“Thank you,” Eliza said, giving Alexander a long curtsey before Miss Winters all but dragged her away.
Margaret turned to Augusta, who stood dutifully by the door. “That will be all.”
Once she was alone with Alexander, a quiet settled between them. Margaret drifted toward Eliza’s writing desk while Alexander busied himself replacing the quill in its holder. The faint scent of ink lingered in the room, the smell of the rain outside clinging to her clothes.
“You are quite the tutor,” she said.
“I have a weakness for diligent pupils.”
“Diligent? My sister has many good qualities, I will be first to admit, but diligence has never been her strong suit.” Margaret folded her hands before her. “You bring out something special in her. She likes you. Won’t shut up about you, frankly.”
Alexander smiled. “She has been a very brave girl. Being apart from her family is no small thing at her young age. But it was the right decision for her, I think.”
Margaret nodded, her gaze lowering at the thought of her parents. She felt Alexander shift toward her and blushed immediately.
The warmth between them had grown in recent days, despite his absence, though neither of them had openly acknowledged it. That kiss—still vibrant in her mind—lingered between them.Her pulse quickened now at his nearness, the calm confidence he wore making her melt. She wanted another kiss—many more.
I doubt I could live a hundred lives and find a husband better than him. The way he is with Eliza, his keen intelligence, his tenderness toward me, his kiss. I felt it like a lightning strike, deep within my soul.
She observed him, wondering if he felt the same about her—something deep and powerful like a sunrise. But by that point, Alexander’s expression had changed. He flicked aimlessly through the pages of Eliza’s composition book.
“You seem troubled,” Margaret murmured
Alexander glanced up at her. “Do I?”
“Yes. And since you seem reluctant to tell me why, I can only guess the cause.”
He gave a rueful smile, then crossed to the window and looked out into the cloudy afternoon. “There has still been no word from them,” he said.
“I know. I have been checking the mail morning, noon, and night, hoping for a note. Carlisle has learned nothing more?”
“Nothing he wishes to share with me. But the less involved Carlisle is in all this, the better.” Alexander paused, staring intently through the panes. “That we know they are alive andwell should comfort me enough to leave things well be. And yet to not know what they intend, to think of a marriage between them, means I cannot rest. Even if I sent a whole platoon up to Gretna Greene, the chances of catching them are slim to none.”
“We cannot say for certain whether they even made the journey. Lady Salisbury suspects that was their destination, but they may well have changed courses since.” Margaret took a few paces toward him. “If they did return married, would that displease you?”
“Under normal circumstances, it would not. Bastian has long wished for a match, and a sister of mine would not find a finer husband than him. But these circumstances are anything but usual.” He looked over his shoulder at her, pain poorly concealed in his eyes. “Should I tell you the truth? That the more days that pass without word from them, the more shamed I am, the more inclined I am to believe Carlisle that Isadore was lying all along?”
“You cannot be blamed for being suspicious, given how quickly they left.”
A sad but knowing look passed between them. “You too doubt the legitimacy of her claims. I saw the birth announcement with my own eyes. But have I really been so easily duped?”
“No. Perhaps. I do not know. It seems more likely that something else has happened, though I do not know what.” She walked forward and placed a nervous hand on his back. “We should not lose ourselves to despair yet.”
“No...” He turned and took Margaret’s hand in his own. “And there are other matters we may yet resolve happily. Your father and mother are still in Wiltshire. We should visit them, make our intentions clear now that Eliza has settled with us.”
She stared at their fingers laced together.
“Is that what you have been ruminating over these last few days?” she asked.
“That, a bridal tour, many other things I shall not speak of to preserve the sanctuary of this schoolroom...”
Margaret bit her lip. “And whatareour intentions?”
She could barely think about her parents’ betrayal while Alexander’s fingers worked her own. He drew her in closer and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
“To ensure a happy, simple life for you and Miss Eliza.”
“It is not too late to retreat, if you have changed your mind,” Alexander said.
