Chapters (76)
- Title Page
- Copyright Notice
- Dedication
- PROLOGUE
- PART I
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- PART II
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- PART III
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- INTERLUDE
- PART IV
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- INTERLUDE
- PART V
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- PART VI
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- INTERLUDE
- PART VII
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- FORTY-EIGHT
- FORTY-NINE
- FIFTY
- FIFTY-ONE
- FIFTY-TWO
- PART VIII
- FIFTY-THREE
- FIFTY-FOUR
- FIFTY-FIVE
- FIFTY-SIX
- EPILOGUE
- AUTHOR’S NOTE
- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
- ABOUT THE AUTHOR
- Newsletter Sign-up
“Please, don’t repeat anything I said,” she added hastily. Within only a few minutes of seeing him, she had said too much. That was a lesson in trust she should have learned months ago. It was too easy to fall into old traps, of sharing everything with William. Only to be disappointed, she reminded herself.
“Arable, I promise you, anything you want to say is safe with me.”
She had to laugh at this, sadly, and he could sense the weight it carried. With some difficulty, “You shouldn’t make me promises, William. The last promise you made was that you’d come back.” She laughed at this, too, because in retrospect it was hilarious. Hilarious that she thought it would end any other way.
“I did come back.” William was quiet, almost ashamed. He reached out to touch her shoulder, but she moved away. “I’m here now.”
“Yes, well…”
“And I have to go.”
“You do.”
“I’m sorry.”
“There’s food for you.”
“I’ll see you again.”
“Don’t say that.”
William reached out and touched the back of his hand to Arable’s cheek, but she didn’t recoil this time. “I promise.” She reached up and held her own hand on his, and his wet eyes reflected the sun’s brilliance. “I can’t believe you’re here.”
She closed her eyes and he disappeared, but she held onto that. She did not want to dare hope, for she had learned long ago how useless a hobby that was. But just a sliver, she thought, just a sliver of hope might go a long way.
For a moment, her own problems seemed a thousand years ago. But once William’s mission was complete, he’d leave. Everyone only cares about their own world, that’s just the way it works.
She wondered if she ought to take this as some sort of a sign, proof that there was nothing for her in Nottingham. If she truly had a family member living in France now, she could only hope to find them by going there. It was only fear that kept her from trying, which meant that she’d always be living in fear. Once William returned to the war, it would be her turn to leave as well.
Arable slid into the back of the stables to compose herself, but was startled by a movement behind her. William had returned, she wiped at her eyes.
But before she could look she was jolted sideways, a rough hand was over her mouth. She tasted the salty sweat of a man’s skin, blocking her air, pushing her down.