Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16

Sleep evaded Evangeline for much of the night. Being as bold and foolish as he was, she half expected Basil to come knocking on her door demanding an explanation she could not give. Thankfully, Georgie was already asleep when she returned to the room. Dobbs, however had stayed up to prepare her for bed. There was nothing Evangeline could do or say to cover all her agitation—Dobbs knew her too well for that—but she accepted the hasty excuse Evangeline gave and did not ask questions.

Plenty of questions swirled around Evangeline's mind, however. What was this she was feeling for Basil? Was it love, in fact? She had never loved the old earl. Grown comfortable around him, thankful for his kindnesses, but that was not love. She had also been quick to please him, whatever he demanded of her, regardless of her feelings on the matter. For when his will had been crossed, the late Lord Ramsbury could scold like anything. It had been easier for her to attend quickly to his commands rather than subject herself to his displeasure .

He had always known where to strike too.

More than once he had threatened to separate her from her children if she defied his will. ‘Child', that was what he had called her.

In the beginning she had rather liked the pet name. He had said it with fondness, and she had felt cherished and protected. But as she had grown older, gained personal experience and knowledge of the world around her, he had flung the term at her with derision. What could she know about anything? She was a child. Even after giving him seven thriving children, she had remained a child: silly, ignorant, in constant need of direction until his dying day.

That was why he had set up his will as he had, with regard to her. Why she had refused every offer of marriage that had come her way since his death. The old earl had been generous and providing in so many ways, yet he still controlled her, even in his grave.

In a small recess of her mind, Evangeline knew not all men behaved like that. The old earl's brother, appointed trustee to her children until Henry came of age, had been happy to allow Evangeline full rein over her children's educations and pursuits. Except Henry, of course. Lord Ramsbury had given express orders about his heir, how and where he was to be educated. If her brother-in-law hesitated in bestowing his leave on something on which Evangeline had set her heart, a suggestion that she bring all seven of the children to town to pay their respects to him usually resulted in his giving her permission.

Basil certainly did not wish for control over much in life, but then, he was not a husband. Would he change if he ever married, she wondered? Would he become cross and petulant? But most importantly, what would the children think of him? And he them?

The sky was graying with the predawn light before Evangeline finally found sleep. She awoke to find herself alone in the room, Georgie already dressed and gone. Why hadn't anyone roused her?

She got up and rang for Dobbs. There was no clock in the room, but she could tell it was late. With any luck, there might still be some breakfast downstairs.

She found Georgie and Mrs. Owens the only occupants in the breakfast room, for which she was grateful. After last night, she did not fully know how to approach Basil. She asked Georgie where everyone was.

"Scattered here and there," Georgie replied. "The ladies wished to go painting and sketching near the wood. Lady Lyndhurst is with them, you know what an artist she is. Fernsby took most of the men fishing. Mr. Morley asked for a horse and rode off on some business or other. Would you like to walk into the village with Mrs. Owens and myself? She has need of some lace to mend a flounce that tore last night."

Evangeline readily agreed to the outing. A walk in the clean, fresh air would do her good.

The two miles to Drayton were walked in companionable gossip and without mishap. Soon, the three ladies were examining laces and ribbons in the modiste's shop.

"I cannot say much for the variety," Mrs. Owens said. "But the quality looks decent enough."

A length of lace decided upon and paid for, Evangeline suggested they look into the circulating library to see if there were any titles of interest. She was always on the lookout for a diverting book to share with her daughters, and this morning she was in particular need of diversion. But, alas, nothing caught her interest.

The ladies stepped out of the bookshop, and Georgie's attention was immediately caught by several bonnets in a window display. Evangeline's attention, however, was caught by the sight of Basil.

It was the merest glimpse before he disappeared down a narrow alley in between two buildings, but in that glimpse, she was sure he was up to something. The furtive look on his face was enough to pique her curiosity. Why would he be going down a dirty little alley for?

While Georgie and Mrs. Owens decided they would enter the shop, Evangeline declined and said she would walk the length of the street until they finished. Once they were safely out of sight, she crossed the street and, giving a furtive glance equal to Basil's, stepped into the alley.

The sounds of the street, wagon wheels creaking, horses' hooves clomping against the dirt, people speaking and calling out, advertising their wares, were muffled in between the two whitewashed walls of the buildings. The alley was empty.

Evangeline stilled, deciding whether to go back or not. There were two servants' doors on either side of the alley, and she would not go prying into kitchens or store rooms in search of Basil. Tapping a finger against her knuckles, she looked down. The ground was damp, and fresh boot prints could be seen. She followed them farther into the alley. They passed both doors. Basil had not entered either building.

