glanced up. ‘Hello, dear.’
He often called her ‘dear’. The endearment tripped awkwardly from his tongue when they were first married. Now it was no more than habit.
‘Are we expecting guests?’ asked Evelyn. ‘Only Lawry is preparing the guest room.’
Mawgan signed his letter and began blotting the paper. ‘David is coming to stay.’
‘Again? So soon?’ He had visited last month and she had not expected him to return until the autumn.
Mawgan folded his letter and sat back to look at her, his right arm dangling from the arm of the chair. ‘He has a mind to purchase a house in town. We may be seeing more of him in future. Do you object?’
How could she object? She barely knew him as his visits were to see Mawgan, not her. ‘No, although he usually takes lodgings.’
‘I know, but his decision to return to Cornwall was hastily made and there were no rooms to be had.’
‘As he will be staying with us, perhaps this time I will be able to get to know him.’
‘I am sure we will be too busy to trouble you.’ There it was. The demarcation line he had drawn between them very early in their marriage. It had plagued them ever since and she felt she knew Mawgan less than she did before they were married. At least when he courted her they had talked. Now they only exchanged pleasantries and discussed subjects of no importance.Would you like a cup of tea, dear?The roast pork is tender tonight. The storm has caused the daffodils to wilt.Dear God, she wanted to scream.
