“Good morning, Miss Miller.”
She had not seen him since the night he had plucked her, drowning, from the lake. At that time, he seemed quite emotionally close to her, as though he loved her. His eyes, his arm around her, his soothing words, his entire demeanor informed her he cared and quite deeply. But now his stiff formality confused her.What is wrong? Why does he not look at me?Thea stepped away from him, hurt. “Uh, well, I wish to thank you again for helping me the other night.”
He did not smile, his expression stony, as though she had slapped him rather than wished him a good morning. His eyes seemed to gaze through her, as though she truly was not there, seeing her yet not. When he spoke, his tone held little save formal neutrality. “It was my pleasure, Miss Miller.”
Appalled at her own feelings, assuming that he cared for her the way he had when they were children, and humiliated by what she thought she saw in him that night, Thea turned away. On feet she did not feel, she drifted toward the dining room, not truly seeing anything in front of her.
What happened? I know he cared for me, I felt it. I know what I felt.
In the big, high vaulted room where their parents used to host lavish feasts, she found Freddie sitting alone. He rose as she entered, and held her chair for her as Mr. O’Bannon, the butler, signaled the footmen to bring their breakfast in.
“You are looking well, Thea,” Freddie commented, seating himself. “But you seem – distracted.”
She forced her lips to rise. “I am fine. Thank you for asking.”
“Robert sends his regards,” Freddie continued as a servant placed a plate of bacon fried with onions and peppers, eggs, salted herring and hot, fresh bread in front of him. “As well as his affections.”
At the mention of Robert, Thea’s annoyance grew. “I certainly hope you did not agree to a betrothal.”
Freddie gave her a wide-eyed innocent glance that instantly made her want to throw her plate at him. “Would I do that, sweet sister?”
“If he bribed you enough.”
He scowled. “That was unkind.”
“Perhaps. But true.”
Forking food into his mouth, Freddie stabbed his table knife in her direction. “You misjudge the man, Thea. He cares deeply for you, and yet, you scorn him.”
“I do not scorn him,” she retorted. “I dislike him intensely.”
“What did he ever do that earned him such hatred?”
“I told you before,” she snapped. “He makes me feel dirty, unwashed like I have not bathed in a month. I do not like him, Freddie, and that is the end of it.”
“And I suppose you care for the footman who dragged you from the lake?”
Thea froze. “Why do you ask that?”
“I saw the way he looked at you,” Freddie replied, still eating. “I took him aside, thanked him for his service, and told him that if he ever looked at you that way again, he would be discharged on the spot.”
Thea sank back into her chair.So that was why he behaved the way he did.“You had no cause to do that.”
“I did indeed. No common servant will lust after my sister.”
“He saved my life, Freddie.”
“I know. I rewarded him with a few quid.”
My life – boiled down to a few quid.“So kind of you,” she said, unable to keep the sarcasm from her tone.
“What?” Freddie demanded, his mouth full. “You know that it is not right or proper.”
“And everything has to be right and proper with you, Freddie. There is no middle ground with you. Only black and white, no grey.”
“Grey is maudlin.”
“And you are impossible.”