Her quickened steps brought her into a smaller back street full of several houses that were little better than hovels. Clotheslines were strung here and there, and one or two women were hard at work with their washing, openly staring at her and not amiably.

Evangeline was about to beg pardon and turn around when one of them placed a hand on her hip and spoke. "You be lookin' for the gentleman, I take it?"

Evangeline stammered, surprised to be thus addressed. "If—if he passed this way?"

The woman jerked her thumb to the door of the house behind her. "In there. I'll tell ‘im."

Alarm seized Evangeline. "No, I beg you?—"

But the woman had already opened the door and loudly told the occupants that there was a fine lady here to see the gentleman. Evangeline stood frozen where she was. She swallowed a painful lump in her tightened throat as Basil appeared in the doorway.

"E?" he said, astonished. "What are you doing—?" He glanced at the two women who were staring between him and Evangeline. "Never mind. Get in here. Now. You can lend some respectability to the situation."

He came out, took her by the arm, ignoring her questions and protests, and brought her into the house. Blinking to adjust her eyes to the dim light, she found another person in the room. A young woman.

A frightened, flighty-looking young woman.

A young woman…with child.

Surprise gave way to offense as Evangeline slowly registered what this must mean. What had she been thinking? She had not been thinking, and quite intentionally. She knew what a rake was and knew what could result in a rake's way of life, but such uncomfortable consequences were pushed firmly away and ignored by the women of her circles, not barreled headlong into.

It did not matter, it seemed, that Basil had decided to dance attendance on her with more earnest, to make her believe that, perhaps, he really did love her. Basil Morley was still a rake. Basil Morley was still a man ruined by his foreign travels so long ago. That she had allowed herself to forget that side of him in their games, in their kisses …

"Morley," she hissed. "How dare you bring me into the same room as one of your?—"

"One of my what?"

His harsh voice stopped her tongue, and his glare frightened her. He had never looked at her that way, so menacingly. He stepped between the two women, shielding the girl. "Do finish that sentence, E, really, do," he dared with dangerous quiet.

The young woman hunched her shoulders and clasped her shawl tightly around her thin shoulders, looking at Evangeline in fear. "'Oo's this?"

"You have nothing to fear, Miss Thomas. Her ladyship means no harm by you." Basil heaved a great sigh and stepped to the side. "Lady Ramsbury, this is Miss Thomas. Miss Thomas, may I present the countess, Lady Ramsbury."

Miss Thomas's eyes bulged in her pale face. She hastily dropped a curtsy and said in a thick cockney accent, "Ladyship. I 'ope you're not angry with Mr. Morley 'ere on account o' me."

Evangeline had just sense enough to shake her head. Her mind whirled as she tried to understand the situation she had gotten herself into. She looked at Basil, a silent plea for an explanation in her eyes.

But Basil raised a hardened brow at her, he was on his guard. "That is not up to me," he said, then addressed Miss Thomas. "Her ladyship is one of the jolliest, kindest people I know. She does not look it now, but that is only because we have taken her by surprise. With your leave, I will inform her of the situation."

Evangeline swallowed as much pride and offense as she could and found her voice again. "You may trust me."

Pinched lips and scowling eyes told her Miss Thomas clearly did not. Miss Thomas looked to Basil. He gave an encouraging nod. "I give you my word."

Miss Thomas's shoulders relaxed a little. "Mr. Morley 'ere says you can be trusted, and I trust Mr. Morley. Go ahead."

Basil nodded and addressed Evangeline. "There is only time for the bare facts, but as you can see, Miss Thomas is in a delicate situation and quite alone in the world. I have known about her predicament for some time and have endeavored to help her as much as I could. I recently found a man in these parts who is willing to marry her, and I sent for her straight away. The brother of Mrs. Fisher, the lady washing out front. He will be here any minute."

Evangeline heard this in bewildered silence. "And this is how you think to solve your predicament?"

"Not my predicament. Hers."

Evangeline's chest heaved with outrage. " Her predicament? As if you had nothing to do with?—"

"Now, that's where I'll stop you right there," Miss Thomas said sharply, stepping up and placing herself between Evangeline and Basil. "I wasn't born yesterday and know what you think, and I'm tellin' you that Mr. Morley hasn't been anythin' but kind to me when he never 'ad to lift a finger to 'elp me. So, I don't care about you and your fine clothes, I'll not hear one word against 'im."

Basil looked over Miss Thomas's head and shook his own at Evangeline. "Not mine, E," he mouthed.

"Oh," Evangeline said quietly. The relief that flooded into her at his words was quickly overtaken by shame. She had jumped to the worst conclusion without a second thought. Basil was looking at her, but she could not bring herself to meet his eye. "Forgive me, I thought…"

Miss Thomas sniffed and turned her shoulder. "I know what you thought. "

There was an awkward silence before Evangeline turned to Basil. "May I speak to you outside?"

