Page 78 of Bane Bloom

“Mr. Graham,” replied Thomas with a nod.

“Now please, I know I’ve asked you before to call me Ham, but after we’ve spent a day together up to our elbows in . . .” His gaze flickered again to me, and he finished with, “Well. We are neighbors, after all.”

Thomas made no reply to this, and Ham continued, “I’ve been talking with Miss Gray—or Cricket, if she’ll allow me.” He smiled at me, and I could feel Thomas’s gaze sharpen. “I hope you’re keeping an eye on her after what happened to the last one.”

Ham had a bantering style, and I didn’t believe he had any intention of wounding, but I winced inwardly anyway. Poor Thomas! No one except me and the spirits of Pine Cottage knew how hard he had worked to protect outsiders from his family legacy.

Thomas gave Ham one of his squinty looks and replied, “I do my best.” My insides melted like sugar, and my body ached at the memory of sleeping snugged up against him.

Ham looked at me, and I hoped my face was more composed than the rest of me. “Have you an appetite, Cricket? Can I help you to a plate?”

My gaze swung to Thomas, and Ham added amiably, “You’ll join us, won’t you, Thomas?”

Us. Thomas now looked at me, and though his expression was neutral, I knew him, and I felt my heart sinking. “Please do, Thomas,” I said, attempting to plead with my eyes.

He held my gaze for a moment while my heart made its distress known, and at last he said, “If you like.”

I smiled gratefully, and Ham said, “Excellent.”

Then the fellow held out his arm to me, and I had no choice but to take it. My smile wilted as we walked toward the bar, with Thomas trailing.

Though my appetite had fled, I walked with Ham along the line of dishes, indicating which I fancied, like a fine lady at a ball. When my plate had been filled, he led me to a table, and at last I sat down while he went to fill a plate for himself.

Thomas came and sat beside me, and I took my first full breath since arriving here.

“Aren’t you hungry?” I asked him.

“Not particularly,” he said.

“Me neither,” I admitted, frowning down at my plate.

This elicited a laugh, and the sound of it brought back my smile. “Then why have you got so much?” he said.

“I’m afraid Mr. Graham is unstoppable.”

More laughter. “Ham,” he corrected, and then I was laughing, too.

“I hope you’ll share the joke with me,” Ham said good-naturedly, taking a seat across from me.

As we were obviously laughing at his expense, I found myself tongue tied.

“I was only telling Miss Gray a story about Daisy, my mare,” said Thomas, coming to my rescue. “She took it into her head to wander off from the inn, and I had to fetch her and take her to the stable.” He looked at me. “Which is why I was late.”

“Naughty girl,” observed Ham, and for the briefest of moments I thought he meant me. It was what came of a guilty conscience, I supposed. The way Thomas and I had been carrying on in recent days was far beyond the pale of propriety, which had been easy enough to ignore while it was just the two of us.

I picked at my food, regretting my lack of appetite because everything looked delicious, while Ham and Thomas made some small talk about Ham’s foals, the weather, the fishing, and this year’s lambs. I watched the faces of the people around us, noticing that some were stealthily observing while a few were outright staring. The respect Ham showed Thomas wore away my frustration at him for innocently inserting himself between Thomas and me.

“What do you say, Cricket?”

I looked up, realizing that Ham had been speaking to me. “Forgive me, my attention drifted for a moment.”

“I fear we’ve been neglecting our companion in our talk of local matters,” he said to Thomas. “I was saying that I hoped you would dance this evening.”

My lips parted, and I glanced at Thomas. Ham’s gaze slowly moved between us, and I knew by the way his expression subtly sobered that he was seeing something he hadn’t before.

Thomas only watched me, and I replied, “I don’t see why not. Will you dance, Thomas?”

“Nay, I think not.”