Page 7 of A Lady of Means
“Your pendant is emblazoned with the letter ‘M,’ perhaps your name starts with the same letter?Or you’re wearing it for an old flame?”
“Can a lady not do both?”
He stared at her assessingly.“To be sure, but you could also be tricking me.And now I’m so intensely curious about this former flame.I must confess, I’m also rather…envious.”
He said the last word like he was casting a spell, and she felt like he already had, the moment she’d locked eyes with his dark ones.
“Make your guess, captain.”
“But there are no less than a hundred names that start with the letter M.You’d have to have chosen the one letter I could easily have gotten wrong.”He said with a provoking dimple.
She shrugged, “I did warn you.But I didn’t choose my name.My siblings and I are all alphabetical, starting with J.”
“Margaret,” he whispered.
Instantly, she let out a “Yes.”
At the same time, her maid called out: “Lady Moria, are you out here?”
She squinted and closed her eyes.
“Moria,” the man said her name against her lips like an incantation, like he conjured her up and brought her to life- or maybe, back to life?
“I’m Captain Devyn Winter.Now, go on before you’re missed.”
When the lady before him didn’t stir, didn’t move her lips farther away, his words were a tempestuous breath near her neck.“I wouldn’t dare leave without collecting my victory kiss.”
Moments later, Moria materialized from beneath the enveloping willow tree, her maid gasping from where she stood several paces away.
“My lady, you’re here.I was sent to fetch you for dinner, I was starting to worry.”
“I’m sorry, Ella.”
She wasn’t.
“It’s alright.I understand, my lady.”
“You…understand?”
“Sure.You were avoiding the others.Wanted a moment for yourself.Can’t say I blame ye, milady.”Ella gave her a conspiratorial smile.
“Ahh.Yes.You’ve found me out, Ella.Clever girl,” Lady Moria turned her full smile on Ella.
Ella stammered out: “Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me, my lady.”
“Then I am in your debt,” Moria said, giving the other girl’s arm an affectionate squeeze.
Before making her way inside, Moria looked over her shoulder, to see the pirate captain now talking to a group of soldiers.He looked up as though her gaze had compelled him.It took all the steely resolve and composure she had left within her to go inside.
* * *
When Moria was small,her mother was the first to rise.Moria would climb into her mother’s bed, or find her in the sun room with a large shawl that she would drape around Moria and pull her close inside the covering.The two of them would watch as the sun rose over their Surrey estate.
“Isn’t it a gift?We take for granted that every day starts just as glorious as the last, some even more than the one before.All while most of us are still abed.”
And then she would kiss the top of Moria’s head.
Now, when the sun rose, Moria rose anyway, but closed the curtains on the sunrise.She didn’t need more reminders of all that she had lost.