Basil nodded curtly. Excusing themselves, he followed her out the door. The woman, Mrs. Fisher, was busy hanging up her laundry on a line strung between her house and the next. She went about her work but was clearly curious as to the business going on inside the house.

Evangeline leaned close to Basil and murmured, "You said you would explain everything later, but you must give me more than this. Why are you helping her? Where did she come from? And if you have no—responsibility in the matter, why?"

Basil regarded her, the hard light still playing about his eyes. She half feared if he would just send her away after her assumptions.

"I am sorry for what I thought in there. I was not prepared for such a scene. I only wish to understand, truly," she said.

Basil worked his jaw back and forth in a speculative way. "I thought you knew me better, but perhaps not. And perhaps that is my own fault. I came across Miss Thomas some time ago. She is the sad ending of a liaison with one of our acquaintances."

Evangeline frowned. "Who?"

Basil hesitated only a moment before divulging the name, a name that made Evangeline recoil in disgust. "Him? That slithering scoundrel of a man? I wonder at you keeping his company. You have a reputation, yes, but I didn't think it of you."

"He and I are not intimates," Basil said with some asperity. "We happened upon each other at a mutual acquaintance's house. He insisted on walking home with me to propose some scheme he had for setting up his own gaming rooms and wanted my support.

"That is when Miss Thomas appeared and accosted him. Oh, he denied everything, of course. I don't mind telling you she was in such a frenzy I thought her half-mad myself at first, screaming and weeping that her family had cast her off, no one for her to turn to but him, demanding he make good on the promises he had made. She would have followed us, screeching 'til kingdom come if he had not threatened to call the constable. We left her weeping under a streetlamp.

"He assured me he had never seen her in his life, though if you'd have seen the look on his face, E! Only a complete clothhead would think he was telling the truth. The long and short of it is, after I finally threw him off, I went back. Didn't expect to find her still there, but I had to try. I caught her just leaving and followed her all the way across Lambeth Bridge to a little shack on the Thames. She fishes for eels there to support herself."

He was seen with this…female, among the docks along the Thames.

Evangeline put a hand to her head as Mrs. Browning's words on the first night of the house party echoed with alarming depth through her mind.

"What is it?" Basil asked, frowning.

She shook her head. "Nothing. Please, go on."

He eyed her a moment but shrugged. "Took a while to convince her I meant her no harm. Almost stabbed me with a fork, she was so alarmed. Come to find out she had been whiled away by that blackguard, and her family really had cast her off. She was living with another woman, beast of a female, and half starving. Wouldn't have been surprised if she didn't make it through to summer in her condition. So, I promised I would help. Why are you smiling, E? "

Evangeline tried to school her countenance, but several pieces of the vast puzzle surrounding her feelings for Basil were falling into place. "Forgive me. I had heard other things regarding you that rather set up my back to the docks. How many times did you visit her there?"

Basil pressed his lips into a thin line. "Enough to get sighted, it seems. Who told you?"

She waved a hand. "No matter. What did you do next?"

"I went husband hunting," he replied, looking a little sheepish. Something behind Evangeline caught his attention. "And here he is."

Evangeline turned and saw a man coming out of the alleyway. Mrs. Fisher jerked her head toward the house with a, "She's in there," and went back to her work.

The man, in his late-twenties perhaps, average height, with small eyes and a firm chin, did not seem put out by his sister's callous greeting. He looked to the door, then at Basil.

"Mr. Barry. Good to see you again," Basil said, stepping forward and extending a hand.

"Mr. Morley," the man replied, shaking hands.

Basil introduced Evangeline. Mr. Barry's eyes widened a moment before he made a proper bow. "Ladyship. If it is all the same to you, Mr. Morley, I'd like to hurry this along."

His blunt way would have made Evangeline mark him down as a hard man, but as he tugged at the collar of his shirt, she put it down to nerves.

"Right this way, then. I will introduce you." Basil went to open the door but turned back to Evangeline. "Will you help me? Will you come in?"

Evangeline could not think how she could be of any use but nodded and went in before the men. Miss Thomas had taken a seat, her eyes closed. She was quite a pretty thing when her face wasn't scowling with distrust. At the sound of the door, her eyes flew open. She rose from the chair and watch the three as they entered, wary as she spotted Mr. Barry.

"Miss Thomas," Basil said, stepping forward and taking her hand. He led her forward a step. "May I present Mr. Barry to you. Mr. Barry, this is Miss Thomas."

The two stared, sizing the other up for so long that Evangeline shifted uncomfortably from side to side. She looked a question to Basil. He gave her only the faintest shrug that told her he did not know what to make of it either.

