Alex’s smile faded. Tom had said there was nothing wrong with Neville’s mind, but his speech was another matter. He struggled with it, forming each word with visible difficulty. “Are you well?” he asked. “After the fall, I worried for you. I never stopped worrying.”

“It’s…difficult.” Neville’s brow creased. “Frustrating.”

Alex nodded his understanding. “No matter. The four of us could always read each other’s minds, couldn’t we?”

Neville huffed a short laugh. “Yes.”

The others came to join them. Laura was on Justin’s arm, as naturally as if they’d known each other a lifetime.

Alex reached for her. “Come, my love. I want to introduce you to my old friend, Neville Cross. Neville? This is my wife, Laura.”

Laura offered her hand. “Mr. Cross. I’m so pleased to meet you at last.”

Neville’s fingers briefly engulfed hers. “Mrs. Archer.”

“Do call me, Laura. I feel as if I already know you.” Her eyes smiled up at him. “Did you know Alex rescued me, too? I nearly drowned while swimming in the sea at Margate. He saved my life.”

“It’s how I persuaded her to marry me,” Alex said dryly. “A shameless ploy.”

Laura cast him a reproving glance. “My husband won’t permit me to sing his praises.”

“You can be no worse than Tom’s wife,” Justin replied. “Always telling us how brilliant he is.”

Tom gave a rueful grimace. “I’m never going to live that down, am I?”

“Laura.” Neville’s blush deepened. “You’re not afraid of dogs, are you?”

“I love them. And cats, too. Do you have any at the Abbey?”

“Not cats. We have two dogs. Paul and Jonesy.”

“The hounds of hell,” Tom said under his breath.

Justin laughed. “They only look that way if some villain is trying to creep onto the property. Speaking of which…” He cast a pointed look at the driving rain. “We’d better hurry before the road to the Abbey washes out.”

Alex waited with Laura on the platform while Justin went to summon his coachman to bring the carriage round. Tom and Neville followed to see to the loading of their bags.

“No need for us all to get wet,” Tom said.

Laura watched them go.

Alex slid his hand around her waist, drawing her close against him. “You were wrong, you know.”

She looked up at him, startled. “Was I? About what?”

“You said I rescued you. That I saved your life.”

Her brows knit. “But…you did.”

“No,” Alex said. “It was you who saved me.”

“Oh.” Her mouth trembled. “What a lovely thing to say.”

“I mean it. I don’t know where I’d be if I hadn’t blundered into that clearing in the woods and seen you floating in Talbot’s Pond.”

“You said I looked like a demented Ophelia.”