“It also sits in near seclusion.”
“It is not like it is situated deep in the country and hours from any other humans,” she laughed.
“While I do appreciate the quarterlies, they really should not be given to me.”
“Why not?”
“I have already taken too much from you and St. Alban. Circumstances brought me to your door and I will forever be grateful, but I need to take responsibility for myself.”
Sadness filled her eyes, but it wasn’t because she was hurt but pitied him.
“Even you must realize that a Mr. Jourdain cannot offer for a lady, even if I wanted to.” Cassian reminded himself to be very careful so as not to admit that he did care for Samantha.
“You are not simply Mr. Jourdain, you are a lord, Comte de Rohan.”
“It is an empty title as there is no wealth and even if I do manage to retain the land, it is impoverished.”
“The title is still yours and you should use it.”
“Maybe one day,” he murmured.
Eugenia reached out and grasped his hand.
“I am sorry, Eugenia. I truly did not mean to distress you. This family will always be in my heart, especially you.” He blew out a sigh. “I suppose I just find myself….”
“Discontented?” she asked.
“Yes,” he admitted.
“You are a good man. You and Nina were delivered to us for a reason.”
“It was a storm,” Cassian reminded her.
“True, but the waves could have deposited the two of you anywhere along the coast but chose the cove.”
“Those were Nereids, who broke the rules in saving humans.”
“I have never believed that it was by chance that the ship went down where it did, or that the Nereids were close enough so that you could be saved. I have never believed it was so simple or a coincidence.”
“Do you believe the storm was intentional?” Had some god of the seas taken vengeance on the ship?
The thought had never occurred to him, which sparked anger in his breast. He had lost his mother because of that storm.
“No,” Eugenia quickly assured him. “I do not know the reasons why, Cassian, but the circumstances were unusual and for that reason, I believe you and your sister were meant to be here and with us.”
“Why?”
“That is yet to be determined.”
“Maybe it was so Orion and Nina could meet,” he muttered thoughtfully.
“Then why would you have been saved as well?”
“To see that she survived to become an adult,” he answered.
“We likely would have made those decisions without you, Cassian,” Eugenia offered softly. “If she washed up on our shore, then we were meant to save her.”
“Then why was I?”