Finally, Mr. Barry spoke. "I'd like a word with her alone."

Basil immediately looked to Miss Thomas. "Is that all right? You will be perfectly safe."

Miss Thomas only gave a stiff nod.

Basil and Evangeline left the couple to themselves. Once outside Evangeline said, "Well, that was a trifle awkward."

"To say the least."

"Where did you find him?"

"He's a farmer just north of here. He's taken a lease on a farm in Bedfordshire."

Evangeline thought a moment. "Is that why you would suddenly disappear for days on end during the height of the Season? You were husband hunting for a girl to whom you had no obligation?"

"Well, yes."

"Why did you choose Hertfordshire?"

"Already had business here in the area. Kill two birds with one stone. Why do you look at me like that?"

She could hardly say. She was at once flabbergasted at Basil's escapades and remorseful at her own prejudiced thoughts surrounding him. "I had no idea. I really did think I knew you better. I am sorry for coming to the conclusion that I did. "

Basil looked down, shuffling his feet. "I cannot say I blame you. It is not wholly your fault."

She was about to ask him what he meant when the door opened and Mr. Barry bade them come back inside. Basil made to go to Miss Thomas, but Mr. Barry went before him and took his place at her side. When he put out his hand, she straightened her shoulders and put her hand in his with confidence.

"We have decided to move forward with the arrangement," Mr. Barry announced. "So long as you will uphold the settlements you promised?"

Basil nodded. "As agreed upon. May I felicitate you? I will see about the banns immediately."

Mr. Barry raised his hand. "There's no need to trouble yourself any longer, Mr. Morley. Miss Thomas has agreed to the duty required of a farmer's wife, and I've agreed to provide as a husband should. She is under my charge now, and if it's all the same to you, I'll see to everything from here on out."

Evangeline smiled with approval at the stern young man. She had been afraid he might have a harsh streak in him. She had yet to see him smile, probably never would, but whatever passed between the two had given Miss Thomas an assurance that wiped the fret and worry from her face. Yes, they would do.

Basil felicitated them once again, and while he and Mr. Barry went to a corner to settle the business of Miss Thomas's dowry, a dowry at Basil's expense, Evangeline spoke to the bride. "You are to stay here at Mrs. Fisher's until the wedding?"

Miss Thomas nodded. "Yes, yer ladyship, and work, if I can find any."

"How are you with a needle?"

"Well enough."

"Good. I shall send you some work that I want done within the week, if you can manage."

Miss Thomas's eyes brightened. "Yes, yer ladyship. I work fast and straight, though nothin' fancy."

"I am sure I will be perfectly satisfied."

Basil came up and touched her arm, signaling it was time to leave. Indeed, Evangeline had stayed away from Georgie and Mrs. Owens for far too long. They must be wondering where she was by now. She and Basil took their leave and walked back down the alleyway side by side.

She kept silent, hoping Basil might be the one to say something first, but there were too many questions roiling about in her head for her to wait long. "Why, Basil? Why would you do this? To protect Miss Thomas, I can understand, but at the price of people attaching actions to you that have no foundation?"

He huffed a laugh, amused. "Oh, the foundation is there, I think. Has been for years. What is one more taint upon my name, even if it is untrue?"

She stopped and looked up at him. "It makes me wonder what else may be untrue concerning you, you brush off this slander so casually."

His eyes shifted between hers before focusing on his boots. "Not much to wonder about. Done plenty of things to warrant the gossip and scandals. Perhaps not so much anymore but let them think what they will."

"But why?"

He shrugged. "What do they mean to me, at the end of the day?"

Evangeline did not accept his nonchalance as mere unconcern. It was protecting him. He was hiding something else, some other reason, she was sure .

"There you are, Lady Ramsbury. And Mr. Morley with you," Mrs. Owens said a moment later, turning as Evangeline and Basil came up behind her and Georgie.

Evangeline gave the excuse that she could not remember which shop her friends had gone into. "And then I met with Morley here and got to talking."

Basil excused himself from escorting the ladies back to Fernsby. Business would keep him in the village for a while longer. Without looking at Evangeline, he took his leave and walked back up the street.

Evangeline ignored the sting his hasty action caused. "Are you in a great hurry to return?" she asked the ladies. "I have only just remembered something. It shan't take long."

Georgie and Mrs. Owens did not object, and Evangeline led the way to a shop that made them exchange a puzzled look. "Why here, Evangeline? Surely you wish to go back to the modiste's shop we went to, not here?" Georgie said.

"I won't be a moment," she assured them.

