“You were up early,” she said with a lift of her chin, waiting for him to explain himself.
“I went riding with Emma,” he told her bluntly. “She wanted to show me the wild horses before I left.”
“How nice for you.” Abigail’s tone was vindictive. It was clear she wanted to punish him.
Suddenly he felt fatigued, weary of her constant need to know his whereabouts, as if she owned some part of him or as if he owed her something for her care of him—tending to his injuries, cooking for him, anticipating his every need. He hadn’t asked for such devoted attention, but now it seemed she expected some form of fidelity in return.
He fought to conceal his annoyance because he’d appreciated her nursing skills and hospitality. Truly, he did. “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting at breakfast.”
“No, I saw that you’d gone out,” she replied, “so I cooked only enough for myself. But I suppose you’re hungry now.” There it was again—the spite and malice, as if she wanted to pick a fight and she was waiting for him to punch back.
“No need to trouble yourself,” he replied courteously. “I’ll just make a cup of tea.”
His politeness knocked her down a notch, and she rose from her chair and followed him into the house, hovering. “Don’t be silly. I’ll get it for you, and maybe there’s some porridge left over on the stove.”
They entered the kitchen, and she set the kettle to boil while Oliver served himself some cold porridge from the pot. When the tea was adequately steeped, Abigail poured a cup for each of them and sat across from him at the table.
“You’re leaving tomorrow,” she said.
“Yes.”
When he offered nothing more, she cleared her throat. “I can’t believe how fast the time went.”
“I agree.” He thought of the night of the wreck. The terror, the deadly threat of the violent breakers, the loss of a member of his crew, which still pained him. “Life on theBelvedereis still very fresh in my mind.”
“Are you worried about what will happen when you reach the mainland?” she asked. “That you’ll be blamed for it?”
“That’s quite likely.”
Abigail leaned back in her chair. “As far as I’m concerned, you were a hero that night. You refused to abandon your ship, which was the honorable thing to do.”
He stared at her, dumbfounded. “There was nothing honorable about it. Because of me, your crew was forced to make a second trip out to fetch me. Others could have died.”
She studied him with what appeared to be enthrallment. “Whydidyou stay behind?”
Oliver’s brow furrowed. There was something malicious in the set of her jaw, the dark glimmer in her eyes. It struck him as a hunger for confessions of misery and lost hope, perhaps even self-destruction, but not because she wanted to relieve his suffering. To the contrary, she wanted to bask in it. To share in it. Witness it for herself.
“Does it have something to do with your shame?” she asked, pressing further.
“Shame over what?” Oliver was growing increasingly infuriated.
“Over abandoning your wife and children,” she replied.
She might as well have hit him in the head with a steel mallet. She was taking far too much pleasure in this. It was perverse, and he could no longer tolerate it.
“Abigail,” he firmly said. “This isn’t something I wish to discuss with you.”
“Why not? Wait, let me guess. You’ve already discussed it with Emma when she asked you the same question.”
He refused to answer. He merely sipped his tea.
Abigail scoffed. “Everyone’s talking about it, you know. The time you’ve been spending with her. It’s disgusting, if you ask me. You’re a married man, and she’s far too young for you. You’re making a fool of yourself, Captain Harris, and you’ll spoil her chances for a decent future if you’ve already ruined her.”
He set his teacup onto the saucer with a noisy clatter. “What do you mean, ruined her?”
Abigail sat forward, looking like a hissing cat. “Oh please. No one believes you’re just friends. And her father—God help that idiotic man if he thinks he can keep her in a cage. She’s wild, but he can’t see it. He’s blind as a bat.”
Oliver slid the teacup and saucer away from him and stood. “That’s enough, Abigail.”
