he said, and even in the moonlight she could see the flash of his brilliant smile. At least that hadn’t changed.
“I don’t understand. I just got here. Where are you going?”
“Why do you have to do that?” he said, sounding almost angry. “Why do you have to look so pretty? Why do you have to be so goddamn nice? ”
“I’m sorry.”
He let out a curse. “Don’t you realize how rotten I am yet?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know, Carson. All I know is who you were in England. And you were wonderful there.”
“I was a complete jackass. Hell, Amelia, you’re making this so hard. You’re making me not want to leave.”
The truth was finally dawning on her, and she felt her insides clench sickeningly. “You’re not coming back?”
“I…”
“Oh, God, I’m such an idiot,” she said, horrified by the truth that had been there all along, if she’d only been wise enough to listen to the reasonable part of her brain, rather than her heart.
“I’m comin’ back, darlin’. Don’t cry. Please. I’m comin’ back.”
Hope surged, but immediately left her when she saw the look on his face. He was lying, just as he had lied so many times before. But this time he didn’t even bother to try to hide it. Amelia may have been naïve, may have even believed that Carson loved her, but she was not a complete fool.
“Don’t lie to me,” she said. “Please, Carson. If you don’t mean to come back, don’t lie.”
“I don’t know what I’m going to do,” he said, sounding tired. Then he flashed her a grin that tore at her already beaten heart. “I might just stay. You never know.”
But the next morning, Carson was gone.
Chapter 4
“Hey, your highness, looks like your prince has flown the coop,” Dulce said, nudging Amelia on the shoulder.
It took a few seconds to clear the fog from her brain, for she’d been deeply asleep and having a wonderful dream in which she’d been home at Meremont playing tag with her cousins on their beautiful green lawn. They’d all been barefoot, and the grass had felt so cool and soft between her toes.
“Go away,” she muttered, trying in vain to go back to that happy dream.
“Didn’t you hear me? Carson’s gone. Packed up and left.”
Amelia opened her eyes to see Dulce smiling down at her. “Guess you ain’t getting married after all.”
Finally, what Dulce was saying got through the fog. “Carson’s gone?” Of course he was.
“Well, his duffel’s gone, his horse is gone, and he grabbed all the food he could carry. Plus he took all the money out of the till. Boone’s crazy mad.” This all seemed to delight Dulce, who appeared to be on the verge of outright laughter.
Amelia threw off the covers. “My blue day dress, if you please.”
Dulce rolled her eyes and sauntered over to the wardrobe where Amelia’s gowns had been crammed in haphazardly. “This one?” she asked, pulling out a ball gown.
Amelia quickly searched and pulled out her dress, one of her favorite day dresses made of light blue wool. It had the most lovely sleeves that puffed out beautifully at her upper arms but hugged her forearms from her elbow to wrist. The light wool was intricately embroidered with flowers that were just slightly darker than the full skirt. It was a beautiful dress, one she’d pictured wearing with Carson strolling down the main street of Small Fork. She tossed the dress on her bed. “Where are my unmentionables?”
Dulce nodded toward a chest of drawers. “Top drawer.”
Within minutes, Amelia was pulling on the dress, and waiting with what she thought was incredible patience for Dulce to button her up. It seemed as if the woman had never buttoned a button before, so slow was she proceeding. When she was finished, Amelia said, “Where is Dr. Kitteridge?”
“Who?”
She gave the obstinate woman a tight smile. “Boone.”
Dulce smiled, and Amelia knew her suspicions were correct; the woman was delighting in antagonizing
“I don’t understand. I just got here. Where are you going?”
“Why do you have to do that?” he said, sounding almost angry. “Why do you have to look so pretty? Why do you have to be so goddamn nice? ”
“I’m sorry.”
He let out a curse. “Don’t you realize how rotten I am yet?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know, Carson. All I know is who you were in England. And you were wonderful there.”
“I was a complete jackass. Hell, Amelia, you’re making this so hard. You’re making me not want to leave.”
The truth was finally dawning on her, and she felt her insides clench sickeningly. “You’re not coming back?”
“I…”
“Oh, God, I’m such an idiot,” she said, horrified by the truth that had been there all along, if she’d only been wise enough to listen to the reasonable part of her brain, rather than her heart.
“I’m comin’ back, darlin’. Don’t cry. Please. I’m comin’ back.”
Hope surged, but immediately left her when she saw the look on his face. He was lying, just as he had lied so many times before. But this time he didn’t even bother to try to hide it. Amelia may have been naïve, may have even believed that Carson loved her, but she was not a complete fool.
“Don’t lie to me,” she said. “Please, Carson. If you don’t mean to come back, don’t lie.”
“I don’t know what I’m going to do,” he said, sounding tired. Then he flashed her a grin that tore at her already beaten heart. “I might just stay. You never know.”
But the next morning, Carson was gone.
Chapter 4
“Hey, your highness, looks like your prince has flown the coop,” Dulce said, nudging Amelia on the shoulder.
It took a few seconds to clear the fog from her brain, for she’d been deeply asleep and having a wonderful dream in which she’d been home at Meremont playing tag with her cousins on their beautiful green lawn. They’d all been barefoot, and the grass had felt so cool and soft between her toes.
“Go away,” she muttered, trying in vain to go back to that happy dream.
“Didn’t you hear me? Carson’s gone. Packed up and left.”
Amelia opened her eyes to see Dulce smiling down at her. “Guess you ain’t getting married after all.”
Finally, what Dulce was saying got through the fog. “Carson’s gone?” Of course he was.
“Well, his duffel’s gone, his horse is gone, and he grabbed all the food he could carry. Plus he took all the money out of the till. Boone’s crazy mad.” This all seemed to delight Dulce, who appeared to be on the verge of outright laughter.
Amelia threw off the covers. “My blue day dress, if you please.”
Dulce rolled her eyes and sauntered over to the wardrobe where Amelia’s gowns had been crammed in haphazardly. “This one?” she asked, pulling out a ball gown.
Amelia quickly searched and pulled out her dress, one of her favorite day dresses made of light blue wool. It had the most lovely sleeves that puffed out beautifully at her upper arms but hugged her forearms from her elbow to wrist. The light wool was intricately embroidered with flowers that were just slightly darker than the full skirt. It was a beautiful dress, one she’d pictured wearing with Carson strolling down the main street of Small Fork. She tossed the dress on her bed. “Where are my unmentionables?”
Dulce nodded toward a chest of drawers. “Top drawer.”
Within minutes, Amelia was pulling on the dress, and waiting with what she thought was incredible patience for Dulce to button her up. It seemed as if the woman had never buttoned a button before, so slow was she proceeding. When she was finished, Amelia said, “Where is Dr. Kitteridge?”
“Who?”
She gave the obstinate woman a tight smile. “Boone.”
Dulce smiled, and Amelia knew her suspicions were correct; the woman was delighting in antagonizing
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