The business was done quickly enough, and Evangeline was soon satisfied that ten handkerchiefs would be sent to Miss Thomas with instructions for hemming, along with several lengths of sturdy wools and linens. If Miss Thomas could not find more work, she could at least begin making dresses that befitted a farmer's wife. Something she would surely never be if it were not for Basil.

Evangeline sought solitude and silence in a small, out of the way anteroom off the main hall upon her return from Drayton. She settled onto a sofa, book in hand, and opened it. Ten minutes later and not one page turned, she put it down and gave her full attention to her inner musings.

Basil was a rake. He had said so himself or had implied several times over the years. But one thing was certain. Basil was not the rake he had been. Not anymore. When had that happened?

She shook her head over her inattentiveness, perhaps even laziness surrounding her thoughts on his reputation. Too caught up in her own affairs of duty and family, she had accepted what people told her of Basil with a certain defensiveness, but without much question. She had never taken the time to actually discover for herself whether the rumors about her friend were true.

And yet, to delve into a man's personal affairs, even with the best intentions…that was not so easy, never mind anything about propriety.

Her friend. She huffed to herself. He was her friend, to be sure. There had never been a doubt of that during all their years of acquaintance. But had she been a friend to him, really?

So caught up in her musings was she that Basil's voice at the door caught her completely by surprise. Throwing a hand to her heart, she exclaimed, "Good gracious! Basil."

"I beg your pardon. I did not mean to startle you. Ready?" he asked, his fingers drumming the door frame.

She furrowed her brow. "Ready for what?"

"Our boat ride, remember? The others are already going down."

She regarded him in some wonder. If he felt any effects of the morning's proceedings at all, he did not show it. He was his usual, jovial self. No one would have guessed he had been playing the knight in shining armor only a few hours before.

Why?

She gave herself a mental shake. "Yes, of course."

They started down to the boathouse that stood at the north end of the lake. Basil had not offered his arm and remained a few paces away from her as they walked. The silence between them was enough to make Evangeline itch.

"E," Basil said at last. "I would prefer it if you would not mention to anyone what business we had this morning."

There it was—a little anyway. She was beginning to wonder if he had any proper sensibilities at all.

"I am also content with not mentioning what happened last night in the study. I will only ask you to forgive me for any distress I caused you."

She had not been expecting that. Had it only been last night, their passionate kiss?

"You did not cause any—" she began.

"It is obvious I did."

"Thank you," she said. "You and I have had quite an adventurous twenty-four hours. If I am quiet and reserved, it is only that I am trying to make sense of it all."

Basil only nodded and they walked the rest of the way in silence.

The sun had been hinting at its presence, peeping through the puffy gray clouds here and there all morning, but now its rays finally broke through, promising a lovely afternoon. Other guests had already pushed off the dock and were rowing about the lake at their leisure. Basil stepped into the boat first, and Evangeline took note of the agility displayed in his movements. A strong man in action was always something to admire. She suppressed the smile straining at her lips as he turned to her.

"Ready?" he asked, stretching out his hand.

Holding her parasol—a lime green one today—with one hand, she grasped his hand with the other and stepped down into the little boat. Once he made sure she was settled, Basil sat at the oars and pushed off the dock. For the first few minutes, she was glad he was occupied in rowing the boat out into the middle of the lake, for she could think of no conversation.

She could not decide whether to tell him about the fabrics she had sent to Miss Thomas. Would he see it as an overreach? As her sticking her nose into a business she was not supposed to know about? Her first impression of Basil's part in it all was hardly flattering. She still felt ashamed and wished to make it up to him, but how?

"Do you know," Basil said presently, "I think Fernsby must stock his lake with thinner water. It is so easy to row through. Or perhaps I am getting stronger in my old age."

Evangeline held back a snort. "That is one of the most horrid jokes you have come up with yet."

"But you laughed just the same."

The smile he gave her was irresistible and set her at her ease, taking its hidden message to heart. Whatever was happening between them, they could still laugh together.

They passed near the shoreline where a weeping willow leaned over the water, its thin, drooping branches swaying gently to and fro against the water's surface. Evangeline lifted a hand and closed her eyes, letting the branches skim across her glove as Basil rowed on. An occasional hail from another boat was answered, but she enjoyed the sounds of the oars dipping and pushing through the water, soothing as a lullaby, the gentle rocking of the boat making her eyes heavy.

"What do you say to a game of lottery tickets tonight?" Basil asked, his eyes asking another question of her. What do you say to another wager between us?

Another wager? But how far would this one take them? After their heated kiss in the study, it felt rather silly to go back to kissing an eyebrow or a fingernail. She did not know if she could. Did not know if she wished to.

"Lottery tickets? Well, I am not sure?—"

She got no farther, for at that instant she caught something out of the corner of her eye. Something on her shoulder. Something crawling on her.

