all of England who could take away what she held most dear.
He turned on her with all the anger and hostility of a battle-ready soldier. “You cannot keep it. Surely you realize that.”
She faced him with every ounce of strength she could find. “You have no right to it. None!”
He slapped his hand against his thigh. “Dammit, woman! The jewels are not yours. They belong to Stephen’s family!”
The air left her body, sucked out of her lungs like a huge wave pulled from the shore. Jewels.
She sank down onto the nearest chair, and clamped her hand over her mouth to stop the strangled cry that wanted to shatter into the gaping silence. One tear slipped down her cheek, and she swiped it away with frantic urgency. It was a tear of joy.
He thought Stephen had given her jewels.
CHAPTER 5
Ethan felt as helpless as a ship dead in the water. He stared at her, devastation pummeling to the pit of his stomach, each word a blow as debilitating as if she’d fired on him with a sixty-cannon warship.
She did not have the jewels.
He stared at the relief on her face. He’d been so sure Stephen had cherished the girl with the huge green eyes and hair of spun copper above all else in the world. He was so sure he had given her the Burnhaven jewels for safekeeping. How could anyone not give her everything he possessed?
But she did not have them. He could see it written on her face.
“You don’t know what I’m talking about, do you?”
She shook her head, still taking in big gasps of air as if just surfacing from too long beneath the water.
“Then what were you so fearful I would take from you? What did Stephen give you that you refuse to give up?”
Her shoulders lifted. “Nothing of any consequence to you, Mr. Cambridge.”
Ethan turned away from her and looked out the long, wide-paned parlor window. This time he didn’t see the beauty in the giant flakes of snow that fell to the ground. “Damn him!” He pounded his fist against the window casing. “How did he think this would all end?”
“He expected my dowry to save him,” she whispered.
He looked over his shoulder. His probing eyes locked with hers. The haunted look in her eyes matched the faraway sound of her voice.
How could Stephen have turned his back on such strength, on such uncommon beauty? Each time he looked at her, a heaviness settled deep in his chest. She was far better than Stephen deserved.
“Then why did he not stay to marry you? Why did he leave when he knew there would be nothing left when he returned?”
Her face paled even more, but when she opened her mouth to speak, her fragile jaw quivered. “Perhaps he could not bring himself to care for me.”
A sharp pang twisted deep in his gut. It pained him to hear such unabashed honesty. “I am sure you are mistaken. He always spoke most appreciatively of you.”
She smiled, a smile that said she knew things he would never know. Was the smile one that told how much she had loved Stephen? Still loved him? Or one that told him how much he’d hurt her?
Never had Ethan felt more anger toward his brother than he did at this moment. How could Stephen have left her so unprotected?
“Miss Langdon,” he said, sitting in the chair beside her. “I know how difficult this is for you, but—”
She rose to her feet, her chin high, her back rigid and straight. Her small smile turned her features more fragile and delicate. “Do you? I think not.”
With dignified grace, she gave him her back and walked to the door. “I would like you to leave now. I do not have the jewels you thought Stephen had given me, nor do I have anything else that would be of any monetary value to you. I am afraid we have nothing more to say to one another.” She opened the door as if ordering him to leave.
Ethan followed her to the door. He stood so close he could smell the clean scent of rose petals in which he imagined she’d bathed. “Have you changed your mind about selling the ships?”
He knew his size was
He turned on her with all the anger and hostility of a battle-ready soldier. “You cannot keep it. Surely you realize that.”
She faced him with every ounce of strength she could find. “You have no right to it. None!”
He slapped his hand against his thigh. “Dammit, woman! The jewels are not yours. They belong to Stephen’s family!”
The air left her body, sucked out of her lungs like a huge wave pulled from the shore. Jewels.
She sank down onto the nearest chair, and clamped her hand over her mouth to stop the strangled cry that wanted to shatter into the gaping silence. One tear slipped down her cheek, and she swiped it away with frantic urgency. It was a tear of joy.
He thought Stephen had given her jewels.
CHAPTER 5
Ethan felt as helpless as a ship dead in the water. He stared at her, devastation pummeling to the pit of his stomach, each word a blow as debilitating as if she’d fired on him with a sixty-cannon warship.
She did not have the jewels.
He stared at the relief on her face. He’d been so sure Stephen had cherished the girl with the huge green eyes and hair of spun copper above all else in the world. He was so sure he had given her the Burnhaven jewels for safekeeping. How could anyone not give her everything he possessed?
But she did not have them. He could see it written on her face.
“You don’t know what I’m talking about, do you?”
She shook her head, still taking in big gasps of air as if just surfacing from too long beneath the water.
“Then what were you so fearful I would take from you? What did Stephen give you that you refuse to give up?”
Her shoulders lifted. “Nothing of any consequence to you, Mr. Cambridge.”
Ethan turned away from her and looked out the long, wide-paned parlor window. This time he didn’t see the beauty in the giant flakes of snow that fell to the ground. “Damn him!” He pounded his fist against the window casing. “How did he think this would all end?”
“He expected my dowry to save him,” she whispered.
He looked over his shoulder. His probing eyes locked with hers. The haunted look in her eyes matched the faraway sound of her voice.
How could Stephen have turned his back on such strength, on such uncommon beauty? Each time he looked at her, a heaviness settled deep in his chest. She was far better than Stephen deserved.
“Then why did he not stay to marry you? Why did he leave when he knew there would be nothing left when he returned?”
Her face paled even more, but when she opened her mouth to speak, her fragile jaw quivered. “Perhaps he could not bring himself to care for me.”
A sharp pang twisted deep in his gut. It pained him to hear such unabashed honesty. “I am sure you are mistaken. He always spoke most appreciatively of you.”
She smiled, a smile that said she knew things he would never know. Was the smile one that told how much she had loved Stephen? Still loved him? Or one that told him how much he’d hurt her?
Never had Ethan felt more anger toward his brother than he did at this moment. How could Stephen have left her so unprotected?
“Miss Langdon,” he said, sitting in the chair beside her. “I know how difficult this is for you, but—”
She rose to her feet, her chin high, her back rigid and straight. Her small smile turned her features more fragile and delicate. “Do you? I think not.”
With dignified grace, she gave him her back and walked to the door. “I would like you to leave now. I do not have the jewels you thought Stephen had given me, nor do I have anything else that would be of any monetary value to you. I am afraid we have nothing more to say to one another.” She opened the door as if ordering him to leave.
Ethan followed her to the door. He stood so close he could smell the clean scent of rose petals in which he imagined she’d bathed. “Have you changed your mind about selling the ships?”
He knew his size was
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