Page 103 of Pride: The Rogue
He frowned at the scrap.
Livian needed new pencils. Why the hell hadn’t her sister or brother-in-law or anyone else, for that matter, gotten her new ones?
Annoyed with both the people in Livian’s life and himself for caring either way, Latimer hurriedly wrote.
He read through his words several times.
Where some had trouble saying goodbye or parting ways, Latimer hadn’t ever suffered from that weakness—for the simple fact, there’d never been anyone to say goodbye to.
Strange then, how he found himself suspended there, stealing one last look at Livian’s slumbering form.
Then, Latimer collected his things, quietly exited, and left Livian Lovelace.
Chapter 16
Outside the Duchess of Argyll’s front drive, Livian remained seated inside Verity and Malcom’s carriage, staring at the note in her hands.
Since discovering Lachlan’s short note, written in bold, confident slashes, she’d read it so many times she’d committed them to memory.
Livian,
Last night, I took care to see you aren’t left in a bad way, but there’s no guarantee you aren’t. On the chance you are, send word to me at the Albany.
Take care, darlin’.
Emotion wadded in her throat.
Take care?
Livian trembled.
How perfunctory.
How impersonal.
How cold and emotionless.
Why would you expect anything different?
He’d never professed more or proclaimed to feel anything for her.
That reminder did nothing to ease an ever-growing pain inside her chest.
PS I had one of my guards fetched. You won’t see him, but rest assured someone’s watching over you. You’ll be safe.
Someone watched over her.
Just not Lachlan.
Livian’s lower lip quivered, and she took it between her teeth to stop the shaking.
He’d cared enough to make sure Livian was protected; he just, hadn’t cared enough to do it himself.
She angrily wiped away several tears.
Why should he have, though? He’d worried after her in the same way he would any other woman; that’s just the manner of man Lachlan was, and also one of the reasons she’d fallen so hard and so fast for him.
Livian ran her fingertip along the endearment by which he’d referred to her—one of them.
