Captain Ingram's Inheritance Read Online Free Page B

but he repeated that we must call on him if we find ourselves in difficulties.”
     “Never!”
     She clutched his hand. “No, never. But he has been a good friend to us,” she said pleadingly. He nodded, too full of her hurt to find words. Stooping she kissed his forehead. “Goodnight, my dear. Sleep well.”
     “Goodnight, Fanny.” He touched her cheek in a rare, tender gesture. With a dry, strangled sob, she tore her hand from his clasp and hurried out.
     He lay and swore silently all the foul oaths he could recall or invent. If it were not for his damnable weakness, he’d call Lord Roworth to account for this! Yet Roworth was not to blame. He had never made any secret of his intention to marry Lady Sophia.
     Fanny was quiet the next day, but as always covered her unhappiness with a mask of cheerfulness. In the afternoon, Frank was carried downstairs and walked out to the terrace to recline on a chaise longue in the sun. Fanny and Miriam sat on a bench nearby, with Miriam’s baby. Anita and Amos, black ringlets and red curls, played happily with sticks and stones on the steps down to the garden.
     Fanny looked up as the sound of footsteps came from the house. Frank saw her smile a subdued greeting, then saw her expression change to incredulity, hope, apprehension. Before he turned his head, he knew that Isaac had brought Roworth home with him.
     Then Miriam turned and at once demanded, “What is wrong?”
     Isaac went to take her hand. “Your father, my love. He has suffered some kind of seizure.”
     “Oh, poor Papa.” Her voice shook. “I must go at once. Can we leave this evening, Isaac?”
     “Of course, if you can be ready. I’ll send to the inn for fresh horses.”
     “Yes. There are a hundred things to be done before we can go.”
     Frank hardly listened. He was watching Roworth’s face, and Roworth was watching Fanny. Frank had seen admiration in those blue eyes before, had seen shared amusement, concern, even warmth. Now he saw a sort of surprised joy, a passionate hope, that looked to him like love.
     But Fanny’s attention was on Miriam, and it was no time for declarations. Miriam handed the baby to Fanny and stood up.
     “I’d be happy to take care of the children for you,” Fanny offered, disentangling her hair from the baby’s fist.
     Miriam turned to her. “Thank you, Fanny dear, but I shall take them with me. I cannot tell how long I shall be gone.” She glanced at Isaac, who nodded. “Fanny, Frank, we had not meant to speak so soon, but Isaac and I have decided we should very much like to adopt Anita.”
     “No!” cried Fanny instantly, horrified. “No, it is excessively generous of you, but I cannot give her up.”
     “It would make your lives much simpler,” Isaac pointed out in his sober way, “and I believe she would be happy here. Take some time to consider and talk it over.”
     “I don’t need to.” Fanny cast a look of frantic appeal at Frank.
     Isaac was right: their lives would be easier without Anita. Though Roworth was fond of the little girl, even if he truly loved Fanny, he might well balk at accepting a love-child into his family. If he did not his parents would, and Fanny had enough counts against her already. Rather than let Anita ruin his sister’s hope of happiness, Frank might find himself trying to bring up the child single-handed.
     Miriam and Isaac would give her a loving, stable home. Yet if Isaac had logic on his side, Fanny had sentiment on hers.
     Frank glanced at Anita, so busy with her sticks and stones and the fallen rose-petals she had collected. As if feeling his gaze, she looked up, beamed, and waved to him, then returned to her game. So many honorary uncles had come and gone in her short life. He and Fanny were her family.
     With a somewhat rueful grimace, Frank made up his mind. “It’s not that we don’t think she’d be happy, but her father was my friend and she’s been part of our family pretty much since she