Spiders, big or small, had no place anywhere near her person, and this spider was enormous, with a huge yellow body and legs a furlough long, climbing up her arm toward her neck at an alarming rate.

Evangeline screamed and shot up, swatting at the creature. The boat tipped dangerously to the right. Basil cried out and dropped the oars to steady the boat with his hands. She tried to right herself but the swaying boat threw her weight wholly to the left instead.

"Evangeline, what—hold on!"

The boat capsized and Evangeline was tilted headlong into the water. The temperature sent a shocking jolt through her entire body. The air in her lungs seemed to evaporate. How could water still be so cold in the middle of summer? It filled her ears and went up her nose. When her outstretched arms did not break the surface, alarm took a vicious hold.

She kicked wildly to upright herself, panicking even more when her feet did not touch any solid ground beneath her, even while she was stretched out to her full height. Flailing like a bird in slow motion, her arms finally thrashed above the water, and a moment later, her head surfaced amidst the splashing she had caused, only to be pulled down again by the weight of her dress, which caught at her legs and clung to them with each kick.

Her hand hit something solid. The boat. With shaking fingers, she grasped onto the bottom of the overturned vessel and pulled herself up, sputtering and gasping for breath, trying to get the water out of her nose.

A chuckle sounded above the rush in her ears. Basil appeared around the stern of the boat coming toward her in the water. "All right, E? What happened to make you jump and scream like a banshee?" His jovial expression disappeared when he saw her face. "E?"

Evangeline's fingers slipped in their grip on the boat, leaving long streak marks through the slimy algae attached to the boat's bottom. She clawed at the wood. Her clothes were so heavy. "I—I can't swim," she said in a trembling voice.

"What?"

Basil lunged to her, sweeping up great armfuls of water. An instant later, he was by her side, wrapping an arm around her waist. He pressed her to him while gripping not the top of the boat, as she was, but the bottom where the edge floated just under the waterline. She had been too panicked to think of that herself. All her concentration was focused on her breathing, which was coming in short, panicked gasps.

"I have you," Basil said, no humor in his voice now. He looked almost as panicked as she felt. "Hold on like I am, but kick your legs back and forth, like I'm doing. Can you see? Just like walking, but point your toes. Breathe , Evangeline."

Evangeline could hardly hear him amidst her panic, her fear of somehow losing her grip on the boat, slipping from Basil's grasp, and floating down to the bottom of the lake, completely helpless, taking over. Little dark spots speckled the edges of her vision, only making her gasp for breath faster.

"Evangeline!"

Basil's arm tightened around her waist, and he gave her a jerk. "Breathe with me. You will be all right, but you need to breathe. Look at me. Look at me. Good. With me now. In?—"

Basil took a breath himself, willing Evangeline with his eyes to follow suit. His gaze felt like an anchor to her, dim and fuzzy, but solid enough for her to catch hold of. She sucked a breath of air into her lungs, catching and shaky.

"Good. Again. You are all right. I will not let go of you."

They breathed simultaneously once more, then again. The dark spots cleared from Evangeline's vision. Her heart still raced, but she was coming back from the brink. "What do we do?" she asked.

"Hold on," Basil said. "Help is coming."

Voices that had only been muffled babblings in the background sharpened in her ears. Lord Malden, with his daughter and Miss Owens, maneuvered his boat next to them. "Are you hurt, Lady Ramsbury?" he asked.

Evangeline could not muster up her usual nonchalant attitude when caught in an embarrassing situation. Her whole frame was trembling, and while she was not on the verge of fainting anymore, she was in no state to make light of what had just happened. All she could do was shake her head, and even that took a paramount effort.

"Take his hand, E."

She turned back to Basil. "What?"

"Take his hand. He'll get you into his boat, and we shall get you back to shore."

A tremor shot through her at the thought. "Won't that tip his boat?"

"No such thing. He will have you up in a trice."

"Yes, Lady Ramsbury, do not fear. Girls, move to the other side," Lord Malden said.

Miss Elmsworth and Miss Owens did as they were bid, Miss Owens giving a little cry when the boat tipped closer to the water from their weight.

"Come now, Lady Ramsbury," Lord Malden said, reaching out his hand.

But the thought of letting go of the boat even for a second made Evangeline clutch at Basil more tightly. In response, his grip on her shifted so that she was more securely nestled into his side.

He bent his head so close to her that his lips brushed her ear as he murmured, "Let go. I am holding on to the boat and you. All will be well. You trust me, don't you?"

His question sparked a sense of calm in her heart. Small, but sturdy. Her shoulders relaxed, and she took in her first breath that was not completely wracked with fear. Basil would not let her come to harm.

