“You’ve pegged the predicament exactly.”
“So you—being the loyal sibling you are—stepped forward and took the blame.”
If there had been a lamp lit, his cheeks would have been flushed with chagrin. “Yes. Was I an idiot?”
“Absolutely. What became of your brother?”
“He’s still in the navy, but I beat him bloody for being so gullible and running with a bad crowd. He mostly behaves himself now.”
“You beat him bloody?”
“He’s incredibly stubborn. It requires quite a bit of persuasion to make him listen.”
She chuckled. “I can’t ever decide if you’re being truthful or not.”
“He’ll be here tomorrow. Or I suppose it’s today, isn’t it? You’ll see what he’s like, and you can ask him how I handled it. He’ll tell you.”
“Do you miss the navy?”
“Every minute that ticks by.”
“I’m sorry to hear it. I really am.”
“I used to imagine I’d draw my last breath on a navy ship. I was that devoted, so it was hard to walk away. I think I’m bitter.”
“Of course you are.”
She sensed it was a stunning admission for him and that he was a proud man. She wondered if he’d ever shared the details about the fiasco with anyone but her. She told herself he hadn’t, that the room and the dark and the quiet were fostering confidences.
Without pondering whether she should or not, she reached out and patted his wrist, anxious to comfort him in some small way, and he surprised her by linking their fingers as if they were adolescents who were courting.
“Was it difficult growing up here?” he asked.
“It was very difficult. My grandfather raised me, and he wasn’t the kindest person.”
“What happened to your parents?”
“They died when I was little.” She didn’t explain how they died: during a violent storm in the Caribbean. It spurred too many questions she’d learned not to answer. “He had to take custody of me, but he didn’t want custody. He wasn’t a father figure by any means, but I get along with my uncle. It’s been much easier since he became head of the family.”
“And he found you a husband. Let’s not forget that grand gesture.”
“That he did, and don’t you dare denigrate either my uncle or my future spouse. I’m fortunate to be marrying, and I won’t have you making me second-guess.”
“Are you second-guessing? Am I having that much of an effect on you?”
“No!” she hastily said. “You’re a contrarian who likes to stir mischief. I won’t allow you to stir any with me.”
“Well, then, I won’t even try.”
He gazed down at her, his blue eyes studying her with an intensity that was astonishing. How had she survived for twenty-four years without being stared at like that? How would she live without it after he left?
Of a certainty, Gregory never looked at her so fondly. He barely noticed her, and when he deigned to pay her some attention, he treated her just as he treated his sister, Janet.
Caroline had always believed she didn’t mind his lack of strong regard, but should she have searched for a husband who adored her? Should she have demanded a spouse who might have delivered a love match?
She’d presumed those sorts of relationships only occurred in stage plays and romantic sonnets. Was amour real? Could a girl marry the perfect man?
The notion that she was contemplating such an unusual conclusion was alarming, and it underscored how reckless she was being by tarrying with him. What good could come from his fomenting so much yearning? It would simply lead to frustration in the end.
Yet even as she reflected on those issues, he was still holding her hand, and she hadn’t pulled away.
“Do you ever wish you had a different life?” he asked. “Do you ever wish you could pack a bag and head out into the world?”
“I wish it all the time.”
“If you could leave and go anywhere, where would it be?”
“I’d pick a tropical island in the Caribbean.” She frequently dreamed about her deserted island. Was there a way to discover its location? If she had a ship to command, could she sail it into that pretty bay?
“A tropical island?” he said. “How exotic of you.”
“I read a book once, where the author described the beautiful turquoise color of the water. I’d like to see it for myself.”
“I have seen it, and it’s spectacular.”
“You’ve been there?” Her voice dripped with envy.
“I was in the navy, remember? I was stationed in the Caribbean for years.”
“You men are so lucky. You can travel around the globe and have adventures. We women have to sit at home and knit by the fire.”
“Are you filled with wanderlust?”
“I am, and what about you? Are you still brimming with wanderlust or did it vanish after you were forced out of the navy?”
“It never completely vanishes.”
“If you could go anywhere, where would it be?”
“I’d probably return to the Caribbean. I was born in Jamaica.”
“You were not!”
“I was.”
The news made them seem even closer. She felt such a connection to Jamaica and the Caribbean. It was a spot that haunted her, and he was born there! Fate must have brought them together.
“I lived there until I was ten,” he said.
“What happened then?” she asked.
“My mother died, and my father had already passed away. Our vicar sent us to our British relatives.”
“Then at the first opportunity, you joined the navy and went back.”
“Yes, but I’m trapped in London now, and I can’t escape. I’m earning so much money all of a sudden, and my brother, Blake, has been stationed here. I couldn’t abandon him. Plus, my dear friend, Sybil, is here too. She helps me run my business.”
Caroline suffered an odd spurt of jealousy. “Who is Sybil? Is she a sweetheart?”
“No, she was my mother’s maid when Blake and I were boys. She accompanied us to England to ensure we arrived safe and sound, then she stayed on and acted as our champion.”
“Why did you need a champion?”
“We weren’t exactly welcomed by my father’s kin.” She must have looked as if she’d pry
