shifting between Jules and Claire.
She remained exactly where he had left her, a look of indecision on her face as to whether she would rather approach him, or turn back toward the snake. She was better off with the snake.
Jules had to put her out of his thoughts. “Claire will join us when she is ready.”
“Perhaps I should go talk with her,” Jane said.
Jules stalled her with a hand on her arm. “Leave her be.”
Jane frowned, but did as he asked.
“We’ve found some cards and thought you might like to join us in a game of faro.”
“What are the stakes?” Jules asked distractedly.
“We found some seeds to use as checks. No one need lose any money over the game.” Jane paled as though she suddenly realized the cut of her words. “Oh, Jules, I did not mean—”
“Sounds well enough. Let us have at it,” he interrupted, not wanting to hear her apology. He knew he had no funds. Obviously they all knew he had no funds. Why pretend otherwise?
Cards. It was the distraction he needed. As Nicholas and Jane turned back toward the manor, Jules allowed himself one last look at Claire. Their gazes met. He thought he saw a tear on her cheek, but he couldn’t be certain because she turned and headed back toward the loch.
He frowned. Why was she crying? Surely not for him.
He watched until the sight of her bright copper head disappeared from view, and once again the loneliness of his life settled about him. The thought that he had contributed to her sadness twisted his insides into a tight, throbbing knot. He spun away and strode back to the house.
He had a wife.
He wanted to ignore her. He wanted to make her go away. But whether she stayed or left, he suddenly realized, nothing would be the same ever again.
Nothing.
T he next morning, Claire snuggled deeper into the covers. Sleep had eluded her during the night no matter how hard she had tried to gather it to her. As a result, her head felt like a leaden weight on the pillow as she stared into the dusky gray of dawn.
She had spent the rest of the afternoon and evening away from Jules and his friends. No one had come to find her, to offer her a meal, or to even see if she had returned from the loch. Her throat tightened for a heartbeat before she shoved her sadness away. Jules and his friends had ignored her yesterday. And she had made it easy for them to do so.
Today, she would not be a passive miss. No, today she had plans. She would start her day by tackling the house. She had learned how to keep a house over the years. She would apply that knowledge here, and turn around what she could in the manor. Then she would see about winning over his friends. If they started to trust her, perhaps Jules would as well. And then, finally, she would play up to her husband. She had to find some way to win his heart.
Her eyes opened into the twilight. What was she willing to do to win his affection? Would she willingly give herself to him if it helped achieve her goal? Was she that kind of woman?
She hoped not . . . and yet . . . he was her husband. Such things were allowed, even expected between a man and his wife. Even so, self-doubt crept past her determination. What if he’d left her alone last night because he didn’t find her in the least bit tempting?
He had walked away from their kiss as though it had cost him nothing at all, while she had spent the better part of the night trying to forget the feel of his warm, seductive lips on her mouth.
She sighed at the memory. If he had been so immune to her, then why save her from the snake? Why kiss her at all? She frowned. He had to find her at least somewhat appealing. She had left behind that gawkish, unrefined girl she had once been years ago. She could do nothing about the brightness of her hair, or the paleness of her skin, but she had learned proper manners and ways of holding herself that could at least accentuate her finer points. She had a small waist. And more than once men had commented on her
She remained exactly where he had left her, a look of indecision on her face as to whether she would rather approach him, or turn back toward the snake. She was better off with the snake.
Jules had to put her out of his thoughts. “Claire will join us when she is ready.”
“Perhaps I should go talk with her,” Jane said.
Jules stalled her with a hand on her arm. “Leave her be.”
Jane frowned, but did as he asked.
“We’ve found some cards and thought you might like to join us in a game of faro.”
“What are the stakes?” Jules asked distractedly.
“We found some seeds to use as checks. No one need lose any money over the game.” Jane paled as though she suddenly realized the cut of her words. “Oh, Jules, I did not mean—”
“Sounds well enough. Let us have at it,” he interrupted, not wanting to hear her apology. He knew he had no funds. Obviously they all knew he had no funds. Why pretend otherwise?
Cards. It was the distraction he needed. As Nicholas and Jane turned back toward the manor, Jules allowed himself one last look at Claire. Their gazes met. He thought he saw a tear on her cheek, but he couldn’t be certain because she turned and headed back toward the loch.
He frowned. Why was she crying? Surely not for him.
He watched until the sight of her bright copper head disappeared from view, and once again the loneliness of his life settled about him. The thought that he had contributed to her sadness twisted his insides into a tight, throbbing knot. He spun away and strode back to the house.
He had a wife.
He wanted to ignore her. He wanted to make her go away. But whether she stayed or left, he suddenly realized, nothing would be the same ever again.
Nothing.
T he next morning, Claire snuggled deeper into the covers. Sleep had eluded her during the night no matter how hard she had tried to gather it to her. As a result, her head felt like a leaden weight on the pillow as she stared into the dusky gray of dawn.
She had spent the rest of the afternoon and evening away from Jules and his friends. No one had come to find her, to offer her a meal, or to even see if she had returned from the loch. Her throat tightened for a heartbeat before she shoved her sadness away. Jules and his friends had ignored her yesterday. And she had made it easy for them to do so.
Today, she would not be a passive miss. No, today she had plans. She would start her day by tackling the house. She had learned how to keep a house over the years. She would apply that knowledge here, and turn around what she could in the manor. Then she would see about winning over his friends. If they started to trust her, perhaps Jules would as well. And then, finally, she would play up to her husband. She had to find some way to win his heart.
Her eyes opened into the twilight. What was she willing to do to win his affection? Would she willingly give herself to him if it helped achieve her goal? Was she that kind of woman?
She hoped not . . . and yet . . . he was her husband. Such things were allowed, even expected between a man and his wife. Even so, self-doubt crept past her determination. What if he’d left her alone last night because he didn’t find her in the least bit tempting?
He had walked away from their kiss as though it had cost him nothing at all, while she had spent the better part of the night trying to forget the feel of his warm, seductive lips on her mouth.
She sighed at the memory. If he had been so immune to her, then why save her from the snake? Why kiss her at all? She frowned. He had to find her at least somewhat appealing. She had left behind that gawkish, unrefined girl she had once been years ago. She could do nothing about the brightness of her hair, or the paleness of her skin, but she had learned proper manners and ways of holding herself that could at least accentuate her finer points. She had a small waist. And more than once men had commented on her
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