Free Song From the Sea by Katherine Kingsley Page A

Magnus sitting by the window, her hair washed and simply arranged, the sun shining on it so that it appeared the color of spun moonlight. A faint pink tinge colored her pale cheeks, her skin as delicate as porcelain. He hadn't realized until that moment that she was so lovely. He supposed he hadn't expected to see her looking so—so normal. She'd almost behaved in a normal fashion as well. Almost. He still couldn't believe that she'd dismissed him so completely. He was not accustomed to being dismissed, and the feeling didn't sit comfortably.
    “I think you were very good to have offered your help,” Nigel said. “I cannot think of any rule that mandates she accept it, though.”
    “The rule of common sense, which is a quality entirely lacking in Miss Magnus,” Adam retorted. “I refuse to let her march out of this house into a life which would make anyone miserable when I can do something about it.” He urged his gelding into a trot and Nigel did the same.
    “I don't think you have any choice, Adam. She's not your ward. You have no legal say over what she decides to do, as admirable as your concern is.” Nigel hesitated for a moment. “Tell me, what has changed your mind? Yesterday you were in a hurry to be rid of her.”
    Adam didn't have a good answer. He didn't really know himself. Mulling the question over, he decided that his reason had something to do with not leaving any unfinished business behind when he went, but he couldn't tell Nigel that. “I thought about what you said,” he eventually replied. “I went to all that trouble to rescue her, so I might as well go to the trouble of seeing her safely settled. She doesn't know the first thing about life in England, how things are done here. She has some featherbrained notion that life as a lady's companion will give her independence.
    I tried to explain the reality of the situation, but did she listen? Of course she didn't.”
    Scanning the upcoming bridge with a practiced eye, he decided the damage wasn't as bad as he'd feared, and that came as a relief. Two trees had come down and some cleaning up would be required to remove the mud and debris. Miss Magnus's affairs were not going to be so easy to sort out. “I don't know, Nigel. I still think she's hiding something, but for the life of me, I can't think what it is. I intend to get to the bottom of the mystery, though.”
    “All in good time,” Nigel said. “As I said, you must gain her trust. She has no one else now but you to depend on, and from what you said, she's not the sort of woman who falls apart at the drop of a hat. If you're right about her hiding something, she must have good reason for keeping her own counsel.” He pulled his horse to a halt and surveyed the bridge. “Not so bad. The foundation will need some shoring up, but all in all I'd say we were lucky. It's a shame, though. I'm always sorry when we lose elms. They're such a noble tree.”
    “I begin to believe that you're a sentimentalist,” Adam said, dismounting and slogging his way through the mud. “Have Kettridge organize a team to clear this mess away and tell him in future not to be such an alarmist. I want to get back to the house and change my clothes. Dr. Hadley is due soon and I'd like to have a word with him.” He looked down at his soggy boots with a grimace. “Plimpton will not be happy with what I've done to his precious leather, but that's the least of my worries.”
    “I agree,” Nigel said in an enigmatic fashion. “You have many other matters to contend with. The foundation will hold, Adam. The foundation will hold.”
    “Where
can
that girl be, Harold? It's been a full week now and still not a word from her!” Mildred Carlyle, who preferred even her closest friends to address her as Lady Geoffrey, glared at her son as if he was supposed to produce Callista Melbourne like a rabbit out of a hat.
    “I have no idea, Mama,” he said, fed up with the entire subject. His mother had been harping