“A memory?”
Corie’s voice suddenly sounding almost breathless,Linette nodded and rose to pace beside the bed, her hands absently smoothing the ruffled lace on her gown. “Yes, a strange one, really. The color of the sky that day Estelle and I went for a ride, no clouds at all and the purest blue.”
“You remember going for a ride, then?”
“Yes…I mean, I think I do.” Linette winced at the sudden pain in her temple. “Corie, please, all of this is making my headthrob again! Where has Adam gone? What did he say?”
“Nothing, not to me, anyway. He stormed out of the house without a word.”
“Stormed out?” Linette had stopped her pacing to look at Corie, her sister’s gaze oddly troubled as if there was something she was reluctant to share with her. “Did Donovan say something to Adam to anger him? No, that can’t be. Donovan and Adam have been as close as brotherssince before we left Porthleven—”
“Linette, let’s sit down, please. This news…it may be very difficult for you to hear.”
Now Linette felt she could hardly breathe as Corie rushed forward in a rustling of seafoam green silk to lead her to one of the tufted chairs near the window.
Suddenly grateful to be seated for how weak her knees had grown, she kept her gaze fixed upon Corie’s somber faceas her sister pulled the other chair closer and sat down next to her. Then Corie leaned closer still and took Linette’s hands in hers.
“Donovan received word this afternoon that Adam’s father is dying. Do you remember him ever telling you anything about his father?”
Linette pressed her fingers to her aching temple that seemed to have grown worse. “No, he’s never spoken of him here to me…thoughI remember Adam once told me he was an orphan. It wasn’t true, but his father had been so terribly cruel to his mother that Adam said the man was dead to him—oh, Corie!”
Stunned at what had suddenly tumbled forth from her, Linette gripped her sister’s hands, Corie looking as astonished.
“Is there more?” Corie gently pressed her. “Do you remember anything else?”
Linette bobbed her head, whichonly made the throbbing more painful though she couldn’t care in the least at that moment. Tears filling her eyes, and Corie’s, too, she didn’t know if she felt more like laughing or crying.
Memories tumbled over themselves and seemed to flash before her in a dizzying flood.
Linette glimpsing Adam at the back of the church on Christmas Day.
Adam introducing himself in Estelle’s room as thenew doctor—oh, dear, poor Estelle, Linette remembered all of that now, too.
The joyous surprise at Luther’s safe return and then Adam turning back to kiss her under the mistletoe…oh, Lord, the warmth of his lips touching hers.
His strong hands encircling her waist when he’d kept her from sliding off the carriage seat, and later on the way home, his heart-stopping revelation to her.
You havebewitched me.
Linette blinked against the tears spilling now down her cheeks as everything else that had followed after that night raced through her mind. Oh, Adam…oh, Adam!
Her desperate hope to see him again so she might tell him she hadn’t meant to hurt him.
The terror in the cottage. The pistol exploding behind her and then fiery pain…and the words she’d said to him before the world dimmedaround her.
You’re not in London…you’re here. Here…
Adam, the man of her dreams.
The man who had prayed for her and encouraged her and done everything he could to help her during her long recovery, remaining steadfastly by her side until now.
“Corie, you must tell me,” she pleaded hoarsely, not surprised from the pang over her heart that she had little voice left to speak. “Where did Adamgo? To see his father?”
Once again, Corie seemed reluctant to answer, but then she slowly shook her head.
“Donovan and Adam had words…harsh words. Adam refused to read the letter from his uncle about his father, Viscount Linley, begging to see him so he might ask his forgiveness. Adam made it quite clear that he wants nothing to do with his father even now, nor does he want any title or inheritance.We believe he loves you, Linette, but with everything that’s happened, Donovan can’t see him being able to protect you and care for you on a doctor’s wage—”
“So Donovan sent him away?”