She released her death grip on the boat with one hand and quickly shot it out to Lord Malden. The added assurance of his firm grip had her reaching out for him with her other hand almost as quickly.

"Now, lift up your knees, like you are sitting in a chair. Can you do that? There you are," Basil said when she complied. "Hold her tight, Malden."

Cold water took the place of Basil's hold as he released her waist. But, in fact, it was a little easier to breathe now. She had not realized what a death grip his hold on her had been. An instant later, she had to gasp, for she felt Basil's arm press against the back of her thighs as though it was a swing she was sitting on, but she understood at once why Basil had asked her to get into a sitting position.

"Ready, Malden? On three. One, two…"

Lord Malden, with Basil pushing her upward with his arm, pulled Evangeline up and over the boat's edge. In one swift movement, Evangeline was dumped over into the boat like a floundering pike. She scraped her shins painfully coming in, and hit her shoulder against one of the seats, but she was never more thankful to have something hard and solid beneath her.

Miss Elmsworth and Miss Owen quickly grabbed hold of her to pull her farther in while the boat swayed from side to side from the movement. Miss Owens swept her shawl around Evangeline's shoulders, and Evangeline gave a heartfelt thanks, for in her drenched day dress of fine muslin (she had no idea where her shawl and parasol had floated off to) she knew that every curve of her body was on display.

"Let us get you back to the house at once," Lord Malden said as he took his position at the oars. "Morley, need a hand? There's room enough."

Evangeline looked at Basil, still holding on to the boat's edge. He was looking at her with an expression she could never recall marring his handsome face. It was more than concern. More than fear.

"N—no," Basil said, blinking. He ran a hand over his face to wipe away the streams of water dripping from his hair.

"Basil," Evangeline said through chattering teeth. "Your hand is shaking. You must get out at once."

He slipped his hand under the water. "No such thing. Take her back, Malden. I will get this boat turned and back to the boathouse, since I am already here. Look, here comes Stratham to help me."

Indeed, Mr. Stratham, with Mrs. Browning aboard, had at last reached the crisis scene from the far end of the lake. "Your vessel too much for you to handle, eh, Morley?" he said, laughing satirically.

Basil rolled his eyes and pushed off from Lord Malden's boat, bidding Mr. Stratham in a biting tone to help him. He swam to the overturned boat, which had drifted away, his arms slicing through the water with a power and ease that Evangeline marveled at. How could one feel so at home in such deep water?

Once their boat reached the boathouse, Lord Malden jumped up on the dock and helped Evangeline and the girls out, ordering them to take her up to the house in all haste so she did not catch cold.

Evangeline felt as strong as a half-drowned kitten on her shaky legs. Once she had been safe in the other boat, the panic had left, but it had taken much of her strength with it. Still, she was able to make it to the house without relying too much on the support of Miss Elmsworth and Miss Owens.

Servants met them at the door and after an embarrassing explanation given by the girls, still quite keyed up over the affair, Evangeline was bustled upstairs and administered to by Georgie and Dobbs. Both commiserated with her ordeal and cursed the spider that had started it all. Soon she was reclining on the settee under several rugs next to a roaring fire with Georgie vigorously drying her hair.

"There," Georgie said, tossing the towel to the floor. She reached for a comb and ran it through Evangeline's hair before shaking her fingers through the long tresses. "The rest of it should dry in no time. Tea is coming. What else may I do for you?"

"Nothing, I thank you. Just rest and quiet are all I need," Evangeline said. Combined with her exhaustion, the heat from the fire and the weight of the rugs against her were making her eyelids droop.

Georgie nodded and knelt by her side, taking her hands in a loving squeeze. "Rest, then. I will see to the rest of the day."

"Are you well enough? I feel wretched that you must minister to me when it should be the other way round. "

Georgie hugged her and chuckled. "It is nothing, I assure you. Especially after what you have been through. I am stout enough. I shall come to check on you in an hour or two."

When the door closed behind her cousin, Evangeline tilted her head back against the pillows, her damp hair framing either side of her face. She felt as if she could sleep for days. She wrapped her arms around her waist, feeling them a poor substitute for Basil's strong hold, and closed her eyes.

She was just drifting off when she heard the door open and close. She grimaced inwardly. She had forgotten about the tea, but that did not mean she had to open her eyes. She would just pretend to be asleep, hoping the servant would not dare wake her.

She listened as the tray was placed on the little table next to her. Hands tinkered around with the tea things. A moment later she heard the teapot lifted from its place and the sound of hot water being poured into a cup. Wasn't it odd how hot water made a different sound than cold water when being poured?

