His mouth dropped open at her frankness.
She smiled. “There’s no need to look so shocked, Captain. We entered into our agreement at a time when both of us had suffered a great loss. One can’t be held to a promise made in distress. Of course we won’t marry—once I’d recovered from the first shock of Colin’s death, I saw that clearly enough. I’ve been expecting your call for weeks, you see.”
Julian’s head was spinning. “But you continued to write to me, while I was in Paris. I thought—”
“Yes. I know it wasn’t proper, but I couldn’t quite make myself…” She paused, and for the first time her composure slipped. “You’re my last connection to Colin, Captain West. I couldn’t bear to sever it by dropping the correspondence. I hope you understand.” Her eyes grew bright. “I miss him terribly.”
Julian only nodded, because he wasn’t quite sure he could speak. For a moment they sat in silence, each of them lost in their memories; then Julian cleared his throat. “Colin worried for you. He didn’t want you and your aunt to be alone, with no protection. If we’re not to marry, you must allow me to—”
“Please don’t worry, Captain. My aunt and I are not unprotected. I’ve, ah…” Her face turned a becoming shade of pink. “I’ve had an offer of marriage from another gentleman—the deacon at our local church. He was a great comfort to me after Colin’s death. He recently received a living from his uncle, making it possible for him to marry.”
Julian’s heart lightened at her revealing blush. “And you’re fond of him?”
Another flood of pink suffused her face. “Oh yes. Very fond,” she said, in a tone that left Julian in no doubt as to her affections. “And you, I think, are also fond of someone?”
A startled laugh escaped him. “How do you know that?”
“You’re here after dark, Captain, calling on a young lady you’ve never met, and—forgive me—but you look as if you’ve spent the entire day in the saddle. You show all the signs of a man addled by fondness.”
Julian shook his head.Clever, just like Colin. “Addled is a good word for it, isn’t it?”
A tiny dimple flashed in her cheek. “Indeed it is.”
They sat in silence for another moment; then he reached into his waistcoat pocket, pulled out Colin’s watch, and held it out to her. The thought of giving it up made his heart sink again, but he couldn’t keep it now. It belonged with Colin’s family. “Before I take my leave, I want to give you this.”
She didn’t move for a moment, but then she reached out a trembling hand. He placed the watch in her palm, resisting the urge to snatch it back.
“Colin’s pocket watch.” She ran one finger over the case. “He had it from birth, you know. My father was so proud of his son that he went out the day Colin was born and purchased matching watches, one for each of them. Colin treasured it.”
Julian drew in a deep, unsteady breath. “I know he did. The key is lost, so I’m afraid you can’t wind it anymore.”
Jane didn’t answer, but rose and walked to a small desk in the corner of the room and removed something from one of the drawers. When she returned, she was holding a tiny gold key. “The key to my father’s watch.”
She inserted the key and turned it, and Julian had the oddest sensation he’d been holding his breath since he first tucked the watch into his waistcoat pocket, and could only exhale now, as if its faint ticking had tripped his lungs back into motion.
Jane took his hand, placed the watch with the key in his palm, and closed his fingers over it. “Colin thought the world of you, Captain West. He would have wanted you to have it.”
Julian stared down at his closed hand. He should refuse to accept it—he should give the watch back to her so she could give it to her own child someday, but he couldn’t make his fingers open. His waistcoat pocket would forever feel empty without it.
He looked up at Jane. “Thank you,” he said, his voice husky. “Thank you.”
* * * *
Bellwood was dark and silent when he arrived, which was not a surprise as it was only a few hours shy of dawn. It was a surprise, however, when he reached the end of the walkway and Cam opened the door.
His cousin leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms over his chest. “You could have saved yourself a great many hours in the saddle if you’d only listened to me this morning. When will you learn, cuz?”
“Good Lord, Cam. What are you doing up?”
“Oh, I’ve been awake for hours. I knew you’d be back, sooner or later.”
A wry smile touched Julian’s lips. “You’ve been awake for hours, and you still answered the door in that ridiculous banyan?”
Cam raised an eyebrow. “Is that why you’re here? To malign my banyan?”
“As a matter of fact, it’s not.”
“I didn’t think so. Up two flights, right at the stairway, last door at the end of the hallway on the left. I trust you to behave like a perfect gentleman, of course.”
