Francine looked at her in all innocenceas the servant departed. “She didn’t tell you?”
Fallon stilled in the middle of stirring her teaand recalled that Elizahadwanted totalkwith herearlier that day, but she had imagined it was the usual idle conversation. Now she wasn’t so sureas her heart began to pound with dire warning.“No.”
Francine waved a hand. “Well, it was rather sudden and you were gone so long that she was undoubtedly unsure when you would return.” Her auntadopteda neutralexpression that Fallon didn’t believe for an instant as shedraggedouther explanation.“Elizaiscurrentlyon her way to London with Brendan’s mother. She asked her if she would like to attend the opera and truly, how could she decline such a marvelous offerespecially sincethe young Mr. Hayesis joining them?”
Francinestirred her tea and continued in the sameconversationaltone, as if they weren’t talking about anything more consequential than the weather, when intruth, it was so much worse than Fallon had imaginedand she couldn’t quite contain the growing buzz in her ears. Without hersolitaryally here and her aunt’s obvious rush to see that she was wed, she could almost feel the noose tightening about her neck, forever tying her to this horrid man.
“Eliza had intended to tell you goodbye,” she added. “But you ran out the door so quickly that she didn’t get a chance to speak with you. She was quite disappointed.”
The tea and cucumber sandwiches thatFallonhad just partaken of suddenly soured in her stomach, but beforeshecouldexcuse herself, Locklyn stood andheld out his hand to her.“Shall we take a turn in the gardens, my dear?”
She wanted nothing more than to refuse, butsinceshedidn’t want to remain in this room where Francine was looking at her so smugly, with Martina’s hard glare upon her, shestiffly got to her feet and accepted his arm wordlessly.
Fallon kept telling herself that she wouldn’t have to suffer either of them for much longer,for surelyFather O’Learywould contact her soon. Unfortunately,something told her thattimewasno longeraluxuryfor her.
Locklyn said nothing as he escorted her to a secluded area around the house where they would have little hope of being observed. She had littleopportunityto deduce his actions before he had taken her into his arms. She could see his eyes shining with a lustful intensityand itmade her skin crawl with revulsion. “You can dropthe innocent act,” hesaid huskily. “I know you’re nothing more than an Irish whore, willing to spread her legs for any man. The wayClare came to your aid last night tells me that I’m not theonlyone sniffing around your skirts.” His gaze dropped to her bosom. “Tell me, has he already sampled your delights?”
He started to dip his head to kiss her and she shoved away from him. “Don’t youdaretouch me!” she hissed. “If you think for one moment that I feel anything for you but pure disgust then you are delusional!”
She had hoped to rouse his temper so that he might turn andwalk away,never to return,but hemerelylaughed andgrabbed her arm in a punishing grip. Hecrushed her against him, and although she struggled, his mouthfound hers, bruising her lips with the forcefulness of his kiss. When he withdrew, he looked down at her with brutality shining in his gaze. “You had better get used to being touched by me.I was promised that you will be mine very soon.”
The blood receded from her face at that remark, for who exactly had made such an agreement without her consent?
He finally released her and with a chuckle in the face of her obvious distress, he strode back to the house. Fallonwiped her lips with her hand, hoping to remove any lasting remnant of his embrace. Sheyearned to hurl an obscenity at him, butshe knew her anger wouldsimplyamuse him.
She swallowed downthe frustrationin her chest and turned toward the shore, rememberingthe momentwhenMr. Clare hadappeared out of the shadows the night before. A lump formed in her throat, for there was no one there to chase away her nightmares in the cold light of day.
Thebeachwas as empty as her heart.
She closed her eyes and fought back the self-pitying tears. Was this part of Francine’s plan all along? To rid herself of an unwantedorphanby marrying her off to the first man that would have her? If so, thenshe wondered why her aunt had even sent for her. Perhaps Francineregrettedher actions and realized that she could never truly care for her niece as she was a reminder of the wedge that had been shoved in between her relationship with her sister.
Either way, Fallon realized that there would undoubtedly be some rather long, desolate days ahead.She had spent much of her time in her grandmother’scompany in Carraroe,butthey had enjoyed each other’scompanionship.The more she was coming to knowFrancine, she could tell that shewas notthe same sort of woman,andit didn’t appear that she even wanted to get toreallyknow her niece, when that was all Fallon had wanted, hadhopedfor when she had left Ireland in search of her family.
But now thatEliza was gone, Fallonwasquite sure that there would not be anylate-nighttalks or secrets to share with Francine.
Chapter Seven
Seven long days hadgonebyand Fallon had yet to hear a reply from Father O’Leary, although it wasn’t for lack of praying. Each night when she went to bed,she hoped that there would be a letter waiting for her on the silver trayin the foyer, but everydaywhenshe checked,it remained empty.
Nothing everarrived.
The fear that something had happened to her old friend had even crossed her mind, but she tossed that thought aside as quickly as it had surfaced. She knew that if anything had befallen the priest that someone from the village would have contacted her, for everyone knew how close they had been. She just had to remember to draw on that enduring faith he’d instilled in her over the years.
Although her anxietyfor a replywasn’t without reason.Eliza was still conveniently in London, as the Hayes family had decided to extend their trip with some shopping and further entertainments.
That left Fallon with theonesolace of going to see the tenants and continuing her work preparing salves and healing remedies, for the rest of the time she was forced to endure Locklyn’s company. He called nearly every afternoon and while he remained a gentleman wheneverthey venturedout intopublic together, appearing the doting swain,anytime they were alone he never ceased his efforts to engage in a kiss.She nearly gagged eachtimehis mouth came intocontactwith hers,but he wasjustthatdespicable.
If that wasn’t enough saltonan openwound, Fallon found that when she was paraded about on Locklyn’s arm, shehadoverheard thatAtticus and Josephinehadalsobeen seen quite frequently in each other’s company. Thankfully,Fallonhadn’t been forced toendure the sight, but she knew it was a matter of time as they tended to frequent the same circles as the Durmors. She wasrathersurprised they hadn’t stumbled onto one anotheras ofyet, but something told her that Francine’s cautionary to stay away from Mr. Clare was being upheld by Locklyn.Considering the last time thetwo menhad been in one another’s company, he was likelymore thanglad to comply with her aunt’s wishes.
Nevertheless, whileFallontold herself that Atticus Clare was a man to steer clear of, andshe should push him out of her mind for good, the thoughtof him with the lovely, red-haired widow caused an ache in the center of her chest.With such a beautiful, vivaciouswoman on his arm,it was no wonderthey had become an item again.In truth,Fallon wouldn’t beshockedif she heard news ofan impendingbetrothal.
All of it combinedwas enough to make the liveliest outlook appear rather bleak. But then, with her own future so uncertain, she hadn’t found a reason to smile in quite some time.The rainy,English weathercertainlyhadn’t helped her melancholy.
The drizzling rain had started one day andhadyet to cease. At this point,Fallon was starting to wonder if she would ever set eyes on the sun again.
The heart of the autumn seasonwasofficiallystarting to settle into Southampton and as the temperaturesbegan to drop, the landscape also changed. Gone was the beautiful, painted landscapewhen she’d arrived. Now it wasbrownand dormant, all but the evergreen treesbarrenof but a few straggling leaves. The days were becoming shorter and the nights longer asan inner darkness began tosweep over her.
She knew what it was, had felt it beforeduring the time of the famine andafterher grandmother had passed on.
