Did she recognize his name?
Then he brushed the question away. Chances are it may have come up in conversation since both Ashford and Keegan had been guests at Harrington Manor previously. However, did she know that her husband had once been a member of the Devils of Dalston? That was a question Henry would not ask, as Norbright may not want to explain if she had no knowledge of the group.
“Now, why don’t we all relax with a cup of tea and you can tell me how the four of you came to be injured and what prompted your visit to Harrington Manor.”
* * *
This was the second time since she woke this morning that Eve walked along the beach with her sister. Lady Norbright had joined them at the beginning, but returned to the manor a short time ago. She was a nice lady and Eve envied her sister for having, not only a position, but friends as well. Of course, before Eve had ever traveled to Cornwall, she was well aware that her sister had formed close friendships with the teachers and former teachers of the school. And, even though it reminded Eve of how lonely she truly was, she was happy for her sister.
Though the loss of her brother still rested heavily upon Eve’s heart, the burden wasn’t so heavy now that she was with Cait and they’d been able to spend these two days together.
“Do you remember how we used to play in the surf?” Cait asked.
They’d been only girls then. “Until our governess decided that it wasn’t becoming.” Cait had been thirteen and Eve all of eleven.
“It’s probably still not becoming.” Cait grinned, a scheming gleam in her green eyes.
Eve glanced back and up to the top of the cliffs. “What if someone were to see us?”
“We are beyond Harrington Manor and the school is in the opposite direction. Who is to know?”
It would be heavenly to feel the sand in her toes and the waves against her legs again. “Let’s do it,” Eve giggled, and for the first time felt light, as if a heavy burden had been lifted. She hadn’t felt this free since…since right before Father died.
The two hurried over to a boulder where they sat to remove their boots and stockings, then set them up high so they wouldn’t be ruined by water. Then they grasped their skirts, pulled them up to their knees and walked toward the water’s edge.
As the cold water touched her feet, Eve scampered back, then moved forward again. She knew from experience that it wouldn’t take long to adjust to the temperature and it truly wasn’t so cold. She simply wasn’t used to the ocean as she’d once been.
“I’ve been doing some thinking,” Cait said after a moment.
“About?”
“I need to find out if I have a dowry. Father may have put the restriction on yours, but what if he didn’t on mine?”
“Then I shall share mine with you, once I gain my majority, of course.”
“I couldn’t ask you to do that.”
Eve took her sister’s hand. “We are sisters. We only have each other. Ten thousand pounds could help us both out a great deal.”
“I suppose,” Cait finally said.
“I think I’ll speak with Lord Norbright and ask his assistance in speaking with Father’s solicitor. I’d go to London myself, but I shouldn’t be gone from the school longer than a few more days.”
“What if you have the same dowry as mine? Are you going to remain teaching?”
Cait nodded as if she didn’t even give herself a chance to think on the options. “First, I’ll use it to help you.”
“No, Cait, ye cannot.”
“Hush!” her sister ordered. “I know that you will try to find a position and most likely you will. I just pray that it is in Cornwall. But, if ye don’t, I can rent a small place where you can live and I’ll support you so that you have food and clothing until you find a position or inherit.”
“I can’t have you spending your dowry on me,” Eve argue.
“You were willing to do the same for me,” Cait reminded her.
Eve stared into her sister’s eyes. “As long as you allow me to pay you back, I’ll agree.”
“We’ll worry about that when the times comes,” Cait dismissed. “Besides, it’s not like I’ll need it to make a grand marriage,” Cait grumbled as she waded further into the surf, the water coming nearly to her knees.
