‘Why would I have?’ He felt himself tense instantly. ‘She lives in Whitby and I live here.’
‘With only the fields and the shore in between. I’d have thought it would be easy to meet if the two of you wanted.’
Arthur gave him a sideways look, but Lance’s eyes were closed. ‘I suppose it would be. If we wanted.’
‘You know that Violet thinks you ought to go and apologise?’
‘I believe she’s mentioned it seven or eight times, yes.’
Lance chuckled. ‘Well, I’m not telling you to do anything, though it occurred to me that the younger Miss Webster might be just the answer to your problems. Even Lydia would have to give up pursuing you if you married someone else.’
If he’d had any hair, Arthur thought that his eyebrows might have vanished into it. ‘It might be somewhat insensitive to choose her own sister.’
‘That couldn’t be helped. All’s fair in love and war, et cetera. It wouldn’t be your fault if you really liked her.’
‘Which I never said I did.’
‘Not out loud, no.’
Arthur narrowed his eyes. ‘It still sounds a somewhat extreme way of solving the problem. I’m perfectly happy on my own.’
‘Or maybe you’ve just got used to telling yourself that.’
‘Not everyone wants to get married.’
‘Haven’t I made it look appealing enough?’
‘It’s not that and you know it.’ Arthur lowered his glass slowly. ‘I’m just better off on my own. I’m not fit to be someone’s husband. My mind isn’t stable enough.’
‘Don’t be absurd. You’re as sane as I am, for whatever that’s worth.’
‘At the moment, perhaps, but remember what happened before.’
‘It was only once.’
‘Once for nine months and look at the consequences! If it wasn’t for me, Father would still be alive.’
‘You didn’t kill him, Arthur.’
‘No, the shock did that, but I caused it.’
‘Because he pushed you. He was always pushing you, him and Lydia Webster together. The pair of them would have driven any man—’
‘Mad?’ Arthur curled his lip. ‘It’s all right, you can say the word. It’s the truth, after all.’
‘No, it isn’t. You only lost your way for a while. I’ve seen it happen in the army.’
‘That’s still no excuse. Father and Lydia might have pushed me, but I managed the mad part all by myself.’
‘Just because it happened once doesn’t mean that it’ll happen again.’
‘I still won’t take the risk. That feeling of powerlessness, of being out of control...’ He shook his head. ‘I never want to feel that way again and I’m damned sure nobody wants a husband who feels that way either.’
‘And if the lady in question thought otherwise?’
‘The lady in question only knows that I jumped overboard and spent some time on a fishing boat. I’ve no intention of telling her anything else.’
‘Well, it’s up to you.’ Lance sighed and stood up. ‘And now that we’ve each thoroughly depressed the other, I ought to get on to the mine. For the record, though, I still think you’re punishing yourself too much. The past is the past. You shouldn’t let it spoil the future, too. Violet taught me that and she’s a hundred times smarter than I am.’