Lady in the Mist - Laurie Alice Eakes [19]
Like trust him to be faithful more than she did anyone, including God.
Patience set down the knife with a clatter. “You got to trust someone if you want a family, child.”
“It won’t be Raleigh, not for a long time.”
“You’re sure of that?”
Tabitha nodded. “I’m sure.”
Because, as she returned her attention to the punctures on her palm, she couldn’t hold Raleigh’s face in her mind’s eye, though he had left her house less than an hour earlier. She saw dark eyes surrounded by powdered waves and a cocky grin.
And that frightened her more than the idea of giving her heart back to Raleigh Trower.
6
______
Blood spurted. He gasped and dropped his utensils with a clatter.
“My apologies,” he managed with all the stoical training life with his father had taught him. He grabbed a serviette from the sideboard, wrapped it around his hand, and exited the now silent dining room with his back straight and head up.
In the kitchen, he collapsed onto a chair and fought a wave of nausea. “I’d be better at farming than butling.”
“Mercy.” Letty dropped her stirring spoon. “What have you done?”
“Added a bit of my claret to your fine roast.” Dominick grimaced. “And possibly ruined everyone’s appetites.”
“Let me see.” Letty took his hand in both of hers and unwound the cloth.
Blood welled from the gash.
“That’s a bad one, not big, but deep.” She pressed the serviette to the cut again. “Deborah, remove the roast. They’ll have to do with just the fish. Dinah, run for Miss Eckles.”
“Miss Eckles indeed.” Dominick lowered his head to his uninjured hand and started to laugh.
“He’s gone all over funny,” Deborah cried. “Should we make him lie down or something?”
“I’m all right.” Dominick forced himself to be quiet.
He could never explain to the girl how hard he’d been trying to see Miss Eckles, how he’d joked with himself about breaking a leg or catching a fever. He should have simply cut himself earlier and been done with the matter.
“I doubt Miss Eckles will want her Sunday dinner interrupted.” He smelled blood, not Letty’s excellent cooking. His stomach churned.
At least this time the blood belonged to him and not some misguided defender of the guilty.
“Your roast is too tender, Letty,” he said to keep his mind off his throbbing and bleeding hand. “I cut it too hard like the ham.”
“You weren’t distracted by Mrs. Lee?” Deborah tossed over her shoulder as she snatched up the fish platter and headed for the dining room.
The aroma of shrimp stuffed with crab meat wafted past Dominick’s nose. His nostrils flared, and his stomach came close to rebelling. “She’s one to talk,” he grumbled.
“You’re not flattered?” Letty brought a clean serviette to wrap around his hand.
“Of course I’m flattered.” Dominick managed a smile. “I’m human. But I am not in America to commence a liaison with an inappropriate female.”
Except he was a liar. Of course he would start a liaison with an inappropriate female if it served his end.
“And what sort of female would be appropriate?” Letty held his gaze for a moment, then left him to draw a pie from the oven.
Dominick welcomed the distraction from his throbbing hand, if not the topic.
“‘Appropriate’ would be my social equal, of course.” He injected as much flippancy as he could into his tone.
Letty snorted. “Haven’t you worked it out yet, laddie? Deborah and Dinah are your social equals here.”
“But I won’t be here—” He broke off. He didn’t know how long he would be there. Not permanently, that was for certain, and he wouldn’t take an American-born lady back to England with him, even if he had to serve out his four years. He’d already dishonored his family enough.
“Kendall’s likely to send me to a plantation to weed tobacco, or whatever the crop is,” Dominick finished. “I’ve just made amok of his precious dinner with a concession to the Lee family, whoever they are.”
“Never you mind about that.” Letty returned with a cloth soaked in cold water. “This might help. And about Mrs. Downing, she doesn’t care about her family connections. She