Duncan sighed. “Thomas, we thought you might say these things—”
“I’m saying them,” Thomas said. “The only question now is, are you on my side or not?”
“I’m on Valeria’s side,” Duncan said, his voice suddenly very firm. “If it’s to be a matter of sides, the side I choose will always be hers. You should be in no doubt aboutthat.”
Thomas nodded. “I spoke unclearly. I want her back for her own sake as much as my own. Surely you saw—you remember—how happy we were together at the picnic outing, or at the ball. Can you honestly say you’ve ever seen her happier?”
Duncan closed his eyes. Thomas thought he must be calling back the memory of those two occasions.
“No,” he admitted. “That was the happiest she had ever been in my presence, you’re quite correct. And itisdevastating to see her lose that happiness.”
“It doesn’t need to be lost to her!” Thomas said. “If I didn’t know those feelings between us were there, that happiness was possible, I wouldn’t be fighting this so hard. But Iamgood for her, Duncan. She’s frightened of it, and I understand. But if we can show her there’s nothing to fear—”
Henry had been following along, looking from one of them to the other. But now he spoke.
“How can we do that?” he asked. “How can we show her that there’s nothing to be afraid of in a situation that has so traumatized her in the past? Do you think there’s any hope?”
“I think so,” Thomas said. “I’ll tell you what I’ve been thinking.”
“Wait,” Duncan said. “Let me get us drinks first.”
He hurried away to the bar, leaving Thomas alone with Henry.
Thomas looked anxiously at his friend. “You’ll help too?” he asked. “I really need all the assistance I can get, if there is to be even a chance of this working.”
“I’ll help,” Henry said, rather dubiously. “But I don’t know what you think we can do.”
Thomas waited until Duncan had come back with ale for all of them. He took a sip to bolster his courage, and then began.
“I’ve had debt to my name since my father’s death,” he said. “And, as you both know, that was years ago. Yet in all those years, no one ever came looking for me. No one ever sought to collect. I did wonder, on occasion, why that was, but I supposed I was just fortunate, and that I ought not to look into it too deeply. After all, why upset a favorable situation?” He sighed. “I think, now, that I was naive to take that approach. But it was the decision I made at the time, for better or worse.”
“I wouldn’t be too hard on yourself about it,” Duncan said.
“Nor would I,” Henry said. “I think any man might have done the same. It’s very easy to decide you don’t wish to tamper with something that is working for you. But what makes you think twice about it now?”
“Because, after all this time, a debt collector is pursuing me in earnest,” Thomas said. “But from my perspective, nothing at all has changed. I can’t believe it’s just a matter of circumstance. Something has happened, something I don’t know about. And if I can find out what that thing is, I may be able to extricate myself from my predicament.”
“That’s not a half bad idea, you know,” Duncan said. “That debt collector is almost certainly pursuing you on the advice or orders of someone else.”
“Most likely the person he owes money to, right?” Henry asked.
“Yes, maybe…” Thomas said. “But maybe not.”
“You think it’s someone else?” Duncan asked. “Someone else is behind this?”
“I think it has to be considered.” Thomas said. “Because nothing has changed for the people I owe money to. But someone else might have an agenda.”
“All right,” Henry said. Duncan nodded in agreement. “We’ll help you figure it out.”
Chapter 30
The first step in the plan to help Thomas was the one Duncan liked the least, and the one he had protested against the most. But in the end, he had given in, because Thomas had been desperate, and Duncan had thought he ought to have the chance to at least try.
So today, Thomas was coming to call on Valeria.
Valeria didn’t know. She couldn’t know. The only way she would agree to a visit from Thomas was if it took her by surprise, Duncan thought. Perhaps she could be startled into agreeing to talk to him. And if they were able to talk…
Well, Duncan thought it very unlikely that she would change her mind. He had spoken to her, and she seemed to have put a good deal of logical thought into her decision. She wasn’t being flighty or overly emotional about it. She couldn’t be persuaded.