Next, she heard a spoon clink against a piece of china and dig into the granules of the sugar bowl just once. Good, she did not like over sweetened tea. Just one spoonful and a little—there it was, a tiny plop of what could only be cream. The smell was almost enticing enough to make her open her eyes, but the effort was not worth it. Let the tea grow cold. She would call for another when she woke up…

"Evangeline?"

Surprise shot through her sleepiness. That was no servant's voice. Her eyes flew open to see Basil sitting on a chair next to her. He was in dry clothes, but his hair was still wet and disheveled, free of any pomade and falling across his brow in the most attractive way imaginable. It was unfair, really. Evangeline had caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and had seen the hideous work that an unplanned dip in the lake had done. But Basil sat there looking like a dark, brooding hero from a gothic novel. His arms leaned against his legs, a cup and saucer in hand.

She blinked several times and tried to shift herself into a more dignified position. "Basil?—"

He reached out and put a hand on her shoulder, holding her down. "Stay where you are. There is no need to rise on my account. But drink this. You need something hot in you."

Evangeline looked around. There was no servant. Basil, and Basil alone, had come in and prepared the tea.

He still held the saucer out to her. Maybe a little tea would do her good after all. "Thank you," she said, taking it.

He watched as she took a small sip. "A little sugar and a bit of cream. Did I manage it right?" he asked.

"You did indeed. But, what is this?" she asked, brow furrowed. "No salt?"

Basil lifted a corner of his mouth, breathy laugh escaping his chest, but his eyes looked strained. He said, his voice just above a whisper, "I did not know you couldn't swim."

Silence descended on them for a few moments as Evangeline tried to think of what to say, but he spoke again, wringing his hands between his knees. "I thought you could. You go sea bathing every summer. I have seen you being carted out to the waves in those bathing houses. I—I thought you could."

"I do not think I ever went out beyond my waist. I have always had solid ground under me. But now, sitting here, I feel rather silly about the whole thing?—"

Basil's action was so swift she was taken completely off guard. He snatched the cup and saucer from her, placed it down and took her hand into a fierce hold, pressing it fervently to his cheek. Frozen, she watched him place a kiss on it.

"I am sorry," he murmured into her hand. "One would think I'd have learned my lesson after all this time."

Evangeline furrowed her brow. "What lesson?"

With a ghost of a laugh, Basil placed her hand back, resting it on her middle. "Nothing. Never mind me. Is there anything I can do for you? Anything you need? Tell me at once, and it will be done."

Evangeline studied him curiously and not without a little confusion. He looked shaken. Almost as shaken as she felt. Was that guilt in his eyes? Sorrow? The incident had not lasted more than five minutes, surely this much guilt was not warranted on his part. "I am well, truly. I should just like to rest."

Basil nodded. "Will you forgive me?" he asked.

Evangeline sat still, regarding him with some wariness. This humbleness was something she had never encountered in him. She had never seen it before, not once. A strong desire to gather him up in her arms and comfort him as if he was a child came over her. "It was not your fault, Basil."

"But I am sorry just the same. Do you forgive me?"

"Of course."

He took in a slow deep breath and rose from his chair only to bend over her and press a kiss on her forehead. Evangeline leaned into the warmth of his soft lips. Somehow his kiss was more strengthening than any draught a doctor could prescribe.

He shifted and pressed his forehead against hers, nuzzling her nose with his own, and murmured, "I am glad you are safe."

She found herself wishing he would be the one to gather her up in his arms and hold her until all her fatigue and fear seeped away. The arguments against allowing him to inch his way into her heart made a feeble attempt to be heard, but her desire to be comforted swept them away like stray hay in the wind. Still, she could not manage to bring herself to say, "Just hold me." If she did, she knew her heart would allow the impossible to reside there.

Basil shifted his weight, which set off her hope, but a moment later he lifted his head and straightened himself. "I will leave you to rest, then, and rest well, dear Titania." He went to the door and paused with his hand on the doorknob. "You know you are dear to me, don't you, old friend?"

The question set off a warm smile across her lips. He had said such things plenty of times, but they usually kept company with a jesting tone or led into a joke. His words now were as sincere as she had ever heard him. She leaned her head back into the pillow and gave him a sleepy nod. "Oh, yes. I have always known it."

Before the door closed behind him, he sent her a smile of his own, a small, rueful smile, and Evangeline was left to wonder over the matter. Had he been so afraid for her? She could understand that he had grasped the severity of the situation, but did it really warrant the panic she had seen in his eye as he had rushed to help her in the water? Had he been just as afraid of her drowning as she had been herself? Surely not.

Her mind felt as fuzzy and soft as lamb's wool. She would solve this puzzle surrounding Basil's behavior later. Nestling into the pillows, she closed her eyes and was soon asleep.