Despite the tranquil scene, an undercurrent of anticipation hung in the air. Her mother's gaze flicked periodically towards the closed door of the study, and a slight tension was evident in the way Amanda gripped her book. Caroline strained to hear what was being said, but the only sound was an intermittent, unintelligible rumble.
Amanda lifted her eyes, revealing dark circles beneath them.
Caroline gave her a reassuring look. As soon as she and Jackson had a moment alone, she would insist he give Ross a firm talking to if he hadn’t already.
Amanda went back to her reading, so Caroline sought another distraction. Her gaze wandered from the delicate tea set arranged on the side table to the faded daguerreotypes lining the mantle, and finally busied itself counting the chevrons in the blue and gold wallpaper.
“Jackson is looking well,” her mother said, glancing up from her stitches. “Thin and nursing a bit of a limp, but better than I anticipated.”
“He is,” Caroline replied, though she didn’t entirely agree. Jackson had lost so much weight he was rawboned, not merely lean, like her father. He appeared well enough on the surface, but she knew him—really knew him. He was hiding more than battle-weariness and physical pain.
“Where’s Landon?” Caroline asked of her middle brother, changing the subject to avoid a pointless argument, and for the sake of Jackson’s dignity.
“He went riding on that nag of his,” Knox said, shaking his head. “I don’t understand the appeal.”
Caroline did.
14-year-old Landon had been drawn to all things equine since he was a babe in arms, and he’d been deprived of having his own horse due to the demands of the war. Now, so determinedwas he to right that wrong, he spent every spare hour, nursing a soldier’s reject back to health.
Knox let out a triumphant laugh as he captured one of Simon’s knights, causing Caroline to jump. She started again when the clock chimed and continued for a count of six.
Jackson had been secreted with her father for the better part of an hour. What was taking them so long? How much time did it take to ask for permission to embark on a courtship?
Her excitement began to waver, replaced by a growing unease. She’d assumed, since her family had known Jackson from childhood, that consent would be a forgone conclusion. Now, with each passing second, she feared more and more that her father might’ve opted to decline.
It was his right as the head of the family, but why level such a blow against a man he admired?
Caroline's head snapped up at the creak of a hinge. The study door swung open and Jackson emerged, followed closely by her father.
Jackson’s skin was so pale it was almost ashen. A haunted look replaced his usual confidence, and a clenched jaw bracketed a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
His gaze swept the room, briefly acknowledging the gathered family members, before returning to land on her. Gone was the welcoming affection. A storm of unfamiliar emotions had taken its place.
The air grew so heavy as she studied his expression it threatened to suffocate her. Something had gone wrong.
Caroline rose and reached for Jackson’s hand, expecting him to join her and stand by her side—even if only to weather her father’s refusal—but he ignored the gesture, shooting a chill through her veins.
“I'm so sorry,” he whispered, his voice strained and barely audible. “I hope you can forgive me.”
Before she could respond, he moved past her, taking up a position next to her sister. With a warmer smile, he took Amanda’s hand and assisted her to rise, leaving Caroline reeling in his wake.
“Is everything alright?” Caroline's mother asked.
“Everything's fine, Nettie,” her father replied in a cheerful tone. “I have some news to share.” His eyes twinkled, and his smile widened under his long wavy beard, further deepening Caroline's confusion.
Her father cleared his throat, though he’d had the entire room’s attention from the moment he walked through the door. “After speaking with Jackson at length, it is with great pleasure that I announce his and Amanda's engagement.”
Knox snickered. “Very funny, Pop.”
Her father aimed a frown in his youngest son’s direction. “It wasn’t intended to be. Jackson asked for Amanda’s hand in marriage, and I consented to the match.”
Knox and Simon looked up from their game, speechless, and her mother stared at her father with raised brows.
Caroline’s heart stuttered then hammered against her ribcage.
She looked from Jackson to Amanda, searching for any sign that this was some cruel joke. But Jackson’s eyes remained fixed on her father. Amanda’s, too, her fingers wrapped around the forearm of a man who wasn’t hers.
Tears stung Caroline's eyes as she fought to maintain her composure. She wanted to scream, to demand answers, but her voice remained trapped in her aching throat.
