Kendra clapped her hands. “I knew it!”
“Nay, you don’t understand.” Tears sprang to Caithren’s eyes—oh, how she hated that. She brushed at them angrily. “He made such a point of saying we’d talk in the morning. Then he disappeared.” She turned on the bench to face Kendra. “I was wrong. He only wanted to tell me we cannot be together. But he lost his nerve, or just decided something else was more important.”
Her new friend reached to take her hands. “Maybe you misunderstood about this morning.”
Cait shook her head. “Impossible.”
“Then something unexpected came up.” Kendra’s fingers squeezed tight. “I’m sure of it. Didn’t you say you needed some papers for your brother? I’ll wager he wanted to take care of that before he talked to you. And when he does, it won’t be to say you cannot be together.”
“It doesn’t matter what he went to do or what he’s going to say.” Caithren pulled her hands from Kendra’s and hugged herself. “I hadn’t made up my mind, anyway.”
Jason’s sister fixed her with a penetrating stare. “Oh, yes, you had.” She smoothed her own apple-green skirts. “Whether you know it or not.”
Uncomfortable under that gaze, Caithren rose and resumed walking.
Kendra jumped up to follow. “How is your arm today?”
“It’s healing.” Cait shook her head in disbelief. “After English doctoring. I never would have thought it.”
“They say never trust an English surgeon. Quacks, one and all.” Kendra grinned. “How was it cut? You said you would tell me.”
A small smile threatened to burst through Cait’s melancholy. “I never said anything of the sort. You said you would ask.” She took a deep breath. “Wat Gothard nicked me with his sword. We think he was going after your brother.”
“He was?” Kendra stopped dead on the path, her face a mask of concern. “Maybe Jason went after Gothard. What if he’s not here because he’s hurt?”
“Hurt?” Cait echoed numbly. “He was going to warn Scarborough today, but he said nothing about chasing down Gothard. He doesn’t know where to find him. We don’t even know if he’s in London.”
She couldn’t bear to think of Jason hurt. He didn’t want to be with her, and he didn’t want to tell her, either. That was all there was to it. He would have said something were he planning to go after Gothard.
Kendra was still watching her, as though waiting to be reassured. Suppressing her own unease, Cait touched her friend’s arm. “Your brother didn’t go chasing after Gothard this morning.” When Kendra still looked wary, Cait forced a smile. Surely there was nothing to be worried about. “I’m certain of it. You yourself said he wasn’t after revenge.”
Kendra nodded, apparently placated. “Still, I cannot believe you were injured. It sounds so romantic, being saved by the man you love.” She leaned against the rail that edged the path, her eyes lit with envy. “My life is so boring. What sort of adventures have you two been up to?”
So much had happened, Cait didn’t know where to begin. And she couldn’t bear retelling all the events that had brought her to respect and love Jason in such a short time. It hurt too much. “Your brother brought me from up north to here. A long, tiring journey. Things happened.”
“Things.” Kendra’s voice sounded speculative, but she let the matter drop. “At least tell me what you meant last night when you said you hadn’t cared properly for your cut. What could you have done that the doctor didn’t?”
“There are healing plants, but—”
“You’ve knowledge of healing?” When Cait nodded, Kendra looked excited. “Could you teach me, then? I visit the sick at Cainewood, but sometimes I don’t know what to do for them, and—”
“There’s a great deal to teach.” Cait reached to pluck a leaf off a low-hanging branch overhead. “You cannot learn it all in an afternoon.”
“When you come to live at Cainewood—”
“I don’t think that will be happening.” Walking again, she shredded the leaf and avoided her friend’s eyes. “Your brother doesn’t love me, Kendra. Or at least not enough. I’m naught but an annoyance to him.”
She knew that wasn’t precisely true, but she didn’t know how to put it. She only knew that if Jason wanted her, he would have been with her this morning as he’d promised.
A Chase promise is not given lightly. If he’d ever considered marrying her, he must have had second thoughts. Now, even should he return and ask for her hand, she couldn’t say aye. Not knowing he’d had such doubts.
She knew he felt guilty over their improper behavior, but she wouldn’t marry him just to ease his shame. For her, it was all or nothing. A half-commitment would never do.
It was a gray day, to match her mood, even darker along the paths where the trees met overhead and cast their shadows. She walked beside Kendra, listening to her own thoughts and snatches of conversation from passersby. When they scooted to the side to let a wizened old vendor pass with his barrow, he nodded to them and recited a little verse.
Buy marking stones, marking stones buy,
Much profit in their use doth lie;
I’ve marking stones of color red,
Passing good, or else black lead.
“Thank you, no.” Kendra smiled, and the aged peddler went on. “Marking stones,” she mused. “That man will be scrambling for business soon, if Jason has his way.”
“Aye?” Caithren could barely muster interest, but she’d not be rude.
“He’s set some cottagers at Cainewood to making pencils from the graphite mined on the property.”
“What’s a pencil?”
“A long strip of graphite encased in wood. You write with it, like a quill, but you don’t have to dip it. You just sharpen it, instead. Jason heard they were being
