The Dark Lady Read Online Free PDF Page B

After all, that’s what husbands and wives did. Or, at least, that was what his mama had said.
    “You must be bored witless. Standing here talking to a girl. I’ve been waiting ages for a mate. So let’s go fishing.”
    Ian shifted on his feet. Fishing? He’d dearly love to go. He glanced at Eva. “Can she come?”
    Hamilton scowled. “Eva? She’s a girl.”
    Ian drew himself up and said, “She’s my friend.”
    Hamilton threw up his hands. “Oh, all right.” Then he pointed at Eva. “Don’t get in the way.”
    “Of course I shan’t. I’m quite good with worms.”
    Ian laughed. Something caught his attention and he looked up, spotting a small sandy-haired boy peering down at them from the landing. “Who is that?”
    Hamilton glanced up, then shrugged. “That’s just Thomas.”
    “Does he want to come?”
    Hamilton hesitated, then called up, “Would you like to come, Thomas?”
    The boy jerked back from the stairs and ran down the hall.
    Ian listened to the retreating steps, a funny feeling wobbling down his spine. There was something strange about the sandy-haired boy.
    “Here, now.” Hamilton’s face grew serious, drawing Ian’s focus as he crossed the short space between them. Hamilton placed his hand on Ian’s shoulder. “You’ve had a bad time of it, but Eva and I will sort you out. Just you wait and see.”
    Then, without another word about it, Hamilton marched off, waving his hand for them to follow.
    Eva scooted up to Ian and whispered. “You can have Magilicutty sometimes, if you want. No one needs to know. He’s a very good dog.”
    “Thank you,” he whispered back, his heart lighter than it had been since a very horrible day in a very horrible cemetery.
    England
The Present
    Someone had come for her.
    Ian. Ian had come for her.
    The black room wrapped her up in its crushing embrace as she allowed her gaze to adjust to the shapes and shadows. But this night she clung to a sliver of hope. More than half of her was certain her medicine had made her believe Ian had come.
    Yet it couldn’t be her imaginings. For he had not been the Ian of her childhood. The Ian she had once loved. The Ian who had told her he wasn’t coming back. Nor was it the Ian who had stood pale and distant on her wedding day, promising that he would bring Hamilton back.
    No, this Ian’s face was lined with hardship. With pain. And his body . . . he was so large and strong. He couldbreak her in a moment, but he had held her so gently. As if he knew that she might run at the first touch.
    He had come back. Against all hope, he’d come back to her. But now it was too late.
    “Who was it?” Mary’s innocently rich voice penetrated the dark.
    “Pardon?”
    “It was all over the yard.” Mary shifted on the bed, rolling onto her side. “Beth saw a man enter the house. You saw him. Didn’t you?”
    Eva swallowed. She was afraid to speak of it aloud. If she spoke of it, it might make it not true. At last she confessed softly, “Yes.”
    “What did he want? Did he hurt you?”
    “No.” He had touched her with such kindness. Then again, he couldn’t possibly know why she was here. He could not know that she alone was responsible for . . . She shook her head furiously, fighting back the memories.
    No. If he had, he would have hurled her to the ground. And left her here.
    Instead, he’d promised to take her from this place.
    For the first time in years, her heart swelled with something besides dread. His eyes had been so green. The green of limes and malachite.
    “You’re going to leave me, aren’t you?” Mary’s voice was dead.
    Eva closed her eyes, the pain licking back into her heart. “I don’t ever want to leave you.”
    “But you will,” Mary said flatly as she rolled onto her back. “I am glad of it.”
    Tears stung Eva’s eyes. The thought of leaving her only friend penetrated the haze that drifted about her. “Oh, Mary. I’ll find you. I’ll—”
    “Shh!”
    The
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