“I don’t need a doctor.” Always stubborn, even when she had agony scrawled across her face. “Just take me home. Mam can tend me.”

“You want to worry your parents? Tell them all this? At this time of night?”

Her face screwed up even more. “All right. The doctor then.”

“And afterward, bring her to my house.” Oliver couldn’t argue with the logic of not setting the Moons to worrying, especially since the plan had been for Mabena and Libby to stay at his house tonight anyway, given the evening’s outing. Though they’d told her parents they were merely going to enjoy a night of games and stargazing. Something they’d done countless times over the years.

Casek, of course, snorted. “Right. Can’t trust me with her.”

“Well, you’re certainly not taking her to your flat.”

Wearne rolled his eyes. Probably. Though he’d turned away, so Oliver couldn’t see him. “I don’t recall saying I meant to.”

Mabena moaned. Or muttered something. Possibly a plea for them to stop, though he couldn’t be sure, given the way the wind garbled it. Either way, Casek’s long legs started eating up the track without a pause for another exchange, and Libby drifted to Oliver’s side.

They both watched them disappear beyond the rise before saying anything more. And then it wasn’t a word but a touch that had him sighing out the anxiety of the night—Libby’s hand on his arm, sliding down to his wrist. Taking his hand, the one not tangled up with incriminating silk.

He wove their fingers together. Foolish, no doubt. But he needed the touch, and he suspected she did too.

“Why do you dislike him so much?”

He hadn’t been sure whether she’d ask about that or Beth or all that transpired in the cave. But this was by far the easiest to answer. “Because he dislikes me.”

“And why does he dislike you?”

He sighed, shrugged. “He always has. The Wearnes and the Tremaynes have never been what one would call friendly.”

“Because . . . ?”

“Because . . .” He frowned into the night. And wondered where the stranger was. Deeper in the caves, looking for another way out? Or sneaking out behind them even now? He cast a glance over his shoulder and tugged Libby into a walk. “Because we have holdings on the mainland, I suppose. No one here owns any property. The Wearnes always said we lord it over the rest of them. That we only stay here so we can feel superior to someone, since we haven’t enough to do that on the mainland.”

“That’s ridiculous, from what I’ve seen.”

“Exactly! We’re here because we love it here. That’s all.”