She unfolded her arms and glared at him. “I didn’t try to kill you,” she said.
“I’m willing to be convinced.”
“No.” She shook her head. “I’m not willing to convince you. Think what you want.”
“Why did you leave?”
Her eyes widened.
“Did you expect me to stay at Doncaster Hall after you accused me of trying to kill you?”
“You didn’t deny it.”
Words failed her as she stared at him. If she’d had something handy, she would have thrown it at him.
“I didn’t deny it,” she said, slowly as if he were devoid of wits, “because I couldn’t believe you said it. Now I shall. No, Montgomery, I didn’t try to kill you.” Each word was enunciated slowly, so he would have no problem hearing and understanding it.
She turned and would have left him had Montgomery not grabbed her arm and held on. “Where the hell are you going?”
“Anywhere. Anyplace. Anywhere you aren’t.”
“Veronica,” he said softly, “I knew the moment I said the words that I was wrong.”
Only slightly mollified, she turned to face him.
“How could you think that of me?” she whispered.
“I didn’t,” he said, slowly pulling her close. “Forgive me,” he said, brushing a light, almost passionless kiss over her lips.
“It was a horrid thing to say.”
“Yes, it was,” he said.
Still, she wasn’t ready to forgive him. She pulled back.
“I’ve put up with a great deal from you,” she said.
One of his eyebrows rose. “Oh?”
“Your eternal silences, for one.”
“You’ve had your share of silences, Veronica. You didn’t tell me about your parents, the fire, or Amanda.”
She thought about that statement. He was correct.
“I don’t talk to anyone about my parents,” she said, looking down at the landing. “It’s been two years, but sometimes, it feels as if it were just yesterday. If I talk about it, it’s real, and I don’t want it to be real.” Her gaze flew to his. “Is that why you don’t talk about Caroline?”
Was that why Montgomery remained silent? Because the loss of her was as real and new to him as her sorrow for her parents?
All those weeks, she’d pecked at him like a chicken, an annoying chicken, who’d insisted he spread his heart open for her to examine it. Just when she was about to apologize, he said something that threw her into confusion.
“Guilt is the reason I don’t talk about Caroline,” he said.
“Guilt?”
The landing where they stood connected two railway cars. The window showed the car ahead filling with people. This was neither the time nor the place for such a confrontation, but she didn’t say a word or move to return to the car.
“Is that the price you’ll extract, Veronica, to forgive me for my words? All my secrets?”
