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‘If I thought you’d meant any of that, I’d shove you in right now.’
Anna found Samuel standing by the side of the river, his back towards her as he hurled stones into the water.
‘What makes you so sure that I didn’t?’ He didn’t turn around, only pulling his arm back for another throw.
‘Because you’re an honourable man and Clarissa wants to stay here. It’s her home.’
‘Not any more. Legally it hasn’t been her home since her husband died. It was my inheritance and I don’t give a damn what she wants.’ He flung a stone so far down the river that she could barely see the splash. ‘She ought to be grateful I’m not summoning the magistrate.’
‘She knows she acted badly.’
‘Badly?’ He spun around finally, his face blazing with anger. ‘Is that all you can say? You know how miserable I’ve been waiting to find out what my future would be. I’ve spent five months on shore twiddling my thumbs!’
‘I know, but she’s been miserable, too, and she’ll be even more miserable if you force her to leave.’
‘I’m sure she has family she can go to.’
‘A family who call her a failure.’
His expression relented slightly. ‘What do you mean?’
‘Because she never provided her husband with an heir. They’ve made her feel like a disappointment so much that she’s afraid to go back to them. I think a lot of her anger has been about that, not you.’
‘That doesn’t make it all right.’
‘No, but think how much worse they’ll treat her if she goes home and admits the truth.’ Anna took a step closer. ‘I’m not defending what she’s done, but there are reasons. I think she was desperate after the funeral and didn’t really know what she was doing. Then she didn’t know how to stop it.’
‘None of which is my concern.’ His jaw clenched again. ‘Whose side are you on?’
‘It’s not a question of sides.’
‘But you think I ought to just forgive and forget? I put my life on hold for months and she was lying the whole time!’
‘I know.’
‘All to stop me from inheriting! Because she thought I was the same as my father, just like...’ He stopped, a pained expression passing over his face.
‘Samuel?’ Something about that expression made her want to wrap her arms around him.
‘Like all the rest of my family,’ he finished saying, twisting his face to one side.
‘She thought she was fulfilling her husband’s wishes, but she’s sorry for it now.’
‘She even convinced her servants to keep secrets from me.’
‘Yes.’
His shoulders slumped as the anger drained from his face suddenly. ‘And sending them away won’t make me feel any better, will it?’
‘No. Or her. She’s spent the last few months feeling angry and bitter and scared. Now she needs time to grieve properly.’
‘All right. Tell her she can do whatever she wants.’ He let out a heavy sigh. ‘You know, I never really let myself believe it would actually happen. I kept telling myself that she’d have a son, that it wouldn’t be long until I’d be free, but there’s no escaping all this now, is there? I don’t have a choice.’
‘No.’ She reached a hand up to his face, turning it gently back towards her. ‘But you’re not the man your family thought you were. You’re better than them.’
He tipped his cheek into her palm, closing his eyes for a moment before opening them again with a look of determination. ‘Then I’ll do my duty. I’ll do it properly and prove them all wrong, be the Earl my father could never have been. I’ll find a way to belong at Staunton, too.’
‘I know you will.’
