Nettie?” She could see by his eyes that he’d been remembering Sara again. How long had it been since she’d succumbed to the fever and left him alone? Two years or was it three? Nettie wondered if he’d ever get over the loss of his young wife.
“There’s a young lady here to see you. She says it’s very important.”
Sinclair checked his pocket watch and nodded abruptly. “Show her in.”
Amid a rustle of skirts, Nettie moved to do as she was bid.
* * * * *
Sinclair hadn’t moved when his visitor arrived. His eyes narrowed, he inclined his head shortly. “I don’t believe I know you but you told my housekeeper that you had something important to discuss with me.
So what have you to say? Do you have information that I must know?”
A young girl wearing a simple frock curtsied properly and kept her eyes downcast. “Yes, Your Grace.
I’m sorry to intrude upon your day, but my mother told me that it was very important that I tell you what I saw.”
“You saw?” Sinclair didn’t bother to stifle his impatience. “What is it that you saw, girl, and be quick about it.”
“I saw your future, Your Grace…with a woman.”
Sinclair’s hand fell to the back of the settee. “Any future I might have had with a woman died when my wife died. Now, get out of here. I’ve heard enough of this nonsense.” He couldn’t listen to more. At the thought of his wife, his heart began to ache again and not because of the grief of his loss. He felt guilty and the uneasiness over the past couple of days disturbed him.
Going against the dictates of the Duke, the girl stood her ground. “I see things, Your Grace. I’ve always been able to see things. It’s a gift. I know you have not been feeling yourself lately and just as I see that, I saw a woman in your future, but she’s not someone like us.”
In spite of himself, Sinclair’s interest was piqued. “Speak in plain English.”
“When I saw her, she was dressed strangely. She may be from across the sea.”
Sinclair wanted to dismiss her words as nonsense, but his heart began to hammer. “The Americas?”
“Possibly. I cannot be sure, but I know that she will come.”
“And what of her arrival? What has that to do with me?” In truth, he’d closed off his emotions years ago when his wife died. He wasn’t so sure he could resurrect them. Or if he wanted to. He’d had the chance at love and he’d thrown it away. His wife wanted so much more than he could give her. He raised his eyes to see the minute girl staring at him. “Speak up, girl. I haven’t all day.”
She curtsied once more and began backing to the door. “You will love her, of that I’m sure.”
Sinclair heard the gasp from behind the young girl and his temper began to climb. “Nettie, show yourself.
You dare to listen to my conversations?”
The housekeeper curtsied herself and apologized. “It’s not that I eavesdrop, Your Grace, but this young girl has quite a reputation in town.”
Sinclair’s gaze rested on the young lady. “And this reputation is…?”
“Of a soothsayer. She sees the future.”
His knuckles tightened until the skin turned white. “If you choose to believe in such nonsense that is no concern of mine, but I will not tolerate it in my house. Be gone with you, child, and tell your mother that the Duke does not wish to hear of your future visions.” He presented his back to the visitor and waited until her footsteps retreated before he turned back around. He pinned his angry gaze on his housekeeper.
“Damnation, Nettie! How could you allow such a girl in here when you know my beliefs?”
“I thought she might be of help, Your Grace. It has been quite some time since your wife passed and I was only thinking of your future.”
His hands clenched and unclenched at his sides. Nettie knew of his pain. Why would she bring up such an agonizing issue? “My future is seeing to my subjects, nothing more.”
“It doesn’t have to be that way,” Nettie
“There’s a young lady here to see you. She says it’s very important.”
Sinclair checked his pocket watch and nodded abruptly. “Show her in.”
Amid a rustle of skirts, Nettie moved to do as she was bid.
* * * * *
Sinclair hadn’t moved when his visitor arrived. His eyes narrowed, he inclined his head shortly. “I don’t believe I know you but you told my housekeeper that you had something important to discuss with me.
So what have you to say? Do you have information that I must know?”
A young girl wearing a simple frock curtsied properly and kept her eyes downcast. “Yes, Your Grace.
I’m sorry to intrude upon your day, but my mother told me that it was very important that I tell you what I saw.”
“You saw?” Sinclair didn’t bother to stifle his impatience. “What is it that you saw, girl, and be quick about it.”
“I saw your future, Your Grace…with a woman.”
Sinclair’s hand fell to the back of the settee. “Any future I might have had with a woman died when my wife died. Now, get out of here. I’ve heard enough of this nonsense.” He couldn’t listen to more. At the thought of his wife, his heart began to ache again and not because of the grief of his loss. He felt guilty and the uneasiness over the past couple of days disturbed him.
Going against the dictates of the Duke, the girl stood her ground. “I see things, Your Grace. I’ve always been able to see things. It’s a gift. I know you have not been feeling yourself lately and just as I see that, I saw a woman in your future, but she’s not someone like us.”
In spite of himself, Sinclair’s interest was piqued. “Speak in plain English.”
“When I saw her, she was dressed strangely. She may be from across the sea.”
Sinclair wanted to dismiss her words as nonsense, but his heart began to hammer. “The Americas?”
“Possibly. I cannot be sure, but I know that she will come.”
“And what of her arrival? What has that to do with me?” In truth, he’d closed off his emotions years ago when his wife died. He wasn’t so sure he could resurrect them. Or if he wanted to. He’d had the chance at love and he’d thrown it away. His wife wanted so much more than he could give her. He raised his eyes to see the minute girl staring at him. “Speak up, girl. I haven’t all day.”
She curtsied once more and began backing to the door. “You will love her, of that I’m sure.”
Sinclair heard the gasp from behind the young girl and his temper began to climb. “Nettie, show yourself.
You dare to listen to my conversations?”
The housekeeper curtsied herself and apologized. “It’s not that I eavesdrop, Your Grace, but this young girl has quite a reputation in town.”
Sinclair’s gaze rested on the young lady. “And this reputation is…?”
“Of a soothsayer. She sees the future.”
His knuckles tightened until the skin turned white. “If you choose to believe in such nonsense that is no concern of mine, but I will not tolerate it in my house. Be gone with you, child, and tell your mother that the Duke does not wish to hear of your future visions.” He presented his back to the visitor and waited until her footsteps retreated before he turned back around. He pinned his angry gaze on his housekeeper.
“Damnation, Nettie! How could you allow such a girl in here when you know my beliefs?”
“I thought she might be of help, Your Grace. It has been quite some time since your wife passed and I was only thinking of your future.”
His hands clenched and unclenched at his sides. Nettie knew of his pain. Why would she bring up such an agonizing issue? “My future is seeing to my subjects, nothing more.”
“It doesn’t have to be that way,” Nettie
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