“You heard me,” he returned sharply.He wasn’tintending to back down from this fight either. “Now answer my question.”
She crossed her arms in front of her. “It’s none of your affair.”
“It is if you wish to obtain passage back to Ireland.”
Her green eyes instantly flashed with longing, before it was quickly banked and she narrowed her eyes. “How do you know I’ve been trying to get back home?”
He lifted a brow. “Answer my question and I’ll consider answering yours.”
“Why should you even care about my relationship with Locklyn?” she countered with a snort. “You seem to be rather cozy with Mrs. Stuart whenever I see you two together. Am I not allowed to have the same happiness?”
His tone softened slightly as he reached out and ran a finger down the side of her soft cheek. “Are you truly happy with him, Fallon?”
He could feel the tremble that traveled through her body and he knew she wasn’t unaffected by his touch, however much she might wish to be. “It doesn’t matter if I am or not. I accepted his suit. It is done.”
He slowly shook his head, as his gaze dropped to her mouth. “Don’t marry him.”
Her green eyes were shimmering chips of emeralds. “Why not?”
Atticus clenched his jaw until it ached. He didn’t know why it was so difficult to give her a simple reply, but for some reason, he couldn’t make the words that burned within himtocome forth. Whether it was because he knew the Raven was still needed, or because he hadn’t yet fulfilled his promise to Josephine, hecouldn’t reply.
Fallon’s eyes shuttered andshepushedaway from him. While he didn’t want her to go, he allowed it. With her face turned away, she said, “The way I see it, Mr. Clare, we have nothing else to say to one another.” She paused and added, “Goodbye.”
As she walked away, Atticus slammed a fist against the brick wall of the alley. The pain that shot through his arm was a welcome relief to the agony inside of his chest. He stalked back the opposite way she’d gone, because while he wasn’t yet finished with his currentendeavors, there was no way in hell he was going to allow this ceremony to take place.Butit washer departurethatseemed so…finalthat it actually caused fear to swell within him.
He wonderedif she might do something rash, rather than wait for the Raven to contact her, but surely she wouldn’t be that foolish. She didn’t know that soldiers were starting to patrol the Irish harbors and every new arrival was investigated thoroughly. If they found out her grandfather had been a Brotherhood sympathizer, they might believe that she had the same agenda.
At least in England, Atticus Clare could make sure she was safe, but in Carraroe, she would be on her own.
And that alone was enough to cause his lungs to seize. A life without Fallon O’Malley was no life at all.
***
After her encounter with Atticus Clare, Fallon and Eliza returned to Shawsea Hall. Eliza must have known her need for some privacy, for she remained silent during their return and headed for her room after they arrived.
Fallonalso went to her chamber, but it was to pace the floor and take Atticus Clare’s name in vain. She’d never met such an arrogant Englishman in her life.He would dare to command her not to marry Locklyn, but continue to parade Josephine in front of her face! While she had no intention of following through on the marriage, there was a small part of her that wanted to do it just to spite him.
She ground her teeth together and flopped back on the bed.She threw an arm over her face and fought back self-pitying tears.In the midst oftrying to figure out the puzzle surrounding her mother’s past, she certainlydidn’t need to add Atticus Clare and hisconflictingattentions into the mix,where one minute he was kissing her soundly, and the next, he wasacting as though he was completely smitten with Josephine.
There was a brief knock at the door asIngrid enteredand Fallon had to withhold a sigh—until the maid spoke up. “This just arrived for you.”
Fallon sat up and eagerly tore open the missive from Mrs. Beadley. Relief flooded her, for it meant her prayers had finally been answered.Her husband’s nephew, Frank, had managed to secure her passage on board theFlying Swan.They were sailing at midnight to Dublin.
The maid must have read her expression, for she asked,“Good news, miss?”
Fallon quickly thought of a plausible excuse. “Er, yes. The tonic I made worked.”
Ingrid nodded. “I’ve heard many of the tenants praise your assistance. I think you missed your calling as a healer.”
WhenFallon was left alone again, she hugged the note to her chest and closed her eyes. If everything went according to plan, she would be back in Ireland by this time tomorrow. She quickly checked the funds she had available and hoped that it would be enough to secure passage to Carraroeand Father O’Leary, who she knew would take her in until she was able tomake it on her own.
That evening, dinner was filled with torrid glances from Locklyn while Francine and Martina exchanged almost smug looks. No doubt they imagined that the ignorant peasant girl from Ireland wasn’t intelligent enough to ferret out their plans.
Wouldn’t they be surprised when they arrived at her chamber the next morning to find that her bed was empty and she was gone?
Fallon happily ate her meal, knowing she would need the sustenance for her journey.
Since Locklyn was theonlygentleman in attendance, he joined the ladies in the parlor for some port and light conversation. Fallon eyed him in distaste as he plopped down beside her on the settee and draped an arm along the back. She had noticed he’d consumed several glasses of wine with his meal and already he’d had at least three glasses of port. When he spoke, his breath carried the heavy scent of alcohol and by the bloodshot look in his eyes and the way he slightly slurred his words, it was obvious that he was three sheets to the wind.
