The summer he was twelve and she was eight, they had spent the night in a little playhouse in the woods that Lottie called her “fairy cottage.” They ate tinned food and slept side by side in two camp beds pretending they were American pioneers. It was entirely innocent, but when the gamekeeper discovered them the following morning, Alec was sent to Sir Alfred’s study, where he was promptly caned without any preamble. Alec made no protest and shed no tears, but he did not forget his guardian’s parting words: I’m a patient man, Alec. But you need to learn your place. And it is not with her. He was then sent back to school even though term wouldn’t start for another month.

When he returned for Christmas, Lottie nearly made herself sick from crying so hard. She didn’t stop until Alec hid them behind a curtain in the library and pulled her onto his lap.

After a time, she calmed down enough to speak: “Promise me you won’t go away ever again,” she sniffled into his shirt. “Promise you won’t leave me.”

“Not if I can help it,” he vowed, full of the kind of righteous anger only the very young can muster.

But there was nothing he could do then. Neither of them was in control of their lives. And Alec could not afford to anger his guardian any further. He knew very well there was nowhere else for him to go. After that, Alec always made sure to keep a proper distance between himself and Lottie, especially in Sir Alfred’s presence. When she grew a little older, she understood and reciprocated. They were still friends, of course, but an invisible wall grew between them. It wasn’t until the night of her ball that he dared to hold her so close once again.

Lottie still stared at him, awaiting his answer. “We were children,” he growled.

And that was all he intended to say on the subject.

Before she could make one of her snippy replies, Alec turned away and pretended to look for his coat. “There are a few more things I need to do this evening. Get some rest. I’ll be fine.”

“But—”

“And I want to check on Lorenzo. Make sure he’s settled.”

There. She wouldn’t argue with that.

The rest of his plan involved staying the hell out of this room until she was fast asleep. Alec pulled on his coat and headed for the door. Her expression had softened into something resembling acceptance. “All right.” But just before she turned back to her book, disappointment flickered in her eyes. Alec’s fingers slipped against the doorknob before he resumed his iron grip. So be it. Let her be disappointed by him. She should be used to it by now.

“Don’t wait up for me,” he said as he flung open the door and stamped out of the room.

Chapter Nine