emotion.
Phillip stopped, shocked. “That is a good reason,” he answered. “I’m surprised Miranda doesn’t share it.”
A shadow passed in Miss Cameron’s eyes. He sensed she wondered the same…but would never admit such. Her stubborn chin lifted. In a voice laced with pride, she said, “And be like you and your clan and carry a grudge for two hundred years?” She shook her head. “ Men are ridiculous.”
“ Some are. I have no grudge with anyone—”
“Except me,” she swiftly reminded him.
This woman never knew when to leave well enough alone. He swallowed his sharp retort, not wanting to give her any more fodder against him—and failed. “Tell me, then,” he challenged. “What is your secret? How can you put aside the deaths of those close to you so easily?” Elizabeth’s death haunted him, and he had no one to blame, save God…and he’d blamed Him for years. “How can you accept anyone connected with your family’s killers?”
“Because life goes on,” she said flatly. “Because, sad as it is, death is a part of life. Especially on the frontier. The Shawnees in that war party were not Alex. To hold him responsible would be the same as equating you to Klem and Fergus. Did you not inform me moments ago that you were not like them?”
She was right.
“Well put,” he murmured.
“And I know about blaming oneself,” she continued. “Father did that for years. He’d left us that morning to go with some trappers to look at furs they had to offer. He’d seen the Shawnee but had thought it was a hunting party.” Her hands balled into fists as she walked. “We hadn’t even known the Shawnee had gone on the warpath. Often something could happen miles away, and then war would spread before anyone could warn us. I was away from the trading post collecting kindling with Constance when Miranda came running to us in the woods. She’d seen them murder Mother in the garden. The three of us girls buried ourselves under a pile of leaves beside a fallen tree trunk. The braves came searching for us. They looked in the trunk but didn’t anticipate us hiding outside of it. We held each other’s hands all night long. I’ve never been so frightened and, with Mother gone, I had to make the decisions.”
At last, Phillip understood. The bonds between the Cameron girls were stronger than those of ordinary siblings. Would he and his twin experience this same need to unite together?
“But we survived,” she said firmly. “The three of us have held together over the years, and we shall continue to survive.”
In that one moment, Phillip felt such a desire to believe his twin was alive. He didn’t want Nanny Frye’s letter to be a hoax. He refused to believe it could be. “I still don’t know if I could marry someone from those who killed a family member,” he said. He would not forgive MacKenna if he’d stolen his brother. He’d kill him.
“I don’t know if I could either,” Miss Cameron confessed. She noticed her fists were clenched and spread her fingers as if wanting to release the tension in them. She didn’t look at Phillip as she said, “It has caused a great deal of conflict in Miranda. It was the reason she sent Alex away all those years ago. She couldn’t choose between him and her family.” She stopped, facing him. “That’s why, Your Grace, I made the choice for her the night of your betrothal ball. My intention wasn’t to humiliate you. I just couldn’t bear the thought of Miranda’s giving up someone she loved, someone she was meant to be with for us. Not a second time. Her happiness is very important to me.”
“I didn’t want her unhappy either,” he agreed. “But could we not have had the discussion in private? Did half of London have to be a witness?”
“That wasn’t good,” she admitted. “My only defense is that if I hadn’t spoken up, she would never have told you herself. Once the betrothal had been announced, neither of you could, or would ,
Phillip stopped, shocked. “That is a good reason,” he answered. “I’m surprised Miranda doesn’t share it.”
A shadow passed in Miss Cameron’s eyes. He sensed she wondered the same…but would never admit such. Her stubborn chin lifted. In a voice laced with pride, she said, “And be like you and your clan and carry a grudge for two hundred years?” She shook her head. “ Men are ridiculous.”
“ Some are. I have no grudge with anyone—”
“Except me,” she swiftly reminded him.
This woman never knew when to leave well enough alone. He swallowed his sharp retort, not wanting to give her any more fodder against him—and failed. “Tell me, then,” he challenged. “What is your secret? How can you put aside the deaths of those close to you so easily?” Elizabeth’s death haunted him, and he had no one to blame, save God…and he’d blamed Him for years. “How can you accept anyone connected with your family’s killers?”
“Because life goes on,” she said flatly. “Because, sad as it is, death is a part of life. Especially on the frontier. The Shawnees in that war party were not Alex. To hold him responsible would be the same as equating you to Klem and Fergus. Did you not inform me moments ago that you were not like them?”
She was right.
“Well put,” he murmured.
“And I know about blaming oneself,” she continued. “Father did that for years. He’d left us that morning to go with some trappers to look at furs they had to offer. He’d seen the Shawnee but had thought it was a hunting party.” Her hands balled into fists as she walked. “We hadn’t even known the Shawnee had gone on the warpath. Often something could happen miles away, and then war would spread before anyone could warn us. I was away from the trading post collecting kindling with Constance when Miranda came running to us in the woods. She’d seen them murder Mother in the garden. The three of us girls buried ourselves under a pile of leaves beside a fallen tree trunk. The braves came searching for us. They looked in the trunk but didn’t anticipate us hiding outside of it. We held each other’s hands all night long. I’ve never been so frightened and, with Mother gone, I had to make the decisions.”
At last, Phillip understood. The bonds between the Cameron girls were stronger than those of ordinary siblings. Would he and his twin experience this same need to unite together?
“But we survived,” she said firmly. “The three of us have held together over the years, and we shall continue to survive.”
In that one moment, Phillip felt such a desire to believe his twin was alive. He didn’t want Nanny Frye’s letter to be a hoax. He refused to believe it could be. “I still don’t know if I could marry someone from those who killed a family member,” he said. He would not forgive MacKenna if he’d stolen his brother. He’d kill him.
“I don’t know if I could either,” Miss Cameron confessed. She noticed her fists were clenched and spread her fingers as if wanting to release the tension in them. She didn’t look at Phillip as she said, “It has caused a great deal of conflict in Miranda. It was the reason she sent Alex away all those years ago. She couldn’t choose between him and her family.” She stopped, facing him. “That’s why, Your Grace, I made the choice for her the night of your betrothal ball. My intention wasn’t to humiliate you. I just couldn’t bear the thought of Miranda’s giving up someone she loved, someone she was meant to be with for us. Not a second time. Her happiness is very important to me.”
“I didn’t want her unhappy either,” he agreed. “But could we not have had the discussion in private? Did half of London have to be a witness?”
“That wasn’t good,” she admitted. “My only defense is that if I hadn’t spoken up, she would never have told you herself. Once the betrothal had been announced, neither of you could, or would ,
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