James’s voice cut through the haze of his thoughts. “What’s your plan now, Enoch? Will you marry her as Father asked?”
The question hung heavy, suffocating.
Marry.
Maybe that was his duty. Marry her in William’s place, give her a home, a name. It was the honorable thing, especially withher injured and stranded so far from her home. Would she want to live in England? Will must have told her he and his new wife would be moving there.
The thought of tying himself to a stranger, of risking his heart again, made his skin crawl. He didn’t want this.
Maybe marrying her didn’t have to mean love. Maybe it could just be a roof over her head, a name to keep her safe. A partnership. The idea felt thin, brittle even, but it was something he could hold onto.
Except….he had to produce an heir. A son to carry on the title. His father wouldn’t rest until Enoch accomplished his duty. Could he keep his heart out of fathering a child?
James still waited for an answer, so he forced the words out. “I’ll talk to her when she’s stronger. I’ll see if she wants to stay. To…marry me, since William can’t.”
Thomas leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. “And if she says no?”
Enoch stared past him, out the window, where the last streaks of daylight bled into the mountains. “Then I’ll get her back to Savannah. Or wherever she wants to go. She won’t be left with nothing.”
The table went quiet, the clink of forks the only sound. He felt their eyes on him—Robert’s steady gaze, James’s skepticism, Thomas’s smirk, Heidi’s gentle pity. Even Two Stones’s perceptive stare.
Not only would he have to eventually leave this home he loved and go to England—the land he hadn’t seen since he was six years old—now he would have to take a wife.
Duty had him cornered, and there was no running from it. Not this time.
The remainder of dinner blurred past, the talk turning to safer things—the cattle, the weather, Two Stones’s plans for the winter.
When the meal ended and the others drifted off—Two Stones and Heidi upstairs, his brothers to their chores—Enoch stepped outside. The night air hit him like a slap—chilly, cutting through the fog in his head.
He tilted his face to the sky, where stars burned bright and indifferent, scattered across the expanse like spilled salt. They dwarfed him, made him feel small, a speck in a world too big to care about his struggles.
Was his father staring up at these same stars, somewhere across the Atlantic? That world had always seemed so far away. He barely had any memories of England. And yet he was expected to call it home.
These mountains were home. At least, he wanted them to be. If only what he wanted mattered in this situation.
Grant me peace, Lord. Help me find the right way forward in all this.
Back inside, he couldn’t stop himself from checking on her. William’s room glowed faintly, the lamp Mrs. Wang had left casting soft shadows across the walls. Their housekeeper must be in the kitchen. Or seeing to Heidi and Two Stones’s comfort.
Having guests was always a special treat for Mrs. Wang. So many people to dote on.
He stepped just inside the room where Mrs. Beaumont lay, the rug keeping his boots silent. The woman slept, her chest rising and falling, slow and even, her face peaceful in the flickering light. A bandage wrapped around her head, which hadn’t been there before. Was there bleeding that wouldn’t stop? Mrs. Wang was an excellent nurse, so she would have known all the steps to take.
The white cloth stood stark against the woman’s pale skin, a mark of how close she’d come to disaster. She looked fragile, too delicate for this land. But there was a peace in her stillness, a quiet resilience he couldn’t ignore.
He stepped closer, studying her. High cheekbones, a small nose, lips parted slightly in sleep—she was beautiful, no denying it. But beauty didn’t mean she’d survive here. What had driven her to answer William’s ad? What had she left behind in Savannah to chase a stranger’s promise? A spark of curiosity flickered in him, unbidden.
Unwanted.
He shouldn’t care, couldn’t let her in.
Her lashes fluttered, and he froze. If she woke, she would catch him staring.
She sighed, then shifted under the blankets. He eased out a breath and turned to the door.
Before slipping out, he glanced back for a final look.
Tomorrow, he’d tell her the truth, offer her his name, and let her choose. Ready or not, he’d step into the path ahead.
