her. She was
truly attached to the girl and again he thought of the pain she would face when
they were inevitably separated. But this was a confidence entrusted to him, and
he could not break it.
She rose, studied him for a
moment, and then gave him a resigned smile. “Very well, sir, I will arrange for
you to meet with Danielle. For some reason, I feel I can trust you. I do
hope you don’t prove me mistaken.” She waved a hand toward him and walked away.
“Come back at three.”
She disappeared into the
house, and Blackwell once again found himself on the outside of the door.
Annoyed at yet another abrupt dismissal, he clapped his hat on his head and
strode off. The next time, he was going to decide when to depart.
Chapter Seven
“You let him get around you,
I suppose.”
The sharp comment was the
opening salvo to one of Maggie’s scolds. Anne laid her fingers against her eyes
for a brief moment before she turned to face the older woman.
“His request to meet
Danielle is not unreasonable, and I believe him when he says he means her no harm.”
Anne knew Maggie was being protective, but sometimes she felt hedged about by
her concern and this was one of those times. Not that she was always a good
judge of character—look at how wrong she had been about the Major!—but in this
case she felt Mr. Blackwell to be trustworthy.
“Let it be, Maggie. Perhaps
he can do something about Danielle’s situation. We certainly have not.”
“Nor are we apt to, but I’ll
not plague you, since I can see it is worrying you half to death. Go rest a
bit. Mr. Fenton and I will fetch the children.” Maggie’s lips tightened in
disapproval. “You need to turn your mind to your own affairs, Miss Anne. I was
not for telling you, until Mr. Fenton told me he saw someone very like the
Major this morning. Gave him a scare.”
Anne felt the blood drain
from her face. “But it was not Reynald,” she whispered.
“No, but you know it is no
more than a matter of time before the man shows up. He had but to check the
ships’ passenger lists to obtain our destination. You need to contact the
Consul.”
Sympathy mixed with the
exasperated expression on Maggie’s face. Anne forced the fear into a leaden
knot deep inside and steadied her voice. “I will write the letter today and
Bill can take it tomorrow.”
“Good.”
Maggie gave Anne’s shoulder
a comforting pat before she left the room and Anne dropped into a chair, her
knees too shaky to hold her. You are being irrational. The man cannot force
you to marry him. But her silent protest was feeble at best. Major Reynald
was obsessed, and determined to have her one way or another. His charming
manner and persuasive sincerity fooled more people than simple, naïve girls
like Anne. If only she had never gone to Gibraltar! You would not have had
those years with Father and that was worth tangling with the Major. Get to
England. You will have more protection once you apply to Mr. Fordham for
assistance.
Her father’s solicitor was
not one to stand for any nonsense or be easily persuaded, and she had recourse
to her Scottish relatives if need be. Anne leaned back and closed her eyes. How
had it ever come to this? Running and hiding as if she was a criminal, when her
sole crime was not seeing through the man’s façade. Admit it. You were
flattered at first to be singled out. Quiet Anne, who was more interested in
music than socializing. Major Thomas Reynald, officer in His Majesty’s
Army, and the bane of her existence. Why he had ever even looked at her, she
never understood, but his marked attention and smooth tongue had charmed her
into accepting his escort several times. Supportive during her Father’s
illness, yes, and she was grateful for it, but the funeral was hardly over when
his true nature emerged. His insistence they marry at once—for her protection
now that she was alone in the world—was a shock, and no matter what he claimed,
Anne had
truly attached to the girl and again he thought of the pain she would face when
they were inevitably separated. But this was a confidence entrusted to him, and
he could not break it.
She rose, studied him for a
moment, and then gave him a resigned smile. “Very well, sir, I will arrange for
you to meet with Danielle. For some reason, I feel I can trust you. I do
hope you don’t prove me mistaken.” She waved a hand toward him and walked away.
“Come back at three.”
She disappeared into the
house, and Blackwell once again found himself on the outside of the door.
Annoyed at yet another abrupt dismissal, he clapped his hat on his head and
strode off. The next time, he was going to decide when to depart.
Chapter Seven
“You let him get around you,
I suppose.”
The sharp comment was the
opening salvo to one of Maggie’s scolds. Anne laid her fingers against her eyes
for a brief moment before she turned to face the older woman.
“His request to meet
Danielle is not unreasonable, and I believe him when he says he means her no harm.”
Anne knew Maggie was being protective, but sometimes she felt hedged about by
her concern and this was one of those times. Not that she was always a good
judge of character—look at how wrong she had been about the Major!—but in this
case she felt Mr. Blackwell to be trustworthy.
“Let it be, Maggie. Perhaps
he can do something about Danielle’s situation. We certainly have not.”
“Nor are we apt to, but I’ll
not plague you, since I can see it is worrying you half to death. Go rest a
bit. Mr. Fenton and I will fetch the children.” Maggie’s lips tightened in
disapproval. “You need to turn your mind to your own affairs, Miss Anne. I was
not for telling you, until Mr. Fenton told me he saw someone very like the
Major this morning. Gave him a scare.”
Anne felt the blood drain
from her face. “But it was not Reynald,” she whispered.
“No, but you know it is no
more than a matter of time before the man shows up. He had but to check the
ships’ passenger lists to obtain our destination. You need to contact the
Consul.”
Sympathy mixed with the
exasperated expression on Maggie’s face. Anne forced the fear into a leaden
knot deep inside and steadied her voice. “I will write the letter today and
Bill can take it tomorrow.”
“Good.”
Maggie gave Anne’s shoulder
a comforting pat before she left the room and Anne dropped into a chair, her
knees too shaky to hold her. You are being irrational. The man cannot force
you to marry him. But her silent protest was feeble at best. Major Reynald
was obsessed, and determined to have her one way or another. His charming
manner and persuasive sincerity fooled more people than simple, naïve girls
like Anne. If only she had never gone to Gibraltar! You would not have had
those years with Father and that was worth tangling with the Major. Get to
England. You will have more protection once you apply to Mr. Fordham for
assistance.
Her father’s solicitor was
not one to stand for any nonsense or be easily persuaded, and she had recourse
to her Scottish relatives if need be. Anne leaned back and closed her eyes. How
had it ever come to this? Running and hiding as if she was a criminal, when her
sole crime was not seeing through the man’s façade. Admit it. You were
flattered at first to be singled out. Quiet Anne, who was more interested in
music than socializing. Major Thomas Reynald, officer in His Majesty’s
Army, and the bane of her existence. Why he had ever even looked at her, she
never understood, but his marked attention and smooth tongue had charmed her
into accepting his escort several times. Supportive during her Father’s
illness, yes, and she was grateful for it, but the funeral was hardly over when
his true nature emerged. His insistence they marry at once—for her protection
now that she was alone in the world—was a shock, and no matter what he claimed,
Anne had
Similar Books
