to accompany me. She may even now be rubbing her hands together in glee, believing some great bear has already eaten me, or something.â
âThere are no bears in England, Alina. At least not of the four-legged variety. I was told your mother was English, but I hadnât given that fact very much thought. Whatâs your family name?â
âYouâll allow me to go see them?â
Justin shrugged. âI see no reason not to, do you?â
âNo, I donât. But Luka told me that English husbands are very strict, and that I will not be allowed to walk out alone, most especially in London, and that, as a wife, I will no longer have a mind of my own, but only my husbandâs will and permission.â
He sat down on the edge of the bed, which for some unknown reason suddenly seemed quite a natural thing for him to do. âGodâs teeth! No wonder you donât like me. He told you all of that? Did he tell you that we lock wives in the cellars if they dare todisobey, and keep them there on a diet of stale bread and ditch water for a month?â
Alinaâs eyes widened at this, but then she noticed the tiniest bit of crinkling around the outside of Justinâs eyes. âYou said that you and he had a long talk this evening. Did he tell you that Iâm a very good shot and that I have a very bad temper?â
âHe said you are prone to do whatever people tell you not to do. He didnât mention any proficiency with firearms.â
âOh. Then perhaps I shouldnât have mentioned it, either. And not just with firearms. I am also extremely proficient at archery, and I know how to throw a knife so that it actually sticks in whatever it hits. That isnât easy, you know, getting the handle not to hit first.â
âNow Iâm intrigued,â Justin said, and she believed him, because he was looking at her with some interest. âMany Englishwomen are proficient at archery. Some enjoy shooting, although not many. But I donât believe Iâve ever met a female who knows how to throw a knife without the handle hitting the target first. Why would you want to learn such a thing?â
Alina lowered her eyes for a moment, and then looked at him again. âYour English ladies were safe here, on your island, while Bonaparte seemed to go where he willed all across Europe. My father said that when the fox threatens the chicken house, even the hens must know how to defend themselves.â
âLuka told me your father died at Waterloo. Iâm sorry.â
âSo am I,â Alina said, sighing. âBut he didnât mean to die. If he did, he wouldnât have left me with Aunt Mimi. He would have been certain to leave instructions that I be sent to England, Iâm sure of it. But Luka isnât so sure, as Papa never said anything to him.â
âAh, yes, your motherâs family.â
âMy family,â she clarified. She hadnât really thought seriously about her motherâs family, not until her father was gone, but sheâd daydreamed about how they would be. How theyâd love her. âThey live in Kent. I looked at a map, and it isnât all that far away from London. Itâs all down here the way Portsmouth is, at the fat end of the island, and not up near Scotland.â
âYes, I am familiar with Kent. My own estate is located in Hampshire, also in theâ¦fat part of the island. Whatâs your motherâs family name?â
âFarber,â Alina told him proudly. âMy mother was Lady Anne Louise Farber, daughter of the Earl ofââ
âBirling. Yes, I know the family title.â
She watched as Justin stood once more, his handsome features suddenly cold, hard. She sat up straighter, sensing that the ease theyâd seemed to have found with each other these past minutes was just that, a thing of the past. âWhatâs wrong?â
His expression softened, but only with some