Page 37 of Beguiled

A married woman. Now, that was unwise, but when had Euan ever been wise?

“You know her.”

David looked at Euan sharply. “I know her? Who—”

The name that occurred to him, that made him break off mid-sentence, was confirmed by Euan in his next breath.

“Lady Kinnell.”

“What?” David exclaimed. “But you’ve barely spoken to her.”

“I know.” Euan shook his head and gave a hopeless laugh. “It’s ridiculous, isn’t it?”

“I wouldn’t say ridiculous precisely, but you met her for the first time just days ago and—”

“It was the second time I saw her,” Euan interrupted.

“Sorry?”

“It was the second time I saw her.”

“She looked at you like you’d hung the moon in the sky for her. I was sure she was in love with you. I thought you were a lucky dog.”

“The ball at the Assembly Rooms,” David said slowly, understanding dawning.

“Yes.” Euan’s cheeks reddened, and he added almost defiantly, “Don’t you believe in love at first sight?”

“Is that what happened to you?” David asked. “You fell in love with her that night, two years ago? Just from seeing her?”

“Is it so unbelievable? Yes, I fell, right there.”

“You didn’t give any sign.”

“I was rather preoccupied at the time, if you remember,” Euan replied. “At the time, I was expecting to be on the run for murder rather imminently. Developing a romantic attachment to an unattainable, wealthy young lady was something of an inconvenience.”

“And now?”

Euan let out a sigh and leaned back till his head touched the glass of the window behind him. “I didn’t expect to see her ever again. I’d convinced myself it was a boy’s foolishness and put it from my mind. She was the last person I expected to come across when I went to see you the other day.”

“And now you learn she’s married,” David mused.

Euan’s jaw tightened. “To a brute who mistreats her.”

David sighed. “We don’t know that for sure.”

“I do.”

“Just because we saw some bruises—”

“I asked her outright,” Euan interrupted. “When you were seeing to your other guests.”

“You asked her?” David couldn’t disguise his incredulity. “What did you say?”

“I said, ‘Did your husband put those bruises on the back of your neck?’” He paused. “She looked petrified and said he didn’t mean to, and I said it didn’t look like that. And then I started telling her about Mr. and Mrs. Gilmour—that was when you came back.”

He should’ve known that Euan wouldn’t leave his suspicions unspoken.

“I followed her home after,” Euan continued. “That’s why I left you in such a hurry. I didn’t want to lose her trail.”